Spain. Valencia. This stunning “city of the future” – with its blue and white palette of the Mediterranean – began rising in 1998 along the banks of the former Turia River – now a ribbon of green parks and gardens. The $2.8 billion Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias designed by award-winning architect and native son Santiago Calatrava has been attracting attention – and visitors – ever since.

· The Umbracle: A dramatic white “portal” of 55 fixed and 54 floating arches measuring 320 meters long and 18 meters high greets visitors as they enter the complex. This “Avenue of Sculpture,” designed by Calatrava, is covered by green climbing vines and shields a garden promenade of tropical plants and palm trees.

· The Hemispheric: Also designed by Calatrava and opened in April 1998, the dramatic eye-shaped planetarium has an IMAX theatre and is surrounded by a huge rectangle of turquoise water. The only building in Spain with three audio-visual presentations – a laser show runs on a 900 sq ft. screen – it has a state-of-the-art computerized astronomic projection system that shows the entire sky with the planets and stars on an area 24 meters in diameter. One of the most technically advanced venues in the world, visitors can view IMAX documentaries and take 3D virtual voyages through the universe. It ranks as the fourth most-visited building in Spain.

· Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe: Devoted to science and discovery, it opened to much fan fair in November of 2000. The Prince Felipe Museum of the Sciences’ vast roof resembles a dinosaur’s spine and the 130-foot transparent north façade allows for plenty of natural light. Inside the Calatrava-designed museum, there are soaring platforms with lasers, holograms, interactive displays and exhibits of “Life and the Genome, “DNA and the geology of earth.

· The Oceanographic: Europe’s largest aquarium – virtually an underwater city – was designed by Spanish architect Félix Candela and opened in February 2003. The parabolic buildings – spread over 20 acres – provide a hi-tech tour of the marine habitats of the world’s oceans.

A series of wooden footbridges – spanning a huge lake that represents one of the world’s oceans – provide access to the different zones. In some cases, submarine glass walkways connect the areas. A striking subterranean restaurant – the walls are floor-to-ceiling aquariums – serves fresh fish and the region’s signature dish, paella.

· Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía: This spectacular $307 million performing arts center with venues for opera, theatre and dance opened last October. Surrounded by gigantic reflecting pools and set in 17 acres of lush gardens, the Queen Sophia Palace of the Arts – designed by Calatrava – climbs almost 250 feet. Resembling a gargantuan knight’s helmet, two symmetrical cut-away shields – 3,000 tons of white concrete – “embrace” the exterior and are crowned by a sweeping 778-foot-long steel “plume.”

The roofs glisten with trencadís, delicate ceramic tile. Four venues accommodate almost 4,500 people and feature the world’s latest technology. Zubin Mehta, the president of the ”Festival of the Mediterranean” and the Palau’s music director Lorin Maazel have completed auditions for the Palau’s orchestra and its official season will kick off in October.

Part of the programming will include the Operalia Event – one of the most prestigious competitions for opera singers – arranged by the Operalia Association under the management of Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo.