Valencia is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, with around 1.6 million inhabitants. The Port of Valencia is the 5th busiest container port in Europe and the busiest container port on the Mediterranean Sea. The city is ranked at Beta-global city in the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain, with approximately 169 ha (420 acres); this heritage of ancient monuments, views and cultural attractions makes Valencia one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.
Due to its long history, this is a city with numerous popular celebrations and traditions, such as the Fallas (featuring the traditional Spanish dish paella), which were declared as Fiestas of National Tourist Interest of Spain in 1965 and Intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in November 2016.