Kristina Borich is a student at the University of Minnesota, Duluth and an ISA Featured Blogger. Kristina is currently studying in Valencia, Spain on the ISA Summer 1 & 2 programs.
London’s skyline is known for the London Eye, Big Ben and the London Bridges. Paris has the Eiffel Tower and Barcelona has the Sagrada Familia. What sticks out in the skyline of Valencia? A city within a city! The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia is a masterpiece of modern architecture. The Turia River which used to wind through the city was drained after a catastrophic flood in 1957 and re-routed to a man-made channel south of the city. The dried riverbed was transformed into a beautiful winding park which ends at the City of Arts and Sciences. The City was constructed between 1996 and 1998 with the El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía being an addition in 2005. Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela were the architectural designers. There are seven buildings in all, but it’s free to walk around the city which I highly recommend. The still pools of water surrounding the white buildings are great for pictures 
L’Umbracle (pronounced similar to Broccoli is a garden with native Valencia foliage but at night it is a dance club!)
–the Walk of the Sculptures is just outside Broccoli and showcases contemporary art, while I was there it was flags of the world in the shape of candy wrappers
L’Oceanogràfic (Europe’s largest aquatic center)
El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe (an interactive science museum)
L’Àgora (a multi-purpose space that has hosted tennis matches to fashion shows) & El Pont de l’Assut de l’Or (suspension bridge!)
L’Hemisfèric (IMAX theatre, planetarium)
El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
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