A chef, a hotelier, and an art collector. A city transformed.

Caceres was already a town rich in history. It was declared World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1986 due to the city's blend of Roman, Moorish, Northern Gothic and Italian Renaissance architecture. You can endlessly walk around the labyrinth of buildings and stone walls, and pop in and out of the many museums the city has to offer.

But visiting Caceres taught me that to transform a city and make it hip, sexy and relevant, you need three essential ingredients. And the first one is the art collector.

Helga de Alvear decided in 2006 that she wanted to share her art collection with the public and founded the Foundation and Museum of Contemporary Art in her name in Caceres.

With a collection of 3000 pieces and growing, nothing here is frivolous. This contemporary museum is a place where you will be enlightened and inspired, not left confused, as you sometimes do when viewing contemporary art.

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Courtesy of Wonder Shuffle / Descending Light sculpture by Ai Weiwei, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Helga de Alvear, Caceres, Spain

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Courtesy of Wonder Shuffle / New Blood sculpture by Elmgreen and Dragset, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Helga de Alvear, Caceres, Spain