City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia

A futuristic complex of white buildings by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela, set among pools in the former bed of the Turia River. It includes a science museum, an IMAX cinema, an opera house, and the Oceanogràfic, Europe's largest aquarium.

Walking around the outside is free. The old riverbed is now the Turia Gardens, a 9 km park ideal for cycling into the old town, where the Central Market and the cathedral, said to hold the Holy Grail, are worth a visit. Valencia is the home of paella.