Turia Gardens

This 9km ribbon of green that winds through the city centre is one of Spain's most brilliant pieces of urban planning. After the disastrous floods of 1957, Valencia diverted the Río Turia — and instead of a motorway, they created a park. Playgrounds, sports fields, fountains, cycling paths and a massive children's Gulliver playground fill the old riverbed. Sunday mornings here are pure Valencia.