Near Estación del Norte and Xativa metro station, you will find Plaza de Toros. A beautiful building that you cannot miss when you visit Valencia. Besides the fact that it’s a bullring, it’s also one of the oldest and most important historical buildings in Valencia. It is labeled as a national monument and famous for all kinds of events that take place here as well. Get to know Plaza de Toros!
Plaza de Toros: more than an arena
Plaza de Toros belongs to the eight best arenas of Spain. Beside the bullfights it is also possible to visit the arena during the rest of the year. You can enter the tribune and walk around all the paths inside the arena. Concerts, festivals and other events take place in Plaza de Toros too. For example, Ricky Martin and Daddy Yankee are some of the famous artists that have performed here. There are even films that are recorded in the Plaza de Toros! Also people often organize markets in Plaza de Toros, with products from other towns or cities from the region Valencia. Good to know is that the arena is closed on days when an event is planned. When you visit Plaza de Toros you can easily visit other hotspots. The arena is near train station Estación del Norte, the old city centre, Plaza Ayuntamiento and shopping street Carrer de Colón.
A lookalike of the Colosseum in Rome
Impressive is that the arena looks like the Colosseum in Rome. This is because the design of the Plaza de Toros is inspired by the Roman architecture. The architect Sebastián Monleón Estellés originally comes from Valencia. Before they built the arena there was the idea to start a new square. Due to budget problems the idea for building a new square in the city centre was never completed. Then the idea to build Plaza de Toros arised and the building was built between 1850 and 1860.
Impressive architecture
The arena has a neoclassical style and 48 sides and 384 bows. The height of the building is 17.5 meters (57.4 ft) and it has a diameter of more than 50 meters (164 ft). It has four levels, all decorated with brick arches and wooden balustrades. When it is not possible to enter for any reason, you can admire the impressive building from the outside as well! Fun fact: because of the arena is this large, more than 10.000 spectators fit into the Plaza de Toros.
Bullfights at Plaza de Toros
As it is already said before, every year there are more or less 25 bullfights in the Plaza de Toros. Also during some local events, like Las Fallas, it is a tradition for the locals to go and see a bullfight. The opinions about bullfighting are divided; some people are against the bullfighting and find it harsh for the bulls. Other people claim that this is a tradition and part of the culture.
If you are thinking about buying a ticket for a bullfight you should also be aware of the consequences. In every bullfight there are an average of six bulls killed. This is part of the game, but many visitors find this brute afterwards. Think twice before buying tickets.
For more information about the opening hours and prices visit our page about ‘Bullfighting’.
Statue of the matador
In front of the arena you can see a statue of Manolo Montoliu, who was a matador. He was killed during a bullfight in 1982 at the age of 38 years. Furthermore he was seen as one of the best and most powerful fighters from the 20th century. This can be seen in the statue that symbolizes strength and power.
Location Plaza de Toros
Carrer de Xàtiva 28
46004 València
Opening hours Plaza de Toros
Monday until Friday: 10:00 am-14:00 pm, 17:00 pm-20:00pm
Saturdays: 10:00 am-14:00 pm
Sundays and on days of an event: closed
Museo Taurino
Inside Plaza de Toros is a museum with information about bullfighting throughout the years and the arena itself. In the museum you can find the clothing of a matador and the symbols and flags that are linked to bullfighting. The role of the fighter and the bull are the central starting point in the museum for all the history and stories about bullfighting. In the museum you can find a permanent collection of the Valencian bullfighting history. You will get to know the history of bullfighting and there is a room with a replica of the arena. Here you can see the weapons that are used during a bullfight and there is a stuffed bull in the museum too. When visiting the museum there is a possibility to enter the arena as well.
Location Museo Taurino
Passatge Doctor Serra 10
46004 Valencia
Website
Opening hours Museo Taurino
Tuesday until Saturday: 10:00 am-19:00 pm
Sunday and holidays: 10:00 am-14:00 pm
Price
€ 2
