No trip to Europe is complete without visiting some sort of historic Church. There always seems to be at least one in every city and the one is Valencia is Valencia Cathedral, home of the real Holy Grail. You know, the cup Jesus drank from during the Last Supper. You can do your own research to determine if you believe it truly is the real one, I’ll admit the supporting facts are compelling, but let me tell you about the quest you encounter while trying to get your own glimpse of the Holy Grail at Valencia Cathedral. 

Valencia Cathedral is located in the hustle and bustle of downtown Valencia and the exterior is not overly flashy but it is bright and impactful, especially against a sunny autumn sky. What was not beautiful were the homeless people begging around its entrance and I’m sorry to say I think this is a popular spot. Once you get through the entrance doors the quest for the Holy Grail becomes much more cheerful. 

Moving through the big wooden doors and off to the right you are greeted by workers behind a desk who provide you with an audio headset and a printed map in exchange for five euros. The church is medium in size and very quiet as most guests are meandering around, listening to their headsets. There is a time and a place for an audio tour, which is one of my least favorite ways to get a tour, but here there is no other way and, well, I wanted to see the Holy Grail. 

Numbered areas are scattered around the church and correlate with the audio tour on your headset which moves you throughout the church. Each number tells you a story and the history of what you are looking at. You learn about the style of architecture in the nave, you take a peek inside several of the shrines along the hallway, you make your way behind the altar and see a preserved human arm in a chest, and with each number (and bizarre story) you are wondering where the Holy Grail will make its appearance. Is it behind the altar? Is it in one of the chapels? Is it entombed in one of the walls? Just take me there!

Spoiler alert. They save it for the very last stop and its in an unpredictable, separate room down a hallway, located next to where you walk in. After circling the cathedral, afraid you will miss the number about the Holy Grail, it feels a bit like you have found a hidden passage that nobody else knows about. Anyways, the hallway ends in a square, high-ceilinged room with short rows of wooden benches facing the head table. It is above the head table, encased in the center of the brick wall that the tiny Holy Grail rests behind glass. The room itself is beautiful with carefully considered architectural and material details, befitting to the home of a historical artifact. We sat in this room for a quite a long time, taking in the details, finishing our audio tour, and peeking precariously at the Holy Grail.  

The Holy Grail itself is small in size and gold in color with minimal details on the foot and stem. The double-handled pedestal the cup rests within is the glamorous part and makes the cup look more spectacular in its gold-trimmed glass case. The head table and rope stanchions create a barrier in front of the Holy Grail, so you can’t get closer than six feet in front of it, but there were only a few other people in the room so I was able to linger and get my fill of looking. 

Overall the stories and sites that the audio tour covers are just okay. Some of the facts are interesting and others go over your head if you are not familiar with the biblical and cultural history of Spain. The globally renown artifact of the Holy Grail is the primary reason for a visit to this historic cathedral, followed by the architectural details and grandeur of the nave crossing. Considering this was only a one hour and five euro commitment, I’m glad I didn’t pass up the chance to see the real Holy Grail.

Find more inspiration for your trip to Spain with this 12 day trip itinerary to Spain and Portugal.

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