Wednesday 20 July

Guided tour of the historic center of Valencia and welcome cocktail at the Jardín Botánico de la Universitat de València

Strolling around its streets is a complete pleasure. El Carmen neighbourhood embraces you with its maze-like streets full of history, palaces, legends and leisure. Visit Torres de Quart and Miguelete to take in the spectacular views. Sit in Plaza del Negrito and have an Agua de Valencia, a typical Valencian cocktail, then continue your walk down Calle Caballeros and you will see how El Carmen will charm you bit by bit. Once it has, it will be one of the loves of your lives. For sure.

More info here

Thursday 21 July

Simposium Dinner at the Jardín Botánico de la Universitat de València

The Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia is a living museum located in the historical centre of the city which is open to the public and aims to let people connect with the plant world by fostering its study, teaching, dissemination and conservation, as well as its sustainable use. Among other objectives, the Garden maintains a scientific collection of live plants, preserving a historic legacy of continuous cultivation, which includes monumental trees and historical buildings. Furthermore, it has the responsibility of maintaining the tradition of botanical gardens in Valencia, which date back to the 16th Century, when the university created a physics garden for the purpose of teaching medicine.

More info here

Saturday 23 July

Field trip to the Penyagolosa Natural Park

Penyagolosa guide here

On this trip, we will get to know the natural park that surrounds Penyagolosa (Castellón), an emblematic place with the highest peak reaching 1814 m. in the Valencian province. From a bird's eye view, the area is located just 50 km from the sea, between the municipalities of Vistabella del Maestrat to the north, Chodos to the east, Villahermosa del Río to the south and Puertomingalvo (Teruel) to the west.
This mountain stands out for its magnificent form, presenting a spectacular Cretaceous limestone cliff on its southern slope. From its summit, on clear days, a large part of the province of Castellón can be seen, including the Columbretes Islands in the distance. The park is located in the Maestrazgo, a rugged mountainous area with a long and stormy history. Within the park is the sanctuary of “Sant Joan de Penyagolosa”, a well-known place of devotion and pilgrimage for the small, surrounding towns.
The whole area stands out for its important natural values, having been the subject of botanical studies since the time of A.J. Cavanilles. The mosaic of limestone and siliceous substrates, the steep topography and a more humid rainfall regime than in the lowlands, favour the development of vegetation, which in the highest parts successively presents forests of black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. salzmanii) and Scots pine (P. sylvestris), alternating in the siliceous areas with “Rebollo” oak forests (Quercus pyrenaica). The highest areas above 1500 meters altitude, are colonized by a mediterranean xeroacanthic vegetation characterized by creeping juniper (Juniperus sabina) and blue “piorno” (Erinacea anthyllis). Penyagolosa is also known for hosting in cool hábitats the southernmost populations of some Euro-Siberian taxa (Anemone nemorosa, Galanthus nivalis, Vaccinium myrtillus, etc.). Currently, the entire area is protected in the Penyagolosa Natural Park.

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