Green capital of Europe

 

    Cycling in the green

Valencia has long been one of Spain's sunniest cities. Its location is very close to the Mediterranean Sea. The city has recently received the title of European Green Capital from the European Commission. 

For this, the fact that the city has 500,000 square meters of green area has been mentioned by the European Commission. According to the commission's report, 97 percent of the city's residents live within 300 meters of a green area. Its area is 134.6 square kilometers.

Every year, the European Commission awards the title of Green Capital to a European city that usually sets an example in terms of environment. For this, the winning city authorities receive 600,000 euros for an environmentally sustainable development program. 

But the real value rather than monetary value is the increase in marketing value after winning the title of Green Capital. Earlier, the other cities that won the green capital title are Estonia's capital Tallinn and Norway's capital Oslo.

"I think this is a recognition of the European community for our common work," said Paola Lobet, Councilor for Tourism and Innovation in Valencia. We have been doing this for a long time with our neighbors as a community. We are protecting our gardens, beaches, sea, Albufeira Natural Park and other areas.'

Tourists can check the map of Valencia if they want. They will be impressed by the green areas of Valencia. This includes the Turia Natural Park there. It is a 9 km long green area along the banks of the river that meanders through the city.

After the devastating flood of 1957, the river was diverted. Turia was supposed to be a multi-lane highway. But the people opposed it. They demanded to make the city center greener. 

Now Turia has become an important place for people to spend their time. A green ribbon touches different gardens on the outskirts of the Mediterranean Sea. During holidays, various sports like football, rugby, baseball are seen here. Many families enjoy picnics on sunny days.

The city is also known as the city of arts and sciences. It is here that the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava's monumental building is one of the city's major attractions. Another big advantage of the city is that it has a lot of fruits and vegetables.