Puente de las Flores view from Plaza d'America.

©Penny Kidd/Lonely Planet

Puente de las Flores

Valencia


In a city full of impressive bridges, Puente de las Flores is one of Valenicia's most spectacular – and undoubtedly its sweetest smelling. Designed by home-grown architect Santiago Calatrava, responsible for the futuristic Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, the bridge across the Jardines del Turia is decorated with 27,000 flowerpots along its sides. Flowers vary through the seasons but are typically red, white and pink geraniums.

In 2006 the bridge welcomed Pope Benedict by installing white and yellow flowers in tribute to the Vatican City flag. Rising maintenance costs once led a local paper to criticise 'the most expensive bridge in the world', but Puente de las Flores is worth sniffing out.