Every year in Valencia, Spain, a huge city wide celebration takes place. People from all over Spain and other parts of the world travel to Valencia to join in this crazy event which the Spanish call, Las Fallas.

Las Fallas always takes place at the beginning of March every year and finishes on the 19th, St Joseph's day. Each district of Valencia builds huge effigies (or Ninots) which are positioned all over the city in the streets, some standing over 50 feet tall. The effigies are caricature sculptures of famous people, such as politicians, pop stars and sports personalities, and are constructed from wooden frames and polystyrene, then spray painted in bright colours. They are judged during Las Fallas and awarded prizes. The winner is placed in a local museum and the rest of these beautiful sculptures are burned in the street on the last day of Las Fallas.

La Mascletà

Every day at 2pm during Las Fallas hundreds of thousands of people gather around the city hall to witness one of the most breath taking, loudest events that takes place in the world, La Mascletà. A cage is erected in the city square, in this cage are around 5,000 huge bangers, aerial maroons and mines. In each Mascletà, lasting just 10 minutes, over 100kg of explosives are set off. The noise, the smoke and pressure created by this is simply overwhelming, your lungs feel as if they have

collapsed and with every gasp of air you take all you inhale is thick smoke, your heart has changed its beat and your ears feel as if they are bleeding. The Valencians believe that you should open your mouth to the whole event so the sound is made louder by circulating around your head! They are truly hardcore!

Nit Del Foc (Night of Fire)

On the five last nights of Las Fallas there are huge firework displays at 1am lasting 20 minutes. The biggest of which is Nit Del Foc on the 18th of March. The huge fireworks launched from the riverbed in the centre of the city. It truly is a magnificent sight.

Valencia during Las Fallas is certainly a place that everyone should experience at least once in their lives. Although there is a blatant disregard to safety, and I don't think they have ever seen a risk assessment in their lives, Valencia seems surprisingly safe.

If you are ever lucky enough to visit Valencia and get a hotel room during Las Fallas don't expect to get any sleep. The firework displays only start at 1am, the parties carry on until the early hours, and the loud bangs never stop 24 hours a day throughout Fallas.