L'Umbracle Sculpture Garden, Valencia

The Umbracle is a mesmerizing sculpture garden and landscaped pathway adorned with native plant species found in Valencia. Among these botanical treasures are rockrose, lentiscus, romero, honeysuckle, bougainvillea, and palm trees. Nestled within its confines lies The Walk of the Sculptures, an open-air art gallery showcasing masterpieces by contemporary artists like Miquel from Navarre, Francesc Abbot, Yoko Ono, and others.

The Umbracle serves as a sanctuary for numerous sculptures, embraced by the beauty of nature. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, it serves as an entrance on the southwestern periphery of the City of Arts and Sciences, while also providing a roof over the adjacent car park. L'Umbracle was successfully completed in 2001.

Spanning an impressive length of 320 meters and width of 60 meters, this remarkable structure occupies the southern side of the complex. Its elegant form comprises 55 fixed arches and 54 floating arches, reaching a soaring height of 18 meters. These arches exhibit captivating parabolic shapes.

Delicately chosen for their seasonal transformations, the plants within the garden enchantingly change their hues throughout the year. The garden showcases a collection of 99 palm trees, 78 smaller palm trees, and 62 bitter orange trees. Moreover, it boasts an array of 42 shrub varieties originating from the Region of Valencia, including cistuses, mastics, buddleia, pampas grass, and plumbagos. Honeysuckle and cascading bougainvillea are among the 450 climbing plants that adorn the Umbracle.

Additionally, the garden houses 5,500 ground cover plants, such as lotus, Spanish Flags, and fig marigolds. Adding to its allure, more than a hundred aromatic plants, including rosemary and lavender, perfume the air with their delightful scents.