Plaza Redonda

You slip through an unassuming archway among the lanes around the Mercat district and suddenly the space opens into a perfect circle: the Plaza Redonda ("Round Square"), affectionately known to locals as El Clot ("the hollow"). It's an urban spiral 37 metres across, with four entrances at the cardinal points, continuous balconies and a fountain at its centre. It surprises precisely because you don't see it coming: a secret square hidden in the heart of the old town.

History: a slaughterhouse turned landmark

The square was built from 1837, during the disentailment, on the site of the old slaughterhouse and main butcheries, following the design of municipal architect Salvador Escrig; the works finished around 1840. The area had been the city's commercial heart since Moorish times, with its fish and meat markets. Its circular shape, extremely rare for the urban planning of the day, quickly made it an icon. After decades of decay, a full restoration in 2012 returned its splendour.

What to see and buy

The stalls ringing the square came to specialise in haberdashery, lace, trims, baby clothes, ceramics and traditional souvenirs. It's one of the few places where you can still find Valencian aprons, threads and old-fashioned crafts. On some Saturday and Sunday mornings it livens up with markets of animals, plants, stamps and coins, a very local scene.

How to get there and a tip

It sits right in the Ciutat Vella, a couple of minutes' walk from the Silk Exchange, the Central Market and the church of Santa Catalina. Any walking route through the centre passes close by; the tricky part is finding the right entrance, so it's worth asking. Local tip: go mid-morning on a weekday, when clean light falls on the fountain and it's nearly empty, to capture the photo of the empty circle; then slip off for a horchata or coffee on one of the nearby terraces. To string it together with the rest of the centre's highlights, follow our València in 3 days guide and find more corners in secrets.