 Spain is a diverse country in Mediterranean Europe, sharing the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal
at the western end of the Mediterranean Sea. Among many places, Spain is the home of the thriving capital Madrid, the vibrant coastal city of Barcelona, the famous
running with the bulls at Pamplona, and the city where flamenco was born Sevilla.
It's a spectacular and diverse country,
the north resembling the rolling, green hills of Ireland and the south giving you a taste of Moroccan landscapes and architecture.
Its tremendous history is reflected in its prehistoric cave paintings, Moorish palaces, crumbling castles, Roman ruins, Gothic and
Renaissance cathedrals as well as some very unique modern architecture. The uniqueness of Spain lies in the separate kingdoms which
made up the original Spanish nation. These regions remain diverse in their language, culture, cuisine and art. These regions include:
Madrid, Andaluc�a, Castilla La Mancha, Extremadura, Castilla Le�n, Euskadi, Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia,
Arag�n, Catalunya, Valencia, Murcia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, La Rioja and Navarra. Areas of interest are not limited to
each region, here are some highlights:
The Moorish influence (the Moors from Morocco were the dominating civilization for 800 years)
in Andaluc�a can be seen in the sumptuous Alhambra palace in Granada, the mezquita , a former mosque
in C�rdoba and the Alc�zar and Giralda tower in Sevilla. The White villages are hidden joys, as
the small villages surrounded by natural beauty can not fail to impress.
Remarkable Christian monuments, from Romanesque to
contemporary, can be found throughout Spain. A possible tour to the most fantastic cathedrals will take you through
Toledo, Le�n, Salamanca,
Burgos and Segovia.
Fantastically preserved medieval towns are places not to miss and Toledo should be at the top of the list.
Toledo is the capital of medieval Spain, at its best, with synagogues, an incredible cathedral
and former mosques. Other interesting medieval towns include: Baeza and �beda (Andaluc�a), Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca), Trujillo and
C�ceres (Extremadura), and Albarrac�n (Arag�n).
The most spectacular Roman sites are based in M�rida, where you can also find an
interesting museum on Roman era. There is also a remarkable aqueduct in Segovia and other
fascinating Roman ruins in Carmona, Tarragona, Empuries and Italica.
Very unique modern
art and architecture can be found in Barcelona and Madrid.
The visionary architecture of Antoni Gaud� and the Picasso museum are in Barcelona while Madrid is home to Spain�s top three art museums.
If you would rather get some fresh air, Spain is filled with opportunities to visit wildlife parks as well as trekking. The Pyrenees,
especially around the Arag�n area, are the best areas for trekking. Andaluc�a has smaller mountain chains, though still spectacular. The
Picos de Europa in Cantabria and Asturias are also worth a trek. Beautiful parks include Monfrague in Extremadura and Ordesa in the Aragonese
Pyrenees.
There's so much more to learn... Check out our Facts For The Visitor or read up on our reviews of everything about Spain:
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