The Silk Exchange is the finest piece of secular Gothic architecture in Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built between 1482 and 1548 at the height of Valencia's commercial peak, it housed the city's silk and goods traders and the maritime consulate court. From the outside it looks fortified; inside, the great hall of twisted, palm-like columns soars to a vaulted ceiling that feels more like a cathedral than a marketplace.
There are three parts to the building: the columned trading hall, the small orange-tree patio, and the upper Consulate Hall with a magnificent carved ceiling. Entry is cheap (free on Sundays) and rarely crowded — most visitors duck their head in the door, snap a photo, and miss the upstairs entirely. Don't make that mistake.