Murcia, Spain

MURCIA, according to the nineteenth-century writer Augustus Hare, would "from the stagnation of its long existence, be the only place Adam would recognize if he returned to Earth". Things have certainly changed – today, the city of over 350,000 boasts a modern, spruced-up centre and a healthy cultural life. Founded in the ninth century on the banks of the Río Segura (no more than a trickle now) by the Moors, the city soon became an important trading centre and, four centuries later, the regional capital. It was extensively rebuilt in the eighteenth century, and the buildings in the old quarter are still mostly of this era.

Today, it's the commercial centre of the region, and most of the industry is connected with the surrounding agriculture. An increasing number of tourists are taking advantage of budget-airline flights here, while a substantial student population ensures that there's a thriving bar and club scene.