VALENCIA’S AMAZING ARCHITECTURE

The Spanish city of Valencia is a place of wonderful architectural contrasts. In the old town, El Carmen, you’ll find historic gems such as the Mercado Central, Europe's biggest indoor market with some 1500 stalls housed in a beautiful Valencian Art Nouveau style modernist building, the stunning Cathedral and La Lonja de la Seda, the 15th century silk exchange, a gothic masterpiece and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Head just a few minutes down the now-dry bed of the River Turia, itself a beautiful landscaped walk, and you’re transported into a world of dazzling modern architecture in the form of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences). This staggering cultural and architectural complex was the brainchild of architect Santiago Calatrava and cost almost €1 billion to create. It’s one of the 12 Treasures of Spain, and in my opinion, the most extravagant example of modern architecture to be found anywhere in Europe.

During this 3-day, 4-night workshop we’ll be based in the Barcelo Valencia, a modern hotel just a few minutes’ walk from the City of Arts and Sciences (the bar on the hotel roof looks out on it). Our shoots there will mainly take place at dawn and dusk, when the light's at its best. Some of the buildings are often illuminated at night, but even when they're not they still look amazing, and with shallow, sheltered pools of water around the complex, it's also possible to capture stunning reflections of the architecture.

The place is usually deserted at dawn and dusk, but even if it's busy during the day, visitors don't really get in the way of our photographs. As well as shooting the classic views you can also concentrate on details and abstracts - you could literally spend hours exploring each building with your lens. The modern architecture is also ideal for black & white as well as colour photography. The City of Arts and Sciences will be our primary focus during the workshop, but we will make time to explore the historic centre as well.

To get a better idea of the photo opportunities this workshop presents, check out my Valencia portfolio on this website, and if you have any queries, feel free to get in touch via the Contact page. 

• At A Glance...

• Deposit / Price

  £200.00 / £1,500.00

  Sharing Discount - £200.00

• Date

  04th - 08th September, 2025

• Included

  4 nights en-suite accommodation with breakfast in Hotel Barcelo Valencia, airport transfers for suggested flights, transport during the trip, admission to La Lonja and the Cathedral, tuition from Lee.

• Excluded

  Flights to/from Valencia, meals and drinks not mentioned, admission fees not mentioned

• Fitness Level

  Easy

• Location

  Valencia, Spain

• Max Group Size

  8