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About Valencia
Valencia is Spain's third largest city and
has experienced a cultural renaissance in recent years. Located
on the Mediterranean coast, it has everything from pristine
beaches to fascinating architecture, a world-class soccer team
and a nightlife that lasts 'til dawn. It's a wonderful place to
learn Spanish because although it's a big city, it still has a
small town feel that makes foreigners feel at home.
Valencia is also the home of paella and boasts a mouth-watering
cuisine of seafood and other delicacies. Even more important is
Las Fallas, the most riotous festival in Spain, and just one of
Valencia's year-round fiestas that travelers the world over come
to experience. During Fallas, every neighborhood ("barri") constructs a satirical papier-maché caricature, each of which is
judged and awarded prizes. The madness culminates in the burning
of all the caricatures, a truly amazing sight.
Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Christians have all left their mark
in Valencia, but the city has been revitalized in recent years
by Santiago Calatrava's futuristic "City of Arts and Sciences."
This compound of intriguing structures is one of Europe's most
imaginative millennial projects and has brought slews of new
visitors to the city. Calatrava's buildings and a handful of
pending cutting-edge projects have made Valencia a new hot-spot
and one of the top desirable places to live in Spain.
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