Mix together hearty amounts of the non-stop energy of Madrid, the cosmopolitan vibe of Barcelona, the friendly nature of Sevilla and a dash of laid-back, beach-town comfort, and you have the recipe for Valencia. Traditionally, sunny Valencia is known to be the home of ...paella, the Holy Grail - they swear it's the real thing - and the legendary El Cid, although the rejuvenating cultural renaissance that the city has experienced in recent years has given the city a brand new edge.
Located halfway up Spain's Mediterranean coastline and surrounded by La Huerta, Europe's most fertile slab of land, Valencia was destined to be one of Spain's stand-out cities, a destiny demonstrated by the civilizations throughout its history after its sea commerce and agricultural wealth. Today, with a population totaling just a hair beneath 800,000, Valencia comes in as Spain's third largest city and, as the capital of the aptly-named Comunidad Valenciana, certainly one of the most significant.
