Madrid

Toledo

Avila

Segovia

Basque Country

Green Spain

• Retiro Park: A few blocks east of the Prado Museum, a 300-acre park good for strolling, picnicking or boating on the lake.
• Botanical Gardens, with rare plants and trees, next to the Prado Museum and Retiro Park.
• CaixaForum, a post modern art gallery across from the Botanical Gardens.
• Sorolla Museum: The house and studio of famous Impressionist painter Joaquin Sorolla (1863-1923) with a few of his luminous paintings and portraits.
• Chapel of San Antonio de la Florida:Francisco Goya's tomb with some of his beautiful frescoes painted on the ceiling of the cupola.
• Alcalá de Henares, birthplace of famous author Miguel de Cervantes, only a short train ride from Madrid.

DAY TRIPS OUTSIDE MADRID BY TRAIN

Each of the following cities is only a day trip from Madrid: Avila, Cordoba, Salamanca, Segovia, Seville Toledo and Valencia. Take a morning train to any of these destinations, do your sightseeing there, and be back at your hotel in Madrid the same day in the evening.

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TOLEDO - AVILA - SEGOVIA

Toledo. This charming "city-museum," located 50 miles south of Madrid, is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It was founded by the Romans in 200 BC. In the 6th century AD the Visigoths chose it as the capital of Spain. Today, it is the flourishing economic center of the Castilla La Mancha region. Toledo is known as "the city of the three cultures" and "the capital of universal tolerance" because for centuries, the religious tolerance of the Moors allowed Christians, Muslims and Jews to co-exist in peace and mutual respect. Its buildings include almost all the architectural styles Spanish history has produced (Gothic, Arabic, Mudejar, Renaissance and Baroque). The great 16th-century painter El Greco lived there. It is an easy day trip from Madrid, and with such rich cultural heritage, it attracts lots of visitors every day.

Avila is located about 60 miles north of Madrid. At 3,500 feet above sea level, it is a cool alternative to Madrid on hot summer days. This medieval city is famous for its massive two-mile-long fortifications encircling the old city and its equally impressive 89 guard towers and entrance gates. It is also known as the birth place of the great Santa Teresa de Jesús. The presence of the 16th-century mystic is felt everywhere around the old city: statuary, museums and the convent she founded. With its Romanesque churches, gothic palaces and an imposing 12th-century cathedral, Avila is an ideal place for walking tours.

The first reason for visiting Segovia is its monumental mile-long Roman aqueduct running through the heart of the city. Built some 2,000 years ago, it continued to be in use until the 1970s. The second reason is the castle perched on top of a rock, looking like the prow of a ship and visible for miles from the flat lands below. This 11th-century structure was renovated in the 19th century after a fire, so it is in pristine shape today. It is arguably one of the most photographed castles in Europe. The third reason is the magnificent Gothic cathedral, complete with a cloister and surrounded by the palaces, churches and mansions of Segovia's old quarter.

Just outside Segovia, La Granja de San Ildefonso boasts an exquisite palace surrounded by extensive formal gardens with an amazing collection of fountains. Built by the grandson of Louis XIV in the grandiose Versailles style, it was used by the Spanish court as a summer retreat to escape Madrid's hot summers. It is much smaller than its French counterpart, but it is absolutely magnificent and often referred to as "the Versailles of Spain."

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BASQUE COUNTRY & GREEN SPAIN (Galicia - Asturias - Cantabria)

There are lots of possibilities for visits and excursions in Northern Spain. When it comes to gourmet dining, the Basque Country is second to none. The Basques are famous for their Culinary Societies and their sophisticated cuisine (the Basque country - spreading in both France and Spain - has close to 20 Michelin-starred restaurants).

If you are interested in modern art and architecture you can enjoy the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois, Jeff Koons, Anish Kapoor among others) and the avant-garde building of the Marques de Riscal Winery, in the Alava region, both designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehri.

San Sebastian is an elegant resort, with some of the most beautiful beaches in Spain. This city became famous when royalty and the rich and famous started vacationing there to escape the summer heat of Madrid. As the culinary capital of the Basque Country, it is famous for its fine cuisine. Some of the nation's leading chefs are from San Sebastian or practice their craft there. It boasts several Michelin-starred restaurants and the amazingly dramatic abstract sculpture "Peine del Viento" (Comb of the Wind) by Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002) on the rocks of La Concha beach.

