Places To Visit In Spain

Madrid, Spain

Madrid is the capital of Spain, established as such by King Philip II in 1561 for its location in the exact center of the country.There is a marker on the pavement just outside the Town hall in Sol that marks the centre, and is the point where all roads in Spain are measued from. Although it was just a fortified village when it became the seat of Philip's global empire, today it is home to several million people, three of the world's greatest museums, and an incredible nightlife.

A young city by European standards, Madrid lacks world-famous historic monuments, but nearby towns like Avila, Segovia, and Toledo more than make up for it. More recently, Madrid has been featured in the films of Pedro Almodovar, when it was the center of the "movida," the social and cultural renaissance that took place here during Spain's first decade of democracy. It is also one of the world's great cities for museums, with the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Reina Sofia all being at the top of their fields.

Lovers of architecture are best off in Madrid's banking district, not far from the central station. The buildings are beautiful and in the hot summers (with temps up to 45 or 50 degrees Celsius in the shade) one can walk from fountain to fountain.

The Palacio Real, or Royal Palace, is Madrid's largest building and possibly its most beautiful. It is located next to the equally beautiful Plaza de Oriente square.

A short walk from the palace is the Plaza De Espana, and the quirky monument to Miguel De Cervanes with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. just across the road from here is the Temple De Debod, a 5000 year old Egyptian temple, a gift from Egypt.

Las Ventas bullring is well worth the visit, though the bullfights are only on a Sunday. Retiro Park is not far from there and a great place to go and chill.

Rota, Spain

Located in southern Europe, the Spanish mainland is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. Spanish territory includes the Balearic Islands in the Med and the Canary Islands off the African coast. It shares land borders with Portugal, France, Andorra, Gibraltar, and Morocco.

There are in fact four official languages in Spain (Castilian, Catalan, Basque and Galician), three unofficial regional languages (Asturian, Aragonese and Aranese), and several more dialects of these (Andalucian, Valencian...). Almost all Spaniards can speak Castilian Spanish though.

Spain is very popular with tourists and sees millions flying over every year. There is plenty to see and do, ranging from a city break in Madrid, or a beach holiday on the Costa Del Sol.

Sites of historical and artistic importance abound in Spain: the Alhambra (in Granada), a magnificent fortress built with Moorish motifs; Barcelona's Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic); Madrid's trinity of great museums; the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela; and the Guggenheim in Bilbao.