Valencia, UNESCO Creative City

Valencia has established itself as a must-visit destination for design and creativity enthusiasts. With a strong commitment to innovation and excellence in these disciplines for decades, international recognition came in 2022 with the designation of the city as World Design Capital. A year later, Valencia was declared a UNESCO Creative City, reinforcing the essential role of Valencian design as a transformative tool in many areas.

Valencia's links with design date back to the 15th century with Spain's first printing press, continue with the flourishing silk industry, and extend to the present day with the involvement of creative industries in designing more efficient, resilient, cooperative, attractive, and sustainable cities.

Walking its streets, gazing at its buildings and visiting its museums make it possible to immerse yourself in a torrent of creativity. This includes everything from the avant-garde architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences and such art nouveau treasures as Colón Market to the urban design that has created unique green spaces like Turia Garden and Central Park. The city's vibrant cultural life includes museums and galleries devoted to Valencian illustrators. Their graphic design has set the standard the world over, from the celebrated Republican artist Josep Renau to the award-winning posters for the Fallas festival by Iban Ramón and the graphic identity of the public transport companies EMT and Metrovalencia, created by Pepe Gimeno.

This creativity springs to life as you tour such neighbourhoods as Carmen, Russafa and Cabanyal. Amid their façades and cultural spaces, design has forged the character of a city where artisanal industries such as pottery and silks made a name for themselves in the world with their design. It is impossible to truly understand Valencia without its cuisine, flavours linked to the sea and the land, in combination with restaurants and cafés where interior design shares space with culinary excellence on an equal footing.

Design is part of Valencia. Come experience, feel and enjoy.