Other places of interest in northern Spain:

• La Rioja, just south of the Basque Country. La Rioja is to Spain what the Bordeaux wine region is to France.
• Cantabria and Asturias with breathtaking high mountain scenery in the Picos de Europa
• Galicia and the ancient pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela.

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BARCELONA

Barcelona is a hands-down favorite for many visitors to Spain. This vibrant and sophisticated city (also nicknamed "the Paris of the Mediterranean") has so much to offer!

La Sagrada Familia (Basilica and Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) is a church still under construction. It is the crowning achievement of renowned Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). The building's scale and idiosyncratic architecture have made it one of Spain's top tourist attractions. The architecture is unlike anything ever built anywhere. The older section looks like it was carved out of a massive concrete block. The statuary in the newer section is reminiscent of the characters in a Star Wars movie. The inside shows a clear Gothic influence. The grandiose design and the magnitude of the project are absolutely mindboggling. It is a masterpiece of creativity and imagination.

Casa Batllo and Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera (Catalan word for "Quarry"):Two fanciful buildings designed by Antoni Gaudí in the Modernista (Art Nouveau) style at the turn of the 20th century. They are both located on one of Barcelona's widest boulevards, the Passeig de Gracia. They are is particularly remarkable because of Gaudi's avoidance of straight lines and his use of colorful ceramic tyles and curving wrought iron. The non-traditional architectural features of Casa Batlló's arched roof mimic the back of a dragon. The dozen or so surrealistic chimneys on top of La Pedrera resemble warriors in a science fiction movie.

Park Güell, a public park created by Antoni Gaudi. This complex displays the architect's flamboyant creativity at its best: a mosaic dragon fountain at the main entrance, a long bench in the form of a sea serpent covered with multicolored tiles snaking around the main terrace (with panoramic vistas over the entire city) and a covered area with a forest of columns reminiscent of the ancient temples of upper Egypt.

Las Ramblas, a large mile-long pedestrian boulevard in downtown Barcelona that connects Placa de Catalunya and the Christopher Columbus monument by the harbor. Strolling the shaded tree-lined avenue is a favorite for both tourists and locals. Cafes, flower stands, artists, the vibrant Boqueria market nearby and the many whimsical street performers bring a festive atmosphere to this busy and sometimes crowded place.

Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) a concert hall in the Modernista style created by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which opened in 1908. The design and architecture of this building are incredibly ornate (Baroque in many ways). During the day, it is entirely lit by natural light coming from the outside. This is achieved by walls that are made of stained-glass windows set in magnificent arches and the ceiling, an enormous skylight also made of stained glass (like an oversized Tiffany lamp shade) with hues of gold and blue that suggest the sun and the sky overhead. A "brilliantly" colorful piece of architecture!

Other places of interest in Barcelona:

• Picasso Museum, with some of his early works
• Catalan Art Museum. A world-class collection of works by Catalonian artists
• Church of Santa Maria del Mar. A Gothic church in the Ribera district
• Joan Miro Foundation. Abstract art and sculpture
• Plaza de Espana with its ornate fountain
• Montjuic Park with panoramic views over the city
• Barrio Gotico (Gothic Quarter) with the cathedral
• Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village), recreating architectural styles around Spain
• Tibidabo. An amusement park on top of a hill
• Barceloneta's beaches, restaurants and night life

DAY TRIPS OUTSIDE BARCELONA

• Girona with one of Europe's best-preserved Jewish quarters and a Jewish museum
• Figueres with its surrealist Salvador Dali Museum
• Montserrat. An impressive basilica and shrine to a 12th-century black virgin. About 40 miles from Barcelona and at 4,000 feet elevation, the Monasterio de Montserrat is nestled in a scenic setting of jagged mountains. The place has been Catalonia's most important pilgrimage site for centuries. Montserrat is a Benedictine monastery dating back to 880 AD. It was mostly destroyed by Napoleon's army but was subsequently rebuilt and today is a fine example of Romanesque architecture in pristine condition. It is also known as the sanctuary of the Virgin of Montserrat, the Moreneta, a black madonna and the patron saint of Catalonia. The live-in monks run a boys' school focusing on the study of music - hence the famous Montserrat Escolania choir. The site also boasts an interesting museum with works by El Greco, Picasso, Dalí and a few Impressionists (Renoir, Monet, Degas and Pisarro).
• Sitges. One of the most picturesque villages on the Catalan coast with beautiful beaches
• Tarragonna. Roman architecture: amphitheater, aqueduct and an old town
• The Penedes wine country with world-famous "cava" wineries, Freixenet and Codorniu. The Codorniu winery, located in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia - just south of Barcelona - was founded in the middle of the 16th century. It is one of the world's largest producers of sparkling wine (called "cava" in Spain) made by the traditional "méthode champenoise" originally developed in the Champagne region of France. In addition to tasting the wine, a visit to Codorniu offers the added bonus of seeing its stunning Modernista-style building designed by Catalan architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

