Vigo

In stark contrast to the modern part of the city and its industrial port area, the Casco Vello enchants with 19th-century architecture, narrow streets and charming squares of the old town. Casco Vello is an easy uphill hike from the port. Note that some businesses close on Sundays.

Contained inside what was once built to become a public prison, the Vigo Museum of Contemporary Art is a local cultural center that boasts a regular rotation of exhibitions, showcasing various forms of artwork (from painting to modern design). There is no permanent exhibition, however, so do check what's on when you're in town.

Housed inside a former castle, and with splendid park grounds in its immediate surroundings, the Quiñones de León Museum is worth the short trip from central Vigo if only for its well-maintained French garden (some say, a miniature of the one in Versailles). The museum itself contains archaeological artefacts discovered in Vigo and surroundings.

Juan José Oliveira's 1991 creation will quite probably strike you as one unlike any other you've ever seen - the ensemble of horses ascending to the skies up a waterfall was partially inspired by the wild horses historically inhabiting the region.