Museu d'Història de València is set in a former water reservoir, an atmospheric space of brick arches that already says something about the city's infrastructure. Exhibits trace Valencia from Roman Valentia through Islamic, medieval, modern, and contemporary layers.
It sits away from the old centre, but the museum is worthwhile for travelers who want the city to make chronological sense. Visit early in a Valencia stay and the cathedral, markets, riverbed, and neighbourhoods will feel less like isolated sights.