Spain is a country that offers a great diversity of cultures, traditions and landscapes united under one flag.
Indeed, everything differentiates the region of the Basque Country from Andalusia, Castile Catalonia or Galicia. Rivalries are proverbial between Madrid and Barcelona. The variety of its regions is one of the richnesses of this country which counts besides an impressive list of 38 sites classified world heritage by UNESCO: you do not risk to be bored! Add a bullfight, a flamenco show, a classical or gypsy guitar concert and you're in the land of Don Quixote!
A trip to Spain is really worth the trip for the variety of its regions and their respective traditions, the richness of the architectural heritage, from prehistory to the art nouveau of Gaudì, passing through the Roman remains, fortresses and castles of the Middle Ages or palaces influenced by Moorish civilization. The seaside tourism attracts many amateurs along the Spanish shore, also varied, since it proposes beaches bathed by the Mediterranean on its eastern coast as well as in the Balearic Islands but also an Atlantic coast in the north of the country and in the Canary Islands. The cuisine is delicious and the wines, more and more pleasant, to discover!
The summer is hot and dry in the southern half of Spain while in the north, in Asturias and Galicia, the climate is subject to oceanic influence along the Bay of Biscay. Most of the land benefits from the clemency provided by the Mediterranean Sea. The drought rages in the great central plains, so it is the only region to avoid in summer.
If mass seaside tourism has invaded the Mediterranean coasts in summer, there are still very beautiful beaches almost wild on the oceanic coast, south of Cadiz. Punta Umbria also offers beautiful beaches, which are not very popular, when you push towards Portugal.
Everywhere, religion is present, with the path that leads to Santiago de Compostela and many churches and monasteries as well as great religious festivals. During Holy Week, you can see many colourful processions and their processions of penitents. Each time it is a pretext for parades, concerts and festivities. Other typical shows: bullfighting without forgetting dance, with flamenco. For culture lovers, this country is full of riches to discover, mainly preserved historic centres, palaces and religious buildings of all faiths. The museums have very beautiful collections of great painters notably in Madrid (Goya, El Greco, Velasquez) and Barcelona (Picasso).
But you can also immerse yourself in the daily life of our first ancestors by visiting the Palaeolithic rock engravings preserved in the prehistoric site of Altamira. Its many caves will give you the opportunity to cool off when the thermometer is at its highest. and you will discover the fortified castles on the border with Portugal or the fishing ports on the coast, passing through the Andalusian villages, with whitewashed walls, a great variety of architectural styles, with Moorish palaces, medieval castles, baroque facades and even modern cathedrals in Barcelona! Art and culture combine here with the pleasure of the senses and any occasion is good to seize to celebrate.
Spain is a multifaceted country. Like many other Mediterranean countries, its culture is the result of various influences and occupations: Roman and Ottoman. Having become the most imposing empire in Europe in the 16th century, thanks to the expeditions of its explorers and the occupation of new lands by the conquistadors, Spain still retains from this splendid period sumptuous palaces, monasteries and churches.
Its many colonies in America (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Mexico, etc.) have since gained their independence, but the scent of this past greatness still hovers. To avoid spoiling anything, this country has magnificent wild landscapes, both on the coast and inland. And so as not to lose a crumb, rent a car in Spain and visit the country at your own pace.
Art and culture in Spain
Holy Week is an occasion for many festivities, such as the pilgrimage to El Rocio which every year gathers thousands of participants on horseback and in traditional costume. Saint John's Day is also the occasion of great celebrations, notably in Alicante, with a parade of figures made of cardboard, called "hogueras", destined for the bonfire. Granada hosts an international music and dance festival in June-July. In October do not miss the religious festival of the Pilar in Zaragoza, in honour of the Virgin Mary, which is above all an opportunity to thrill the whole city with street performances, concerts, parades and folklore events. For each of these events, it is advisable to book your hotel in Spain as soon as possible.
What to visit in Spain
Barcelona and its modern cathedral, the Sagrada Familia, imagined by Gaudí, Seville, with its Muslim fortified palace, the Alcazar and its cathedral are as many sites impossible to circumvent. In Madrid, don't miss the Escorial Monastery, the Prado Museum and Saint Catherine's Museum. As for the cathedral of Burgos, it is a true Gothic masterpiece. You cannot leave Spain without visiting the famous Roman remains of the sites of Merida and Tarragona and the old towns of Avila, Caceres and Santiago de Compostela. Several flights in Spain will undoubtedly be necessary because it is also necessary to visit the old fortified city of Cuenca without forgetting the bisons painted by the homo sapiens in the caves of Altamira, near Santander.
