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About Spain
Spain, one of the largest countries in Europe,
occupies four-fifths of the Iberian Peninsula. A land of extraordinary
geographical and cultural diversity, it has much to offer the tourist.
While the Mediterranean beach resorts on the Costa Blanca, Costa Brava
and Costa del Sol continue to attract sunseekers, the north coast is gradually
gaining in popularity. But there is a great deal more to Spain than the
beaches. The terrain is amazingly diverse with a huge variety of landscapes:
deciduous and coniferous forests, arid plains, salt marshes, rocky bays
and coves, peaks, verdant river valleys and mountain streams.
One of the most pleasurable ways to discover Spain’s natural beauty and
abundant wildlife is to visit one of the National Parks. Walks, hiking
trails and jeep excursions enable visitors to explore marshes and wetlands,
coastal dunes, isolated mountain peaks and Atlantic beaches. At certain
times of the year the skies are filled with migrating birds heading for
North Africa and the parks are also the habitat of a wealth of indigenous
flora and fauna. Special mention should be made of rare and endangered
species like the royal eagle, the capercaillie (woodcock) and the Pyrenean
mountain goat. The major national parks in mainland Spain are: Coto de
Doñana (provinces of Seville and Huelva), Tablas de Daimiel (La Mancha),
Ordesa (Huesca Pyrenees), Aigües Tortes (Lleida) and Montaña de Covadonga
(Picos de Europa).
Over the centuries, Spain’s indigenous and conquering peoples have left
an indelible legacy. Cromlechs and cave paintings from the prehistoric
period, temples and aqueducts from the Roman occupation, Romanesque churches,
Moorish baths, mosques and fortresses, medieval cathedrals and castles,
Renaissance and Baroque palaces, the modernist architecture of Antoni
Gaudí and his contemporaries, as well as present-day masterpieces like
the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao and the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.
The Spanish capital Madrid is a vibrant, atmospheric city, short on famous
monuments but rich in cultural sights. Pride of place belongs to the city’s
three superb art museums. The Prado has one of the most remarkable art
collections in the world, with works by major Spanish and European masters
from the Renaissance onwards. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina
Sofia is devoted to 20th-century Spanish art with representative works
by Miró, Dalí, Juan Gris, and above all by the Cubists, including Picasso.
The most famous work on show is his masterpiece from the Civil War period,
Guernica. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is one of the most important private
collections of western painting in the world, with more than 800 paintings
from the Italian Renaissance to the 20th-century avant garde.
The Royal Palace dates from the mid-18th century. There are more than
20 rooms open to the public, exhibiting priceless tapestries, paintings,
carpets, clocks, furniture, silverware and porcelain. The armory has one
of the most valuable collections in Europe, mainly from the 16th century.
Madrid’s most historic square, the Plaza Mayor, is enclosed by arcades
sheltering a variety of craft shops, restaurants and tapas bars. It was
completed in 1617 during the reign of Philip III. The popular center of
Madrid is the famous square, the Puerta del Sol, the main shopping district
and hub of the city’s nightlife.
Madrid’s most accessible green space is the Retiro Park. A former royal
retreat, its attractions include a boating lake and summer concerts. The
Botanical Gardens, a short walk from the Prado, are worth a visit. The
Casa de Campo, west of the city center, is a huge open space with a swimming
pool, tennis courts, a jogging track and a zoo with aquarium. On the edge
of Caso de Campo is the Parque de Atracciones, a large amusement park.
Southeast of the city is the Parque Biológico, a new theme park on bio-diversity
with pavilions recreating a variety of ecosystems. There is a 250-hectare
Warner Brothers theme park in San Martín de la Vega. Many visitors to
the city take the opportunity to see Real Madrid, one of the world’s most
successful football clubs, at the Bernabéu Stadium.
EXCURSIONS: There are numerous places of interest within easy reach of
the city. The Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial (49km, 30 miles) was
commissioned by Philip II as a mausoleum for Spanish rulers. The highlights
are the art museum, with works by Rubens, Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese,
the palace, the basilica and the library.
