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Valencia's biggest festival, Las Fallas takes place every March with a riotous week of city fires, explosions and parades in honour of Saint Joseph, attracting around two million people. Just remember to take some ear plugs!

The city is adorned with a myriad ninots, vast papier maché figures - politicians, film stars, bullfighters and anyone of local, national or international notoriety can find themselves colourfully lampooned in caricature as a 15- or sometimes 20-foot model.

The highlight of Las Fallas week is the burning of these monumental effigies on the 19 March, known as the cremà. Although local neighbourhoods labour for months to create the statues, within seconds they are stuffed with fireworks and left to burn into the night. Three hundred firemen stand by at different points along Las Fallas' route as these ephemeral figures are reduced to burning wrecks - a cruel but fascinating form of satire.

Burning effigies are not the only speciality during Las Fallas. Another highlight is the daily mascleta, which takes place in the Plaza Ayuntamiento at 2pm, a mass of firework explosions, rockets and firecrackers. Each day sees different neighbourhood groups competing for the most impressive display, with the prize going to the loudest. Good standing space is hard to come by, unless you book yourself into one of the square's hotels months in advance.

Ambulances wait on standby throughout Las Fallas, particularly on the final night. Some people find the explosions so loud that they often faint and you can feel them reverberate through your body. Pregnant women are forbidden from attending the mascleta and it is not uncommon to see the odd person being whisked off to hospital. Add to that the heat of Valencia in March. So come if you dare - this event is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

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