Places worth a visit without hesitation
There are many things to see and do in Spain, you can visit a Gothic cathedral, a film location in the middle of the desert or go shopping on the Ramblas in Barcelona. There are also beaches and beautiful beaches where you can snorkel, surf or simply sunbathe on the sand. Spain is a multifaceted country, the country has undergone an amazing renewal and modernization for several decades. As diverse as its geography is its culture is multidimensional.
As one guy we met said... for me the must-see are Sevilla, Barcelona, Madrid and the bars in Tapas. Come and discover the best of Spain.
Barcelona
Barcelona is a popular holiday destination, first the beaches... the sun... the warm sand. Then when our dose of gamma ray is reached, we can go to the city to visit and things to see and do in Barcelona, there are... even a lot.
Barcelona is undoubtedly the most visited of the Spanish cities thanks to the architecture of Gaudí, as well as the great artery that is Les Ramblas. Barcelona is a city that lives at full capacity, with its tapas bars that never run out of people, yes the Tapas bars and by the way there are some very good ones. To see the rest of this text, come see the best of Barcelona
Sevilla
Seville is a city in southern Spain, known for its rich historical heritage and Andalusian culture. The main places to see and visit are first, the Gothic cathedral whose construction began in 1402, if you have never visited a Gothic cathedral, enter it worth it. Next door you will find the Giralda. This high structure which is today the bell tower of the cathedral was formerly a Moorish minaret which was attached to the great mosque which was on the site of the current cathedral.
Unless you're very old or really out of shape, you have to climb up the tower to get a good view of the city. We're talking about a height equivalent to a 35-storey building... yes, just that. Out, here's the gag... there are no stairs, it's a gentle 17° slope and landings.
The visit is done rather quickly but the calves feel a little afterwards, for a price of 9€ which includes incidentally the cathedral, it is good. There are many works of art inside and especially the tomb of Christopher Columbus. All those who have visited Seville are unanimous, you must visit the Alcazar. This last is a jewel, it is a little normal to speak about it so because it was originally a royal palace and the monarchs of this time did not hesitate to spoil themselves. Everything is beautiful, sumptuous, but remember one thing, at the time slavery was still in vogue and the Moors used the Christian soldiers who had fought them as slaves. Well now, don't let this time capsule ruin your visit and especially take beautiful pictures, because that's really the place for it.
Gloria
Well, now for shopping lovers and for those who like to stroll along a pedestrian street, we have the calle de las sierpes or if you prefer... the snake street. This street is full of shops, ceramic shops and handicrafts without forgetting the cafés, in fact it is the place to spend the last afternoon of your stay... it is always the best time to go shopping, have a coffee or a glass of wine with the essential tapas.
For lovers of urban legends number 52 once stood a prison where the author Cervantes was imprisoned and according to legend, created the character of Don Quixote. There is also a park in Seville that deserves your attention: the María Luisa Park in Seville. The latter dates from the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929. Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, French landscape architect and curator of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, gave it a romantic touch and a French style layout. Its vegetation is very rich and varied, mostly tropical.
Grenada
Granada is a Spanish city of 239,000 inhabitants and is located in Andalusia. It is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, the highest mountain range in the Iberian Peninsula. The Sierra Nevada, European version, is 30 km from Granada and has a commercial ski resort. On the other side, 70 km away, you will find its coast known as the Tropical Coast and its beaches. To put you in perspective Granada is located 120 km from Malaga, 250 km from Seville and 200 km from Cordoba, now what to see and what to do in Granada.
The latter, which was the capital of the last Muslim kingdom in Iberian soil, offers you many tricks dating from this period, first the fabulous fortress of the Alhambra, with its red and haunting silhouette that takes shape on the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The Nasrid Palace, with its Myrtle Court and Lion Court, as well as Charles V's Palace and the Alcazaba, which was a citadel and the Alhambra's defence centre, are grouped together within the walls of the fortress.
The viewpoint De St Nicolas is nothing special unless you climb to the top, at this moment you have an interesting view of the Alhambra. The monastery of San Jeronimo is a work of rebirth, therefore a small leap in time. The latter was the first built after the reconquest.
Now for shopping Granada is distinguished by ceramics, guitars, leather, woven paper and Taracea. Here are some addresses, for ceramic Artesania
Valencia
You have the opportunity in Valencia to leave the old stones aside for a short while by visiting the Cité Del Arts and Sciences. The colossal complex with futuristic architecture designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, as well as Felix Candela opened its doors in 1989 with the opening of the Hemisfèric and its IMAX cinema.
