This city to which I invite you is marked by the most alluring and mysterious of symbols on the map of history. It has a certain magic that takes such a firm hold on visitors that they never want to leave. In truth, though, we never leave the city that we love, far from it though we may be. With the passage of time, the secret has spread and many foreigners have now made Malaga their home. The city has grown without losing any of its charm. It has gone far beyond the limits imposed by mere borders. For a city is not just a collection of streets, squares and monuments; it is also the voice and work of its artists. It is they who are its finest ambassadors to the rest of the world.

If you look at the map, you will see a gleaming white city in the south of Europe, bathed by the waters of the Mediterranean and surrounded by hills. "A city that seems to reign beneath the skies" was how the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Vicente Aleixandre, described Malaga. He called it the "City of Paradise". And who could resist entering paradise? This is the same city whose light inspired Pablo Picasso to the end of his days. For it was here that the artist was born, and it is here that his house still stands today, home to an extensive collection of his works. We never forget the cities that we love.

It's hard to define exactly what gives the city its irresistible attraction. That's why you really have to come and experience it for yourself. Malaga is not just a resort for summer holidaymakers, it is also the ideal winter retreat for those in search of a warm, relaxed setting in which to be creative in peace.

This explains why the capital of the Costa del Sol is home to so many artists. But then that is what it's all about, isn't it? Welcoming visitors, travelling, exchanging ideas. Culture teaches us to be liberal and generous. Culture crosses frontiers and conquers the hearts of countries. I'll show you a cultured, modern, tolerant city that still bears the hallmark of the great civilisations that settled here several millennia ago. Discover with me the hidden cities that still exist within it. The silent, peaceful language of the stones. The ancient traces of the Paleolithic Period. The Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Jewish past. The history-making present. I'll tell you of the living and the dead, and they will speak to you themselves in the language of memories and ideas with which dreams are founded and built. For I wouldn't want you to miss a single thing in this city where music can be heard both in the theatres and in spontaneous expressions of artistic talent that spring forth in the streets or during popular festivals. I'll take you around the Cathedral, the Castle, the Alcazaba Fortress, the museums and the modern suburbs. For architecture is music too, music that has been frozen. All of this lies in wait for you when you come. I'll show you a world of hidden treasures. The fragrance spoken of in books, the light depicted in paintings, the sentiment of music and the action of the big screen; for apart from the real, mysterious city, as well as the hidden city, there is a third Malaga, a haven of art and science. And whatever you do, don't worry about getting lost, for all roads lead to this city, too. So don't think twice. Malaga awaits you.