Major cities
Madrid
The capital of Spain is a vibrant city. It is center of the country’s government and commerce and is bubbling with raw creative energy. Puerta del Sol is Madrid’s heart, from there all major streets radiate, like the Calle Mayor and Calle del Arenal. The city boasts excellent museums like the world renowned Prado and Centro de Arte Reine Sofia. The lavishly decorated Palacio Royal (Royal Palace) is a sight to see and has taken on new meaning since the restoration of the monarchy after the reign of dictator Franco.
Barcelona
Barcelona is Spain’s second largest city and capital of Catalonia. It’s a stylish city, always on the cutting edge of art, design and cuisine. Home to daring Modernist architecture and Surrealist painters like Dalí. Walk down the most famous promenade of Spain, Les Ramblas and stare in awe at the spiraling towers of La Sagrada Familia, a bizarre church designed by Gaudí. There is so much to do and see here, you’ll be busy for quite some time.
Seville
Seville’s ‘Catedral’ (the 3rd largest in the world) and Alcazar complex (a Moorish 14th century fortress) are reason enough to visit the capital of Andalusia. But also the Barrio de Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter with it’s maze of streets is definitely worth your while. Filled with strolling guitarists, secret plazas and quaint tapas bars, it’s Seville at it’s most romantic.
Regions
Basque Country
The Basque Country (‘Euskadi’ in Basque) is a region in the north of Spain, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and France. It is a top gastronomic destination, with key gourmet centers in San Sebastian, Hondarribia and Bilbao. The native language of the region is Basque (euskara), although you might expect this language to be a blend of Spanish and French, it's actually unrelated to either of them or to any other known language. Definitely visit The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, world-renowned for its contemporary architecture and modern art.
Catalonia
Catalonia has a great variety of different landscapes very close to each other, the Pyrenees mountains at the border with France, green hills to north, agricultural planes to the west and beaches to the east. Catalonia is also known for it’s ‘festes’ that go on around the region every week of the year. These are ritual-like celebrations that have been passed down through generations for more than 700 years. Cities like Barcelona, Tarragona (with spectacular Roman ruins) and medieval Girona are great places to visit.
Andalusia
Andalusia is a region in the south of Spain where ancient cities, dry deserts, amazing beaches along the Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz and the Sierra Nevada mountain range (with Spain’s highest mountain) can be found. Andalusia has a rich Moorish heritage, including many fantastic examples of Moorish architecture (like the town of Córdoba) which were built during the eight centuries when Andalusia was the centre of Arab population on the Iberian peninsula.
Balearic Islands
These islands (‘Illes Belears’ in Catalan) lie in the glittering Mediterranean off Spain’s eastern coastline. Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca do offer more than the touristy mix of sun, sea and sangria. You’ll also find cute villages, Gothic cathedrals and Stone Age ruins if you venture a little further away from the beautiful beaches.
Top ten attractions in Spain
- La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
This masterpiece cathedral, designed by Gaudí, is unfinished and has been under construction since 1882. It should be completed around 2080 and then it will have 12 towers symbolizing the 12 apostles. Even unfinished it is amazing and you can look inside the completed towers. - Alhambra, Granada
One of the greatest examples of Islamic art and architecture, the Alhambra is stunning. It rest majestically atop an enormous citadel in the centre of Granada and the Moorish domes, columns and light-reflecting waters inspire every visitor. - Camino de Santiago
The traditional way of getting to Santiago de Compostela is by walking about 780 km from St. Jean Pied-de-Port in France, a trip that takes about 40 days and attracts pilgrims from around the world. Some people attempt (part of) this northern route by bike. - Plaza Mayor, Madrid
The best known plaza in Madrid was originally built outside the city walls and was the place where bullfights, markets, symphonies, tournaments and executions were held. - The Running of the Bulls, Pamplona
This event, also known as ‘Sanfermines’ and ‘encierro’ is great for thrill-seekers. Each year this wild festival runs from 6 to 14 July. Daily at 8am the bulls are let loose and run 825 meters in about 3 minutes, so don’t be late if you want to join them. - La Tomatina, Buñol
This is the largest food fight in the world. Over 240,000 pounds of tomatoes are hurled by townspeople at each other from 11 am to 1pm on the last Wednesday of August. Don’t forget to bring a change of clothes. - Figueres
Figueres is a small town about 100 kilometers to the north of Barcelona and hometown of world famous surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. Here he built his Teatre Museu Gala Salvador Dalí: a wonderfully strange building containing some of his greatest works. - Toledo
The beautiful city of Toledo is built on a rugged cliff and surrounded on three sides by the Tagus River. It is dominated by a large 16th century Alcázar fortress and the city’s 13th century Gothic cathedral contains many works of art including paintings by El Greco, Goya and Van Dyck. - Las Fallas, Valencia
Las Fallas (meaning ‘the fires’ in Valencian) is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. It is a 5-day celebration of fire and 350 ‘ninots’ (cardboard, wood and plaster statues) are set on fire around the city so it looks like Valencia itself is going up in flames. - Park Guell, Barcelona
This hilly park in the north of Barcelona was designed by Gaudí and is one of the most intriguing parks in the world. The colorful pavilions and winding staircases look like they are from another world.
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