Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias (City of the Arts and Sciences)

In a bid to rival Seville's Expo and Barcelona's redeveloped port, Valencia competes with what has been billed "the largest urban complex in Europe for cultural, educational, and leisure expansion." It's in the southern part of the city, on a 36-hectare (90-acre) site in a carefully landscaped park of lush greenery and peaceful lagoons. The goal of the complex is to make learning fun. The state-of-the-art educational center consists of four main buildings:

L'Hemisferic: Designed by award-winning architect Santiago Calatrava, this building offers documentaries and an exploration of the universe. A laser show (with changing programs) runs on a 47-sq.-m (900-sq.-ft.) concave IMAX screen, with the soundtrack in four languages, and six-channel stereo.

Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe: Devoted to science and discovery, the building takes the form of a vast roof supported by a transparent glazed north facade and an opaque south facade. At the center, the visitor can look, touch, and feel in this "museum of sensations." The museum is filled with special exhibitions demonstrating the high technology of companies in the 21st century.

L'Oceanografic: Eight hectares (20 acres) of the complex are devoted to lagoons and leisure pavilions arranged into an underwater city that re-creates marine habitats from every ocean. There's also a dolphinarium for aquatic shows and a miniport for playing with remote-controlled boats. Submarine glass walkways connect the areas. An underwater restaurant is on-site.

Palacio de las Artes: A seemingly weightless 45m-high (150-ft.) glass-and-metal construction contains one outdoor and two indoor auditoriums. All three have the latest technology for the performance of plays, opera, and music.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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