Valencia is Spain’s third-largest city, with a population of nearly 1 million. Its most famous building, La Lonja de la Seda, or the Silk Exchange, is a fantastical 15th-century structure with a magnificent great hall supported by spiral-carved stone columns. The nearby La Seu cathedral dates to 1262 and overlooks the Plaza de la Virgen, a charming square lined with rows of orange trees and busy cafés. Valencia can also boast notable modern architecture, including Santiago Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences, a remarkable set of structures that look like the sun-bleached skeleton of a whale. Famous for its paella, Valencia is also a destination for food lovers.

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