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VALENCIA

Valencia, Spain's third largest city, is the home of the famous Lladro porcelain factory, the birthplace of paella, horchata, Impressionist painter Joaquin Sorolla and world-famous architect Santiago Calatrava.

Valencia's crowning tourist attraction is the 90-acre City of Arts and Sciences Park designed by Santiago Calatrava. This avant-garde complex includes a museum, a planetarium, a covered promenade. a performing arts center, a sports center, a suspended bridge and the Oceanografic, a futuristic marine park created by another Spanish architect, Felix Candela - all within easy walking distance of one another.

The museum's outer structure is reminiscent of a giant whale or some prehistoric mastodon's skeleton resting on its side. Next to it, sitting in the middle of a man-made pond, is the planetarium with its glass dome glowing in the sun and mirrored in the perfectly still turquoise water. On the other side of the bridge, you can hardly miss the voluminous shape of the performing arts center. Some people have commented that it looks like the head of some insect from outer space.

Valencia is also known for its boisterous and colorful spring festival called Las Fallas, the biggest bonfire anywhere in the world. La Tomatina, a tomato-throwing festival in nearby Buñol, is another fun (and messy) celebration at the end of August.

This vibrant, "wild" and modern Mediterranean city also boasts an old town: A 13th-century cathedral with a massive octagonal bell tower, EI Miguelete, and what some believe to be the Holy Grail on the inside; the Torres de Serranos, two 14th-century towers that protected the entrance to the city; la Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange), a hall from the 15th century with Flamboyant Gothic architecture displaying grotesque sculptures and gargoyles on its façade. Other churches and museums can be seen in the old quarter, some of the most unusual being the Museo de Ceramica; the Museo Fallero showing "ninots" (figures made of papiermache) from past Fallas Festivals; and the Museo San Pio V, a fine arts museum considered one of the best in Spain, with works by Velazquez, El Greco, Goya and Sorolla.

South of the city is the Albufera Nature Park, with one of the largest freshwater lakes in Spain.

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CORDOBA

Cordoba is a medium-sized city on the Guadalquivir River in Andalusia (southern Spain). It was founded in Roman times and later became the capital of the Moorish Caliphate of Córdoba, which governed almost all of the Iberian peninsula. It has been estimated that in the latter half of the tenth century Cordoba, with up to 500,000 inhabitants, was then the most populated city in Europe and possibly in the world. It was known as an advanced cultural and economic center. In 1236 it was captured from the Moors by King Ferdinand III during the Spanish Reconquista.

La Mezquita (a church inside a mosque - one of the most unique buildings in the world) is a Roman Catholic cathedral originally built as a mosque on the site of what previously had been a Visigothic Christian church (it is enormous - about 8 acres big). In 784, Emir Abd ar-Rahman I started rebuilding the earlier Visigothic church as a mosque, a process which continued for two centuries. After the capture of Cordoba in 1236, the mosque was turned into a church, with a Gothic cathedral inserted into the center of the large Moorish building. Under Charles V, a Renaissance nave was added in the middle of the structure. Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century. Today, you can really feel the centuries of history as you walk beneath the giant arches of various styles, formed by hundreds of columns of jasper, onyx, marble and granite..

Near the Mezquita on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, is the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos ("Palace of the Christian Monarchs"). The fortress served as one of the primary residences of Queen Isabella of Castile and her husband King Ferdinand II of Aragon in the 15th century. The two monarchs also used the Alcázar for one of the first permanent tribunals of the Spanish Inquisition and as a headquarters for their campaign against the Nasrid dynasty in Granada, the last remaining Moorish kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. In 1492, the monarchs met Christopher Columbus in the Alcázar before his first voyage to the Americas. Napoleon Bonaparte used the Alcázar as a garrison in 1810, after which it was turned into a prison.

