What sights of Valencia are most interesting for tourists with children? Undoubtedly, the white buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences housed the largest aquarium in Europe, the Prince Philip Science Museum, a Mediterranean plant park and a planetarium cinema. Just about this famous Hemisfèric cinema, we want to tell you more.
In translation, Hemisfèric means just a "hemisphere": this is the shape of the building. Part of the hemisphere is movable; rising, it opens the ball inside. As conceived by the architect Santiago Calatrava, who designed the cinema, the design should resemble a large eye and symbolize a person's observation of the world around him. What is offered to contemplate the visitors of this hemisphere? For example, distant stellar worlds or an invisible microcosm, the most beautiful cities in the world, or cartoon characters' adventures.
Although the building was constructed back in 1998, today, it is equipped with modern equipment for showing films in the IMAX format. In the auditorium, designed for 300 people, the audience is reclining in comfortable chairs. The image is projected onto a screen in the form of a dome with a diameter of 24 m and an area of more than 900 square meters. Hemispheric Planetarium of Valencia offers to travel along the untrodden paths of our galaxy, visit every planet of the solar system and check the provisions of the theory of relativity.
Films are dubbed in Spanish, English and French, but the visuals will impress even those who do not know foreign languages. The session lasts 35-45 minutes, depending on the program. In addition, the Valencia Planetarium holds thematic lectures accompanied by original music — maybe you can hear the singing of heavenly stars there?
Other films shown in the IMAX cinema are dedicated to life on Earth. Kids will love the 3D cartoon about the life of a family of sea turtles. Teenagers and adults will be impressed by science and educational films. We recommend that you study the Hemisfèric program in advance to choose the session that will interest the whole family.
