Valencia/瓦倫西亞自治區

is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia. The region is divided into three provinces: Alicante, Castellón and Valencia, and thirty four comarques.
It has 518 km of Mediterranean coastline and covers 23,259 km² of land with 5.1 million inhabitants (2009). Its borders largely reflect those of the historic Kingdom of Valencia.
The current version of the Valencian Statute of Autonomy (2006) declares the Valencian Community a nationality of Spain. The official languages are Valencian (as Catalan is known in this territory)[1][2] and Spanish.

Capital: Valencia
Provinces: Alicante, Castellon and Valencia

This Autonomous Community is a prototypical example of the "Mediterranean Spain", with a fantastic climate and more than 500 kilometers of coast. It is decidedly one of the country's most touristical areas.

If you want to discover more than just sun and sand, you will find remains of most remote civilizations, Phoenicians, Greeks, Iberians and Romans. The Moorish legacy is still present in traditional artisany and agriculture with its praised oranges as well as rice. The conquests of Jaime de Aragon led to the foundation of the kingdom of Valencia, more or less at the territiory of todays Community.

Major attractions:

Valencia
The capital, with outstanding monuments in particular of Gothic period, as La Lonja and the bell-tower Miguelete.

Alicante
The second largest city of Valencian Community, dominated by the Moorish castle Castillo de Santa Barbara.

Costa Blanca
One of the most famous Spanish coasts. Its magnificent sand beaches and ideal installations made it a first rate touristic center. Among the most important cities are Denia, Calpe, and Benidorm with its outstanding hotel infrastructure and boiling nightlife.

Costa Azahar
The "Orange-Blossom-Coast", in the north of Valencia, not only offers great beaches but as well beautiful towns as Peñiscola with its great medieval castle or Oropesa, which conserves the 16th century Tower of the King, erected as a defense against pirates. A true pearl is the enchanting Morella with its narrow lanes, enclosed by 14th century walls.

Castellon
The most remarkable monuments are the cathedral Santa Maria and the town-hall.