Torres de Serranos in Valencia is a beautifully restored Gothic city gate, originally part of the city walls but now standing alone. The fortification can be climbed from a ramp on the inside.
Visiting
The Torres de Serranos is a major tourist attraction in the city. As such it is well signposted and about five minutes walk from the Cathedral or a few minutes from the main park that used to be the town moat (I think). The train station is about 15 minutes away and the old city is not great for parking.
My Experience
We visited Valencia whilst exploring Catalonia for a week as detailed in my blog. My notes are:
“Deb managed to manoeuvre the car into the car park via a gap that was maybe 20cm wider than the actual car and we headed to the hotel to dump our stuff – I’m glad she was driving!
We then headed out to explore the old city of Valencia and what a beautiful city it is! Gorgeous architecture and street art everywhere. We had an excellent lunch and then continued on to the cathedral which was surrounded by flower displays due to a local festival. It was strange being somewhere so busy after the quiet of the other towns but it was also great to see some local pride.
We continued on to the Torres de Serranos – one of the 15th century gothic gatehouses in the city wall that has been demolished. This was quite an impressive structure and there were great views from the top, which was kinda the idea I guess.”
Entry to the upper floors is via a ramp on the inside wall. From there you can explore the two floors of the tower as well as the rooftop battlements. This is nice for the views but I’d rather be outside the tower looking in as it really is a magnificent sight! Inside you can see some very attractive detailing though, with gargoyles and vaulted ceilings.
Photo Gallery
History
“The Serranos Towers are considered to be the largest Gothic city gateway in all of Europe, and were constructed at the end of the 14th century by Pere Balaguer as part of the city’s fortification. They provisionaly housed prison cells and served as a triumphal arch on many festive and solemn occasions. You can enjoy splendid views of the city and the river Turia from its terraces.
Construction on these large guard towers was finished in 1391. They were once the main entrance to the city in the long-since destroyed wall. From an architectural point of view, they are both pentagon-shaped, connected by a common gallery, and decorated with gothic designs on the borders. On the top there are parapets, and, around the entire structure, you can see the remains of the old moat.”
References
The history above is taken from this site which also give useful info on opening times.
For a more detailed history Wikipedia has an excellent entry here.