Valencia, often called the “New Barcelona”, is the third largest city in Spain. It is located in the centre of the Mediterranean coastline. The city has one of the biggest ports in Spain, handling 20% of the country’s exports.
Valencia is rapidly becoming a popular destination for city breaks. Its transformation is caused by two large projects. The first one is the City of Arts and Sciences (La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias). It is an ensemble of five areas: opera house and arts centre; Imax cinema, planetarium and laserium; garden; science museum and open-air oceanographic park.
The second project is the 32nd America's Cup, the most prestigious yachting event in the world. It took place in Valencia in 2007. Over 1.5 billions of euros were spent to renovate Valencia and turn it to a world-class yachting centre. The port was divided into two parts, one section remaining unchanged while the other part was used exclusively for the America's Cup.
In spite of modern industrial architecture, Valencia has a charming atmosphere of an old town as well as good beaches. You can visit notable landmarks like the old medieval Towers and the San Miguel de los Reyes monastery with a specialized library. Do you want to visit unusual events? Consider la Tomatina, a tomato fight held once a year in August. It attracts a lot of people to the nearby town of Buñol. Holy week celebrations in Valencia are considered the most interesting in the country.
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