Valencia is a city in a country.
Valencia ( [ vəˈlɛnsiə ] [ baˈlenθja ] ) , officially València ( [ vaˈlensia ] ) , is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona , with around 800,000 inhabitants in the administrative centre . Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain , with approximately 169 hectares ; this heritage of ancient monuments , views and cultural attractions makes Valencia one of the country 's most popular tourist destinations .