In 2000 the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum was inaugurated, offering a didactic and interactive exhibition, and in 2002 the Oceanogràfic, which is probably the largest aquarium in Europe, was opened.
In 2005 it was the Palace of Arts Reina Sofia which houses the Valencia Opera House which was added to the complex, in 2008 the Assut de l'Ora Bridge was added and to finish the last element of the City of Arts and Science, the Agora, arrived in 2009, it has since hosted the Valencia Men's Tennis Open.
For those who like to sunbathe and beach, there are the Beaches of Valencia. First the city centre is less than 15 minutes from the beaches of Las Arenas, Malvarrosa and El Cabañal and only 10 km away are the wildest beaches of Valencia, preserved in their natural state, surrounded by sand dunes and dense vegetation, such as the beach of El Saler or the beaches in the heart of the Albufera Natural Park.
For those who love old stones there are some. Among these we will note the Barrio del Carmen and its palaces, as well as the Plaza de la Virgen, the Market Square in Lonja de la Seda (Silk Halls) and the Plaza Del Ayuntamiento
Madrid
Madrid is a place full of museums, palaces, the Spanish capital is a city that is compact, when it comes to tourist attractions, of course. Those who love walking will find near the magnificent Retiro Park, the Reina Sofia Art Museum, the Prado Museum, the Thyssen Museum and the puerta de alcalá, which is a sort of Arc de Triomphe. You like shopping and walking... if so you will discover that Grand Via bears its name well.
Madrid also has the oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records and it is called the Casa Botín, house founded in 1725.
The Tabernas Desert
Tabernas is a village in Andalusia, it is close to Almería. In the area you will find an Arabic fortress which dominates an arid landscape with cactus, a little like in Arizona. This is the only desert area in Europe and this has made the place famous, by what you probably saw in Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones and the last crusade and in the famous series The Rat Patrol, to name just a few.
Now there is a place to visit called Fort Bravo - Texas Hollywood, it is the world capital of Western Spaghetti. It was here that classics such as "A handful of dollars", "For a few more dollars" and "The good, the bad and the bad" were born. The sets are still in place and there are shows like in Tombstone, Arizona.
Visiting this western village is a good idea, it will change you from Moorish palaces and medieval towns and you can surely spend an afternoon without eating tapa.
Caceres and its fortified city
If you come from Bordeaux and you want to pass by San Sebastian, to go to Seville via the E-803, then Caceres is on your way.
If you like ancient cities, well! This one in one, it was founded in 25 BC by the Romans and excavations in the caves of Maltravieso and El Conejar have determined a human presence dating from prehistory. It is during the European tour of the Moors in the 12th century that the city took off, if you wish to make a welcome trip back in time to Caceres.
To enter the old town you will have to pass by the Arco de la Estrella or if you prefer the vault of the star, here the alleys are paved as in the Middle Ages, it is probably for this reason that Caceres is a place of film shooting. So take a walk in the labyrinthine streets and tell yourself that it doesn't change much in the area... use a GPS or a bousolle not to get lost, because it can be easy... especially at night.
Among the things to see, there is the Gothic cathedral of the 15th century, the Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo, the Iglesia de San Fransisco Javier and the Casa de la Ciguena which translates into the house of the stork. If you look carefully at the top of the twelve towers which surround the old town, you will notice that giant storks made their nests there and a word of warning a giant stork it is quite more ferocious than a pigeon... therefore one leaves them peace.
Now let's talk about food, because a big walk in a millennial city digs the appetite. It's time to go back in time to today and what better way than to rush into a Burger King.... Hmm! There's also a McDonald's for the others... yes it feels weird... Fast Food and fortified town in the same sentence.
Gastronomic specialities in Spain
The best known are Paella with its saffron rice topped with seafood and tortilla, which can be enjoyed warm or cold. There are also the famous Tapas, small delicious dishes that you can enjoy from bar to bar with a glass of wine. Then cold meats, including chorizo, spicy sausage and Serrano ham. But each region has its peculiarities: scallops are a specialty of the North Atlantic where you can also taste cod while gazpacho, a cold soup of tomatoes and raw vegetables is of Andalusian origin. The Basque Country is famous for its peppers, cold meats and sheep's cheese. The Mediterranean coast is obviously rich in fish and crustaceans.
