Leisure - Bicimetro

0 km.

Burjassot station is the starting point of this route. More precisely in front of it, where two magnificent palaces from the beginning of the 20th century meet. Be careful, it is necessary to cross the track and pass over to the other platform.

Continue right on the access road to these exceptional buildings. It is interesting to see how with the construction of the narrow-gauge railway, summer residential buildings like those next to the track appeared, not only in Burjassot, but also in other towns like Rocafort, Godella, Bétera.

Burjassot is located in the l’Horta Nord region at an altitude of 40 meters above sea level. More than 37.000 inhabitants, working mainly in the metallurgic, furniture and small craft industries, live there.  The university campus and the Televisión Valenciana program production centre are additional sources of income for this municipality.

Among Burjassot’s heritage we can admire el “Castell”. This building is currently a palace-residence. It is situated at the entrance of Burjassot, coming from Valencia. Originally it was a primitive castle or a medieval defensive tower, protecting the early urban centre. In 1604 San Juan de Ribera ordered its reconstruction in order to use it as a retreat and a place to rest. Handed over to Real Colegio del Corpus Christi, it was auctioned to the State in 1866. In 1912 the San Juan de Ribera university residence hall was founded in order to help students. Nowadays it is still fulfilling this function as a residence. A compulsory visit is Los Silos or “Sitges”. It is in the town centre, next to the town hall and was built after 1573 by the municipal authorities of Valencia. They were used to store the wheat needed by the city. Enlarged on several occasions, they were finished in 1806. In total there are 43 stores. It is possible to visit religious buildings like the San Miguel Archangel parish church. It has a large façade with a classical gate. It contains paintings by Vicente Lõpez. It has three sections and three naves inside the church. The central one with a barrel vault. It is the oldest parish in the town. Also of interest is the parish church of San Juan de Ribera, which is made up of three naves with square pillars. Another church, La Parroquia de la Santisima Trinidad, very close to Godella, is in reality a Franciscan chapel. It has a rectangular plan and a soffit ceiling with beams. Also in the vicinity is the parish church of del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús [1952]. It has a unique nave with small lateral chapels and a barrel vault. Also worth a visit is the San Roque hermitage [17th c.] in los Silos square. It is a small building with a stonework neo-classical façade, a basket handle arch door and rectangular nave covered by a gabled roof with a barrel vault. Other places and spots of interest are the “castell” meadow, The semi-detached garden at the San Juan de Ribera school. “Pinada de Carsi” or “l’Eixereta” between the Moncada irrigation channel and the FGV railway line from Valencia to Bétera. La Granja. An old phytopathology plant and orange depot, converted into a public park. There is a leisure centre with an interesting miniature railway line.

0,4 km.

Take the wider path and continue to the left. 200 metres further on turn left again onto a road that used to be closed by a barrier. Nowadays this barrier doesn’t prevent access to the fields, and we can cycle through the only stretch that is left of the Huerta in the area of Burjassot.

1,2 km.

We are now on a dirt track between the municipal limits of Burjassot and Godella. Continue alongside a warehouse for storing agricultural tools. The track widens, changing into a pathway that for some meters travels alongside an irrigation channel. We advise less able riders to dismount here. We can take advantage of this stop to observe the flow of the irrigation channel.

1,3 km.

The track expands again, and we are now cycling among orange groves. A little further, on the left we can see la gran Pinada de Carsi or l’Eixereta, and the building of the Editana university school-Colegio Sagrada Corazón.

1,75 km.

We come to the road that joins Burjassot and Godella. Watch out at the junction, it can be quite busy. Turn left, and 20 metres on, take a right. If you had kept going straight on the road towards Godella, you would have found a roadside cross and the Moncada irrigation channel as you entered the town.

2,4 km.

Junction with a big cypress in the middle. Continue on the right side of the track next to the remains of a fence. 50 meters further on leave this track and continue on the right among Californian palm trees. 300 meters on, the road surface is unpaved until we reach the Massarrojos-Valencia road.

3,7 km.

Turn left towards Massarrojos. 200m further we come across an olive tree in the middle of two roads. The one on the right leads to Moncada. Go straight on to Massarojos. A bit later, 200 m, we see el Pou del Christ on the left.

4,8 km.

Leave this road turning right and follow the Plamaret gully. Its new channel helps prevent floods and has a service road on both sides of the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar. Access to non-authorised vehicles, especially motorised vehicles, is prohibited, which gives free way to pedestrians and cyclists.

Go straight on to Massarrojos.

5,5 km.

Junction at Moncada road. 250 m. ahead cross another road, which leads to this town by the old abattoir. We are in “Partida del Pont Real”.

On the right is the town of Benifaraig.

6,15 km.

Again another junction, from Moncada to Valencia (CV-315), but at this point it is necessary to be more careful as the traffic is busier, especially on workdays due to the university centres that are in both towns.

Moncada is at 50 meters above sea level. Its population is a bit over than 20.000 inhabitants. Its religious heritage includes the San Jaime church, whose temple was consecrated in 1696. It has different styles. There is also the Santa Bárbara Hermitage, built at the beginning of the 18th century and the Seminario Metropolitano.

At the end we find the arqueological remnants of the Iberian population of Tos Pelat (houses and fortification) and the remains of two roman villas dating from between the 2nd and 3rd century ad. La Casa Comuna of the Moncada Royal irrigation channel, built in 1956, is the venue where syndicates meet to deal with matters concerning the irrigation channel.

6,4 km.

Cross the road leading to Alfara del Patriarca. Go straight on through the service road. On the left go into the town passing by the Sant Dídac church, an old Franciscan monastery founded in the 16th century. With the sale of Church lands it passed to the hands of the Moroder family, who set up a match factory “El Globo” . In front of the monastery is the old tin factory, which is currently the veterinary school of CEU.

