The Valencia Formula

Spain's third largest city is often ignored or forgotten by British travellers, which is a shame because it deserves more than just a second look.

It was watching those speed machines hurtling past that convinced me about Valencia.

I was there for the, now annual, Formula 1 race weekend in July; just one highlight in a summer season packed with events. Five and a half kilometres of dockside roads had been transformed into a Grand Prix circuit that the likes of Button, Massa and Lewis can navigate in 1min 38secs - give or take a few hundredths./p>

It's a breathtakingly exciting and noisy event that'll have you pressing your earplugs as deeply into your ears as you can to avoid permanent hearing damage!

(Clunky gear change) There are three distinct parts to Valencia.

Firstly, the Port. Valencia is a two thousand year old port city, but most tourists are unlikely to spend much time around the harbour area unless they are watching the annual Grand prix, or visiting the glamorous legacy buildings of the 2007 & 2010 Americas Cup yacht races, or heading along the seafront to photograph some of the historic mosaic fronted buildings in the, slightly faded, Cabanyal district before the area is redeveloped, or, more likely, just passing through - Valencia is a major ferry gateway to the Balearic Islands.

Secondly, like most ancient port cities, it stands at the mouth of a river. In this case the River Turia, which, after a disastrous flood in 1957, was diverted around the city leaving a great swathe of wide open parkland space, right down through the centre of the city.

It was one of the best things they did. Walkers, joggers and cyclists flow along the pathways of this vast green space, dwarfed by some of Europe's most inspiring modern architecture. The avant-garde buildings of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts & Science) designed by architects Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela, have quickly become the photographic icons of Valencia. The stunning white buildings, surrounded by reflective pools of water are equally dramatic in bright sunlight against blue skies, or lit up at night. They give Valencians and visitors somewhere to bask in the arts, technology and science; the Oceanografico is an oceanographic park with over 500 marine species. The Hemisferic, looking like an eye, is both an Imax cinema and planetarium. The Umbracle is an outdoor sculpture park and garden populated with local plants. The Principe Felipe Science Museum is full of interactive displays and timed demonstrations on subjects like meteorology, volcanoes, space, electricity & dna, and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia is a concert hall and performing arts centre.

It was watching the joggers running around these buildings and the shoals of lycra'd cyclists shooting past me on their 'speed machines' in the park, not the F1 cars, that confirmed my notion that this is an extremely civilised city.

The river bed parkland of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias links the port with the third part of Valencia, my favourite bit... the medieval old city.

Now, it lies 3km inland from the ferry quays, but in its day it was the citadel, guarding the river harbour and bustling with markets (the silk market is a world heritage site today) and merchants, the same ones who bankrolled Columbus on his longshot expedition in 1492.

They of course were the 'modern' generation, pre-dated by Romans, Moors (famously defeated by a dead El Cid strapped to his horse) and Christians, all of whom contributed to the architecture of the narrow streets, open squares and fountains of the old city. As it changed hands over the early centuries, mosques were replaced by churches, churches replaced by mosques, and back again. The cathedral is a rather delightful dog's breakfast of bits & pieces attached and embellished over the centuries. The only, top-to-bottom 'pure' element is the 15^th century standalone bell tower 'El Miguelet', now a magnet for tourists who stream to the top for a view of the rooftops that have changed little over the centuries, other than sprouting the ubiquitous forest of tv aerials.

That's the way it is in the world's protected historic cities. Medieval palaces and ecclesiastical offices of the 15th century become colleges and boutique hotels in the 21st, but some buildings keep their role. The cathedral is still a cathedral... and a court. Each week at the northwest entrance, the Water Tribunal takes place. With an average of just under 300 sunny days a year, water is every bit as precious now as it was in the middle ages, and disputes need to be settled.

The need for the resolution of disputes between competing claims, cultures and philosophies is strong in a port city where different people and ideas meet, and is often expressed in vigorous political debate. Valencia has a tradition of strong politics given form in satirical murals that you can spot as you walk about the old city. During the summer, the tall stone buildings and narrow shaded streets mean you can wander about the shops and cafes and explore the markets without over-heating too much during the day.

It's not just the streets that are narrow. In one small square a 5-storey house, just over one metre wide, used to claim the title "Europe's Narrowest House", until the owner of the house next door bought it and knocked through!

At night, when the temperature drops, the city comes alive... especially at the time we were there in late June around the Fiesta de San Juan, with hotels bursting at the seams and Ferrari red-shirted motor racing fans filling up the streets, restaurants and nightspots in the old town. San Juan is a major festival in southern Spain, celebrating the summer solstice (longest day) with midnight dips at the beach, bonfires, fireworks, concerts, street parties and lots of what is Valencia's best-known and possibly greatest invention - Paella!