The city centre offers the visitor the perfect combination of history, art and leisure.

A walk down the streets of Valencia town opens up for the visitor a city of a thousand faces. The grand is intermingled with the more avant-garde areas, such as museums, art galleries, outstanding restaurants and boutiques of both national and international companies.

The route sets off from Plaza del Patriarca, five minutes from Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where the traveller will stumble across the University of Valencia's oldest building, known as "La Nave", which currently houses a library, exhibition rooms and areas in which events are held. The square where this building is located is overflowing with establishments of top international companies, like Hermés, Louis Vuitton, Loewe or Roberto Cavalli.

Heading out of the square towards Calle Poeta Querol, almost immediately you will find the Palace of the Marquis of Dos Aguas, nowadays the González Martí National Museum of Ceramics, whose architecture harmonizes Gothic, Baroque, Rococo and Neo imperialist styles. On this street, the visitor will stumble across establishments of the standing of Hermenegildo Zegna, Loewe woman, Loewe man or Lladró, a highly regarded Valencian family business of both international and avant-garde repute.

Not far from here, at number 13 Calle H. Cortes, you will find the new four-storey shop of the Valencian designer Álex Vidal. From here the walk takes you to Calle Colón, one of the city's commercial arteries, where you can find the shops of famous fashion designers, such as Purificación García, Adolfo Domínguez, Armand Bassi or Emporio Armani.

The route continues along Calle Jorge Juan towards the Colón Market, a symbolic modernist building from 1919 which until only a few years ago was a working market. After its recent restoration, it became an outstanding leisure and commercial centre in which you can enjoy the surroundings while having an aperitif on some of its café terraces or eating at the emblematic restaurant Bamboo, located on the lower floor.

Opposite the market, on Calle Conde Salvatierra, the Valencian designer Francis Montesinos has installed his shop. Next to it, for those with a sweet tooth, Cacao Sampaka offers the chance to enjoy some chocolate while having a tea or one of the natural fruit shakes which are on the menu.

After this snack, continue along Calle Conde Salvatierra as far as Calle Sorní, where, among others, the firms Roberto Verino, Farrutx, Escada, Toni Miró and the Valencian Presen Rodríguez exhibit their latest collections. In the same street, you can also stop for lunch or have dinner in the restaurants Albacar or La Pequeña Cocina, the former offering marketplace cooking and the latter specialising in French cuisine.

From here the visit moves to Calle de la Paz, noted for the beauty of its modernist buildings and where Carolina Herrera has set up. Almost opposite her shop, at number 6 Calle Bonaire, you can find the Luis Adelantado Gallery, specialising in photography, which dedicates four floors of the centre to the exhibition of well-known artists. Near this exhibition room, in Calle en Sala, is the restaurant Abadía d’Espí, which offers personalised service and an extensive menu of excellent meat, fish and rice dishes.

Continuing along Calle de la Paz, you arrive at Plaza de la Reina, where you can marvel at Valencia's Cathedral, which combines Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles. Erected next to it is the Chapel of the Virgin, whose frescoes, by the Valencian artist Antonio Palomino, have recently been restored.

The route continues along Calle del Mar, where the Rosalía Sender Art Gallery exhibits the work of internationally consolidated and local creators. Alternatively, the Gallery of Arte Punto, situated on Calle Barón de Cárcer, bases its exhibitions on contemporary pieces, their philosophy being more avant-garde.

To end the sightseeing day, you should not miss the chance to visit the Valencian Institute of Modern Art (IVAM in Spanish), where the works of great twentieth century artists are housed and in which temporary exhibitions of artists such as Francis Bacon, Matisse, Dorazzio or Jasper Johns, and many others are held. After the cultural itinerary, enjoy lunch or have dinner in the museum’s restaurant, La Sucursal, a stop you simply can't miss.

The article Shopping and monuments in the Valencia of contrasts originally appeared on 999 Today