Approximately 9km (6 miles) from the Escorial is the Valle de los Caídos
(Valley of the Fallen), a huge crypt cut into the mountainside surmounted
by a stone cross of 152m (500ft). The dictator, General Franco, conceived
this dramatic monument as a tribute to those on the Fascist side who died
in the Civil War. Franco himself is buried here. Alcalá de Henares, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the birthplace of the writer Miguel de
Cervantes and the English queen, Catherine of Aragon. The main point of
interest is the university, founded in the 16th century by Cardinal Cisneros.
Other attractions include the 17th-century convent of San Bernardo and
the oldest surviving public theater in Europe – as important to Spain
as Shakespeare’s Globe is to England. Aranjuez is famous for its gardens,
an 18th-century Summer Palace, built by the Spanish Bourbons and Charles
IV’s enormously expensive folly, the Casita del Labrador, on the banks
of the River Tagus. Aranjuez is known for strawberries and asparagus.
The Strawberry Train (Tren de la Fresa), complete with steam engine and
wooden carriages, operates between Madrid and Aranjuez between mid-April
and July and September to mid-October. Chinchón is an attractive little
town with an atmospheric main square, Plaza Mayor, still used for bullfights
during the fiesta (August) and for a passion play at Easter. The mountains
of the Sierra de Guadarrama are easily accessible from Madrid and are
an important center for skiing and winter sports. Puerto de Navacerrada
and Valdesquí are the main resorts.
One of the largest cities in Spain, bearing numerous traces of the 500
years of Moorish occupation. Seville is the romantic heart of the country,
the city of Carmen and Don Juan; its cathedral is the largest Gothic building
in the world and has a superb collection of art and period stonework.
Christopher Columbus is buried here. The cathedral bell tower, known as
the Giralda from its crowning weather vane, was originally a minaret and
observatory. The climb is worth the effort for the commanding views. Of
great importance is the Alcázar, the palace-fortress of the Arab kings
and one of the finest examples of Mudéjar (Moorish) architecture, mostly
dating from after the Christian re-conquest. Seville’s other sights include
the Alcázar gardens, the evocative neighborhood of Santa Cruz with its
white-washed houses and tiled patios, and the Torre de Oro, part of the
Arab fortifications and later said to have been covered with gold leaf
imported from the Americas.
Holy Week in Seville embodies the religious fervor of the Spanish and
is one of the most interesting festivals in the country. Early booking
for accommodation at festival time is essential. Holy Week is followed
closely by the famous April Fair, during which couples parade the fairground
mounted on fine Andalucian horses, dressed in the traditional flamenco
costume. Drinking, eating, song and dance are the order of the day for
the whole week and the fairground with its colored lanterns and casetas
bordering the streets is a continuous movement of color.
Spain’s second-largest city Barcelona (population 4.9 million) is a major
commercial and industrial center and an important Mediterranean port.
The Barri Gótic (Gothic quarter), as the name suggests, has buildings
dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Highlights include the Seu
(old cathedral), the Episcopal Palace, the Palau de la Generalitat and
the Plaça del Rei.
The Museo Picasso focuses on the artist’s formative years, but includes
works from the Blue and Rose periods. Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s main thoroughfare,
occupies the site of the ancient city walls and extends from the Plaça
de Catalunya to the port. Cafes, bookstalls, flower and bird markets and
street artists are just some of the attractions of this fashionable avenue.
Beyond Plaça Catalunya, the Eixample (Extension) boasts a wealth of Art
Nouveau and Art Deco architecture. The still incomplete church of the
Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) is the masterpiece of Spain’s greatest 20th-century
architect, Antoni Gaudí. Other examples of his work are the Casa Batlló,
the Casa Mila and Parc Güell. The funicular to Tibidabo, the highest of
Barcelona’s hills, and the cable car to Montjuic in the southern suburbs,
offer spectacular views over the city. There are funfairs on both summits.
Barcelona’s best museums include the Picasso (see above), the Fundació
Joan Miró with works by another of Spain’s most innovative 20th-century
artists, the Museum of Catalan Art, the Maritime Museum, the Zoological
Museum and the Monastery of Peldralbes , which houses part of the Thyssen-Bornemisza
art collection.
A popular excursion from Barcelona (40km, 24 miles) is to the famed monastery
of Montserrat and the shrine of the Black Madonna. The mountain setting,
1135m (3725ft) above the Llobregat River, is spectacular.
Spanish Food
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Spain Arts & Museums
Spain Theme Parks & Zoos
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