Plasencia, Spain

Set in the shadow of the Sierra de Gredos, and surrounded on three sides by the Río Jerte, PLASENCIA looks more impressive from afar than it actually is. Once you get up into the old city the walls are hard to find – for the most part they're propping up the backs of houses – and the cathedral is barely half-built, but it still merits a visit. Plasencia has some lively bars, delightful cafés and a fine, arcaded Plaza Mayor, the scene of a farmers' market every Tuesday morning, held here since the twelfth century.