Alfara del Patriarca is at an altitude of 35 meters above sea level, has around 2.800 inhabitants and covers an area of 2 squared kilometres. We can go to the town centre. In San Juan de Ribera square we find the castle-palace of Alfara del Patriarca, built in the 14th century, also known as the “Palacio de la Señora” or “Palacio de los Cruilles” and more frequently as “el Castell”. It has different gothic and renaissance elements on its windows. On the same square is the town hall and San Bartolomé church, built in 1732 in a neo-classical style. The bell tower has a bell dating 1538.

6,7 km.

Pedestrian footbridge through which we can access the Alfara mill. Of medieval origin it later became a flour factory. It was the last flourmill of the irrigation channel to close down. La Assocació Valenciana d’Amics dels Molins (Valencia Association of Mill Friends www.uv.es/avam) provides information on Valencian water mills.

Follow this service road for around 500 m until the confluence of Palmaret and Carraixet gullies. Usually those gullies are dry, but in rainy seasons (mainly in autumn) their volume increases considerably. Both have seen their channel changed in order to avoid those floods.

On the left there is a bridge we will not cross. Continue on the right bank of Carraixet until the footbridge.

7,4 km.

Another footbridge on the left that we have to cross in order to go to Vinalesa.

The town has 3.000 inhabitants, an area of 1,6 square kilometres and is 26 meters above sea level.

We come to the service road on the left bank of the gully and cross a small roundabout. Turn left towards Avenida Manuel Sanchis Guarner, and from here, another left towards a small orange house called “Motor del Roll”.

7,8 km.

Go to the town centre and find the irrigation channel, a floodgate and a small brick house with a board where the irrigation turns are announced.

There is a table with information on how the water is shared.

On the left, the irrigation channel is lined by holm oaks that form a small green space and a pedestrian crossing, which remind us how the channel was years ago when it was bordered by bank vegetation and not concrete like today.

Turn right, following the irrigation channel and the signs on the Moncada irrigation channel route until you reach an old silk factory. It was a silk threading factory funded by the Frenchman Joseph Lapayesse in 1770. As time passed, it turned into a jute and esparto factory. It uses the hydraulic power to operate the machinery.

8 km.

Junction on corner of the silk factory. It is possible to see the remains of the watermill in the wall of the building, which is currently a social and municipal centre. The town hall and other services such as the library, the health centre, associations, training classrooms, exhibition rooms, etc are housed there. On the left a sign to Foios, some meters further on we come to the Santa Bárbara hermitage. It’s a simple building situated on a small square with a cross.

On the right we can go to the town centre where we find San Honorato church from the 18th century. It is a neo-classical building with barroque-roccoco elements. Inside we can admire work of important artistic and religious value (paintings, sculptures, murals, goldsmith items).

Go straight on until reaching a small garden and the Santa Bárbara fountain (without water). The irrigation channel is covered, forming a sort of pedestrian crossing until it returns to the surface. We advise to go up the ramp where the casal fallero “Els Xiquets” is, as it is easier.

8,3 km.

The irrigation channel is no longer covered. Next to it is an information board. Turn right towards the roundabouts. At the first one turn right. At the second one, at the 8.6km mark, take the dirt road on the left, next the Fila motor.

There is a sign to Foios. Some 300 meters further on are the remains of the Fila mill (information board for routes through L’Horta).

A few Metres further on there is a path on the left, which leads to one of the few farmhouses left. It is significant that all are orientated to the east, in order to take advantage of the fresh winds and sunlight. In the courtyard there used to be vines and fruit trees.

9,3 km.

Entrance to Foios. Go straight on and at the 9,6 km mark there is a park in front of us. We are at the corner of calle de la Unión. Turn left until the square del Pueblo, 9,8 km mark, where the church of Asunción de Nuestra Señora de Foios is. Its construction started in 1728. It is one of the most important in L’Horta. Its imposing bell tower and façade are remarkable. Inside it houses works of important artistic and religious value.

The town hall is also on the same square.

With more than 6.000 inhabitants, this town, which is 18 meters above sea level, has an area of 6.5 squared kilometres.

La Casa de Cultura (cultural centre) is one of the most emblematic locations in the town. This building houses the ancient schools of Foios.

Continue left towards the Moncada road through calle Mayor. We come across the old abattoir, rebuilt as an association centre by la Escuela Taller (workshop school), the Roll Mill and Motor, and the cemetery.

10,8 km.

Santísimo Cristo de la Sangre Hermitage has a small via crucis in its enclosure.

Some meters further on we cross the Moncada irrigation channel over a small bridge.

11,3 km.

Sudden change in our route.  It is necessary to take the path on the right upon arrival at the brick factory.  It’s a path that links two factories.

Brick production in this part of L’Horta has a long tradition that dates to the middle ages. Its golden age took place at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century.

12,3 km.

Turn right on the Albalat del Sorells road, passing in front of “Pou dels Sants de la Pedra”. Some meters further on cross the Moncada irrigation channel over a bridge that lead us away from the channel.

13,3 km.

Roundabout. We have to go straight on through the old access road to the village, passing by the cemetary and via crucis.

13,7 km.

Albalat dels Sorells metro station, line 3. We cross the tracks on a lower pedestrian and bicycle crossing.

We can visit this small town of the l’Horta Nord region, situated 20 meters above sea level with around 3.500 inhabitants, where the impressive Castillo-Palacio dels Sorells is remarkable. It was built at the end of the 15th century. It has a large façade, an arch gate, gothic windows and a big inner courtyard. Currently it is the town hall. Also of great interest is the Santos Reyes parish church. It dates back to the 18th century and is baroque in style, with a large dome and a stone façade.