The Synagogue, located in the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba, was built in the Mudejar style in 1315. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, the building was devoted to various functions including a hospital, a chapel for shoemakers and a nursery school, but it retains its original character. It was declared a National Monument in 1885.

Across the street from the synagogue (under the gaze of none other than Maimonides himself - a 12th-century Jewish philosopher) is a small but very educational museum of Jewish culture and history.

Other places of interest in Cordoba:

• Old City Patios. Private Andalusian courtyards decorated with beautiful flowers.
• Fascinating Calahorra Tower with its Museum of Three Cultures (Jewish, Christian and Muslim)

DAY TRIP OUTSIDE CORDOBA BY TRAIN

Leave on a morning train to Ronda and be back to your hotel in Cordoba the same night. Ronda is one of the many pretty "white villages" of Andalusia. Perched on top of a rocky promontory, its beauty is enhanced by the dramatic location on either side of a 350-ft deep gorge spanned by a massive stone bridge built in the 18th century. The old section offers many beautifully decorated mansions with shaded patios as well as baths and minarets from the Moorish past. The new town holds the oldest bullring in Spain, built in the 1700s, complete with a small but informative bullfight museum. Located roughly half-way between Malaga and Seville, it is a very popular destination for visitors.

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GRANADA

The Alhambra is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe. It is an expansive Moorish palace and fortress with some unique architecture and beautiful gardens. The complex is a cluster of four different sites perched side by side on top of a hill: the Nasrid Palace, an exquisite combination of rooms and courtyards - the famous Courtyard of the Lions is one of them - where the Muslim rulers lived; the beautifully manicured Generalife Gardens, planted in the 1930s; the Palace of Charles V, Spain's most impressive Renaissance building; and the Alcazaba, an empty fortress with panoramic views over Granada.The culture and historical events reflected by this place makes for an incredible touring experience.

Granada's Cathedral is the second largest in Spain after Seville. It was started in the 16th century, and the massive structure displays a combination of Renaissance and Baroque styles. The main chapel contains two kneeling effigies of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella who finished the reconquest of Spain from the Moors in 1492.

The lavish Royal Chapel is a mausoleum to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the Catholic Monarchs who ruled at the time of the voyages of Christopher Columbus. It also holds the remains of their daughter Queen Juana (Joan the Mad), her husband Philip the Handsome and the Infante Miguel, their oldest grandson. The Chapel's lacy Plateresque Gothic style is richly ornate and one of the best examples of this style in Spain. The carved marble faces of the two monarchs are considered to be a good likeness of Ferdinand and Isabella. The high altar is one of the finest Renaissance works in all of Spain.

Originally a Moorish silk market, the Alcaiceria is a network of narrow lanes laid out like an Arab bazaar. The atmosphere takes you back centuries. Today, it is still a market of sorts, although the shoppers are mainly tourists.

The Albaicín is Granada's ancient Moorish quarter reminiscent of a long-gone, mysterious world. Of particular interest is the Plaza de San Nicolas with breathtaking views of the Alhambra fortress on the hill facing it.

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SEVILLE

Seville, located on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. Its known history goes back to Roman times, and since it was controlled by the Moors from 712 to 1248 AD, it was heavily influenced by Arabic culture. It was taken by the Catholic King Ferdinand III during the Reconquista.

The 15th-century Cathedral of Seville was built on the former site of the city's mosque. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and is lavishly decorated with gold and silver from the New World. The famous Giralda, originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower. The cathedral is also known for housing the remains of Christopher Columbus on a grand raised platform, although in recent years there has been some evidence presented that his remains may be still at the cathedral of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. In any event, the cathedral and the memorial to Columbus are quite impressive.

The Alcázar of Seville (Spanish "Alcázares Reales de Sevilla") is a royal palace across from the cathedral. Construction started in 1181 under the Moors and continued for over 500 years. Its exquisite gardens are a blend of Moorish, Andalusian, and Christian traditions. The palace is one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture, and the upper levels are still used by the royal family as their official Seville residence.

The Barrio de Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter of the medieval city, characterized by narrow, winding streets and whitewashed houses.

