Old and New in Valencia, Spain

© Flickr KA 13

Though it is Spain's third-largest city with a population of nearly a million, Valencia rarely figures on tourist itineraries. We rather contrarily hope it stays that way, since it’s a real charmer and one of the most fascinating cities in Europe. Not only is the Old Quarter enchanting, the new districts of town showcase some of the most exciting avant-garde architecture in Europe. Valencia is also a superb destination for food lovers. Famous for its paella, the rice dish garnished with meat, seafood or vegetables, it also has some of the best contemporary restaurants in Spain.

Being train buffs, we also love dropping down to Valencia on the Euromed from Barcelona. This exceptionally comfortable high-speed train makes the journey in three hours, hugging the coast for most of it and thus offering one of the most beautiful train rides in Europe. We enjoy arriving at Valencia’s romantic Estación del Norte, which is in the same league as New York’s Grand Central as a brilliant piece of civil engineering. Its pedestrian-level fittings are made of Cuban mahogany, and its exterior is decorated with fetching mosaics of pretty señoritas working in the citrus groves.

Located a few miles inland from the Mediterranean, Valencia is a compact city that’s easy to get around on foot or by bicycle (rent one from Hospes Palau de la Mar (86), which occupies a handsome modernista townhouse on the edge of the old town. In Hospes’ signature style, the hotel has dramatic modern décor and furnishings, including lots of top-flight Italian furniture. The rooms are spacious and very comfortable, with CD-DVD players, flat-screen televisions, air-conditioning and large marble-accented baths. The Palau also has a solarium, swimming pool and fitness center.

If you prefer a seaside location, which really only makes sense during the late spring, summer and early fall, the 50-room City of Arts and Sciences (pictured above), which contains a science museum, IMAX cinema and oceanographic park, is a stunning structure that looks like the sun-bleached skeleton of a whale. It’s a stark contrast to the Old Quarter and shows off Valencia’s love of avant-garde architecture. Other spectacular modern buildings include the aquarium by Felix Candela and the new annex of the Casa Roberto ( Maestro Gozalbo 19, Tel. 34-96-395-1361, $50) or Riff ( Conde Altea 18, Tel. 34-96-333-53-53, $80), where German-born chef Bernd Knöller does delicious modern Mediterranean dishes such as chilled vegetable soup with marinated sardines and John Dory filet with cuttlefish fideu. Perhaps the trendiest table in town is Ca’Sento (Méndez Núñez 17, Tel. 34-96-330-17-75), where Raúl Aleixandre, who trained with celebrated chef Ferran Adrià, offers boldly creative dishes such as cannelloni stuffed with dátiles del mar (sea dates, or rare mollusks that live inside rocks on the seabed).