Barrio del Carmen · La Lonja
The Merchants' Grail
El Carmen is Valencia's oldest neighbourhood: it grew up hard against the old Arab wall, and later the Christian one, among silk merchants, guild craftsmen and friars. On one side, the Lonja raised a stone temple to trade; on the other, the Cathedral guards a cup some believe Christ used at the Last Supper. It's about 3 km, flat, right through the heart of the old town.
“This building isn't a church, even though it looks like one: it's a Gothic temple dedicated to the silk trade, built between 1482 and 1548. Its outer walls are covered in gargoyles and carved figures, around 28 in total, ranging from fantastical animals to friars, soldiers and everyday scenes. On the wall of the Consulado del Mar, between two medallions, an old woman is carved holding an animal in her arms. What animal is it?”
This is what the puzzles are like. The rest unlocks once you start playing.
The playing area
- Access to the full trail for 1 year after purchase
- Built-in hint system if you get stuck
- Printable version, in case you’d rather go phone-free
- No signal needed once the trail has loaded