Valencia
Catalonia - the Garden of Spain - is probably best known for its orange groves and paella. Valencia, the region's capital - with its charming narrow streets and balconies strewn with bougainvillea - is renowned for its Silk Exchange and indoor market.
Valencia's architectural history is reflected in the magnificent octagonal cathedral with alabaster windows, where Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance influences abound. Outside the city, Albufera is the largest freshwater lake in Spain.