Other places of interest in Seville:

• Plaza de España and Maria Luisa Park, both built for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana international fair. The ceramic tile decorations illustrating provinces of Spain are exquisite.
• Basilica de la Macarena with its Weeping Virgin and floats used during the "Semana Santa" (Holy Week). If you can't attend the religious processions performed every spring in Seville, this at least gives a feel for the pageantry of those grandiose celebrations.
• The Torre de Oro (golden tower)
• Casa de Pilatos, a magnificent Mudejar-style palace dating back to the 16th century.
• La Isla Magica (Magic Island) theme park
• Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija, a stunningly beautiful 18th-century aristocratic mansion furnished with Phoenician, Greek, and Roman artifacts
• La Maestranza bullring, one of the best in Spain (also made famous by Bizet's opera, Carmen - this is where Don Jose stabs her to death at the end of the tragic story)
• The Salvador church, the second largest church of Seville after the Cathedral
• The Museum of Fine Arts where lesser-known but still top-notch art by Zubaran, Murillo and others is on display
• Various other museums including a very informative Flamenco Museum (including performances and dancing lessons).

DAY TRIPS OUTSIDE SEVILLE

Jerez de la Frontera is arguably the "world capital" of sherry wine production. The name of "Jerez" comes from the Arabic name Xerez or Xeres, and Frontera refers to its location on the frontier between the Moorish and Christian regions of Spain during the Reconquista, when the Christian kings took Spain back from the Moors. "Sherry" - the name of the famous fortified wine that originated here - is an adaptation of the city's Arabic name, which is pronounced Sherish. Needless to say, bodegas (wineries) offer visits of their facilities and tastings of their wines.

In addition to wine, Jerez is also famous as the home of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, a riding school comparable to the world-famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna (dressage demonstrations every Tuesdays and Thursdays in Jerez). In May, the whole city celebrates the Feria del Caballo (Horse Fair).

Cadiz is an ancient port dating back to the Phoenicians and the Romans. In Christopher Columbus' days, it was a major staging point for treasure-hunting adventures to the New World. This bustling city on the Atlantic has an important port and a quaint old section with narrow streets lined with whitewashed, sun-bleached, Moorish-styled houses. The cathedral holds the tomb of native son composer Manuel de Falla.

Italica is the site of one of Spain's most impressive Roman ruins. This ancient place, a few miles outside Seville, used to be a thriving city of great military importance. Emperors Hadrian and Trajan were born there. A 20,000-spectator amphitheater, mosaic floors, thermal baths and a theater can be seen there today.

Merida (75 miles north of Seville, at the center of the Extremadura region) has Spain's largest and most amazing grouping of Roman structures: a well-preserved Teatro Romano, built in 25 B.C. (still used for theatrical performances today), an amphitheater, arches of an aqueduct, houses with exquisite mosaic floors and a impressive museum of Roman artifacts, the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano (designed by famous Spanish architect Rafael Moneo). Merida also boasts a Moorish citadel and an 18th-century convent, now used as a luxury Parador hotel.

Cordoba (see description above) is also a day trip by train from Seville.

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COSTA DEL SOL

The Costa del Sol is very appealing in many ways. It is best known for its sandy beaches, lush golf courses, alluring casinos and flashy resorts lining the Mediterranean all the way to Gibraltar. Because of the warm winter temperatures, it is "prime real estate" (high rises and all) for retirees from colder climates in the north of Europe (England , Germany, Scandinavia, etc.). As a result, it is a very cosmopolitan place and is quite different from the ancient cultural heritage of the rest of Spain.

Malaga, in the middle of the region, does offer several sites of significant cultural interest: a beautiful, ornate cathedral, an ancient castle (the Alcazaba) and a Roman amphitheater. Plus, Pablo Picasso was born there in 1881. His house, located in the historical center can be visited and a tour of the Picasso Museum reveals a fine collection of works by the prolific artist).

Ronda, a "white village", (see description under Cordoba above) is an easy day trip from Malaga.

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So, there you have it - my take on where to go in Spain for fun and exciting travel experiences! Obviously, it would take more than a few pages to paint a complete picture of Spain's heritage and culture. I haven't touched on the subject of cuisine, for example. The Basque country alone has over a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants (two 3-star and one 2-star) and Catalonia has over two dozen (four 3-star and two 2-star).

My goal in this document is simply to give a summary of the most popular destinations in Spain (not to write a travel book - there are plenty of those). So, I hope these brief musings will encourage you to start planning your next Iberian expedition.

Please take a look at our travel articles and make sure you read the comments from some of our happy clients!

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