Spain’s third-largest city is a magnificent place, content for Madrid and Barcelona to grab the headlines while it gets on with being a wonderfully liveable city with thriving cultural, eating and nightlife scenes. Never afraid to innovate, Valencia diverted its flood-prone river to the outskirts and converted the former riverbed into a glorious green ribbon of park winding right through the city. On it are the strikingly futuristic buildings of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, designed by local boy Santiago Calatrava.

 

In 2019 The World Design Oranization (WDO) named the city of Valencia the World Design Capital 2022, as a result of its longstanding design legacy, which has become a leading example of a city's effective and strategic use of design on the development of public policy, local economy, urban planning and cultural activities. Valencia is the eighth city to hold this biennial designation.