Centro Arqueológico de l'Almoina

Beneath the sheet of water you see in the middle of the Plaza de la Virgen hides a little-known underground museum: the L'Almoina Archaeological Centre. On a glass walkway, you literally walk over 2,000 years of history, from Roman Valentia through the Visigothic and Islamic eras. It's nearly always empty.

History and what makes it special

Valencia was founded by Rome in 138 BC, and this site preserves the monumental heart of that city. The excavations opened to the public as a museum in 2007 and revealed a palimpsest of overlapping cultures: Roman streets following the lines of the cardo and decumanus, baths, a ritual well, a forum, a necropolis, a Visigothic baptistery and remains of the Islamic citadel. Few places let you read so much of a city's history at a single glance.

What to see

• The Roman baths and the layout of the ancient streets.
• The ritual well and the remains of the forum.
• The small Visigothic funerary chapel, linked to the prison of San Vicente.
• The traces of the Islamic period.

Practical tips

Admission is cheap and there are often free-entry days, worth checking before you go. It's right next to the Cathedral and the Basilica of the Helpless, so it works well with any old-town route.

Insider tip

Local secret: many people cross the Plaza de la Virgen without realising that the pool reflecting the Cathedral and Basilica is actually the museum's "roof". Peer through the glass from the street before you go down, to get a sense of it. Pair it with the Valencia History Museum to understand more of what you're seeing, and plan with our Valencia in 3 days guide.