It has the same prized combination of a beautiful old town and beaches. It also has some fantastic modern architecture: Santiago Calatrava's City of Arts and Sciences rises spectacularly from the dry river bed that dissects the city, much of it an exotically landscaped park that gives the impression of abundant greenery.
And like Barcelona, post Olympics, Valencia is only now starting to realise the value of its waterfront. The port will soon have new restaurants, hotels, cinemas and leisure facilities, new tram and metro stops are springing up, and the detached seafront district of Cabanyal will be linked to the centre by an extension of the main Avenida Blasco down to the sea.
