Admire thousands of vibrant flowers while strolling across the Flower Bridge (Puente de las Flores or Pont de les Flors). Pose for photos with colorful backgrounds and enjoy views along sections of the magnificent Turia Gardens. Inaugurated in 2002, the Flower Bridge replaced a temporary floating bridge. It is among 18 bridges that cross the Turia Gardens.
The idea for the bridge is a reference to a line from a hymn about Valencia that says “Valencia es la Tierra de las flores (Valencia is the land of flowers).”Today an estimated 27,000 flowers divide the bridge’s pedestrian walkways with its central traffic lane. The floral displays change regularly throughout the year to reflect the four seasons and special events. Yellow and white flowers were planted to resemble the colors of the Vatican City for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.
Take your time to walk along the bridge, observe the colors and smell the aromas. There are benches to sit on and look over the park that occupies a dried up section of the Turia river. To the north you can see the modern La Exposición Bridge and to the south the Puente del Mar, a stone bridge with 10 pointed arches. At the western entrance to the bridge is a cylindrical tower once used as a water supply for the trucks that cleaned the city streets.
Reach the bridge by taking the metro to Alameda station, which is a 5-minute walk to the north. Public buses also stop nearby. Include a visit to this landmark on a tour of the Turia Gardens, a 5.6-mile (9-kilometer) urban park that borders central Valencia. It features playgrounds, splash pads and major city attractions such as the City of Arts and Sciences.
You can visit Flower Bridge at any time of the day, although during daylight hours is best to appreciate the colors. Springtime is especially pretty, when the entire city is in full bloom.