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Top Things To Do
in Spain
Visit the Alhambra in Granada. This moorish fortified palace is absolutely incredible. The complex is vast and occupies a large portion of the city centre, so make sure you have a whole day to explore it. If you are visiting in the summer though, you are well advised to buy tickets in advance. See Frank Gehry's amazing architecture. Whether it is the amazing Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the huge copper fish on Barcelona beach or the new conference and convention centre near Malaga Airport, all of Frank Gehry's pieces are futuristic masterpieces. Skiing in the Sierra Navada Mountains. Andalucia is blessed to have these mountains so close to legendary tourist spots such as Malaga and Torremolinos. During late spring you can go skiing in the morning and do a spot of sunbathing on the beach in the afternoon. Marvelously bizarre! Take part in a local village fiesta. The local fiestas are mostly religious in nature, but that doesnt mean that they arn't a lot of fun. The colourful processions are worth it in themselves, and the parties usuallu go on throughout the night. You can find out more information about Spanish Fiestas here. Experience Gaudi's Barcelona. Of all the buildings in Barcelona that Antoni Gaudi designed, no visit is more spectacular than Parc Guell. The large park has numerous buildings and sculptures featuring Gaudi's well known broken tile style, and elegant organic curves. A great day out for all ages. Do tapas! It is one of the Best and most uniquely Spanish things to sit in a bar in the evening and eat tapas while you have a drink. The best and cheapest entertainment in Spain. Sit outside in a cafe and watch the world go by! Spain's villages, towns and cities all have numerous cafe's when you can sit outside, enjoy a coffee and simply watch the world passing by. It is made all the better by the weather which is usually fine. Feel Surreal with Dali in Figueres. Salvadore Dali has become one of the most loved painters in the world, and his mausoleum/museum is a surreal as the visions he created. This is one of the highlights of the north of Spain. Stamp you heals to the Flamenco! A must do for Andalucia and the South of Spain is to catch some of the heel tapping music known as Flamenco. Twenty five years ago it looked like Flamenco was on the decline, but has recently enjoyed a huge surge in popularity, and not just as a tourist attraction... Go mad for Art in Spain. I could list all the great artists represented in Spain in another top 20 list, but if you just want to see the Best make sure that you visit the Miró Foundation in Barcelona, see the disturbing images of Goya in Madrid and Picasso's Guernica at the Reina Sofia, also in Madrid. Picasso is also well represented in Malaga with the new Picasso Foundation. One artist that deserves a seperate mention is Diego Velazquez. Visiting the Prado Gallery in Madrid will open you eyes to Valazquez, possibly the greatest ever Spanish artist. Perhaps his Best known painting is "The Rokeby Venus" but consider that his famous "Old Woman Cooking Eggs" was painted when he was only 19, and you can be sure of the masterful talent Velazquez had. See the spectacular views at Ronda. After driving through the Andalucian mountains, you eventually come to Ronda, perched at the top of a huge cliff, with a magnificent bridge spanning the gorge between the old and new towns. Ronda also has the oldest Bull ring in Spain, and roman baths. More Moors in Cordoba. Nothing can quite prepare you for the sight of the Grand Mosque of Cordoba (the Mezquita). The first part of the Mosque was built in 796 AD and is roughly a fifth of the entire complex, and the last parts were added to the Mosque by about 1000 AD. Do the white village trail. Andalucia's villages are what most people imagine when they are asked think of a Spanish village. Whitewashed houses, narrow cobbled streets and lavish Churches. The pick of the villages is Mijas, with its famous donkeys and mountainside location. See the Best football in Europe. Real Madrid now have the Best football tem in Europe, and probably in the world. With the like of Figo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Raul, Zidane and now David Beckham in the ranks, has Madrid got an unstoppable force? Barca, Deportivo and Valencia are amongst the teams to try and stop them running away with next years trophies. Running with the Bulls. Join in with the celebrations in Pamplona, but it is Best to let others run with the bulls at the most famous festival in Spain. Many are known to get injured in this dangerous but thrilling spectacle. You can find more information on Running with the Bulls here. Take a stroll along Las Ramblas. Tired of dodging cars when trying to cross the street? This busy street in Barcelona is just for pedestrians and is lined with outdoor markets, shops, restaurants and cafes. Las Ramblas ends with the Pier and it's excellent indoor shopping centre, Sea Life centre and more great restaurants. Tired of the beaches? get active in Tenerife. Strange volcanic rock formations and spectacular scenery distinguish this park, which surrounds Mount Teide, an active volcano and the highest peak in Spain. People watching at El Rastro. If you are a keen shopper or an avid bargain hunter then you must take a visit to the largest open air flea market, where locals and tourists alike spend hours shopping dining or sitting back and people watching. Test your golfing skills at Valderrama. Famed architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed this 18-hole championship layout that stretches more than 6,356 meters at par 71. If Valderrama is a little out of your reach, then the Costa del Sol has more than enought other courses for everyone. Nicknamed the Costa del Golf, Southern Spain has both the courses and the weather to make any golfer happy. With so many Spain tourist attractions to chose from, this list could easily have been a top 40 countdown of the top destinations. Nevertheless, here are some Destination 360’s best suggestions for your next trip to the Iberian Peninsula Party all night (and all morning) in Ibiza Increasingly, tourism in Spain has become synonymous with the island of Ibiza, and for good reason—you come to Ibiza to party. Indulge your hedonistic side as you dance the night away in some of Europe’s hippest clubs. Take the raucous Disco Bus from club to club and dance and drink from Midnight to well-past 6 am in this most frantic of Spain attractions. Tour the Basque Country The Basque Country or Pais Vasco, is an area north of Madrid bounded by the Pyrenees Mountains and the Bay of Biscay. This unspoiled and easily traversed landscape is among the best tours to Spain for those seeking a quiet, quaint, old world getaway. Visit the Prado Madrid’s premier tourist attraction, and one of a handful of must-see Spain tourist attractions, the Museo del Prado houses one of the oldest and most prolific collections of art in the world. Relax at Parc Guell Laid out on hill with breathtaking views of Barcelona, the Parc Guell (Guell Park) was Antoni Gaudi’s most ambitious project after the Sagrada Familia church. Though commissioned as a private housing complex, only two houses were every built on the site. What remains, can only be described as the most psychedelic of Spain attractions. Twisting ceramic benches, a vast hall of pillars, giant lizards and sloping pathways all provide an amusement park feel. Las Fallas in Valencia Tours to Spain wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Valencia during the Fiesta de Las Fallas. From March 12 to 19 the city of Valencia is a pyro’s dream come true. From the minute you step off the train, firecrackers are popping at your feet, as giant Papier Mache effigies or fallas are paraded through the streets, judged, and awarded prizes. At night free firework shows light up the sky, while the days are filled with bullfights and paella eating on every street corner. The Alhambra Any trip to the south of Spain must include a stop in Granada and a tour of the Alhambra. Composed of three distinct groups of buildings on the Alhambra Hill, the complex is essentially a palace with extensive gardens surrounded by a fortress. This national monument is one the most mythical and romantic Spain attractions. Donana National Park Tours to Spain are incomplete without a trip through this untracked National Park. One of the last areas of true wilderness in Europe, the Donana National Park in western Andalusia is filled with wetlands, 150 species of birds, wildlife in abundance and the endangered imperial eagle and lynx. Run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain Fancy a quick sprint through narrow, closed streets chased by a stampede of big bulls? In Pamplona, both locals and an increasing number of tourists indulge in this rather dangerous activity every year. The 'running of the bulls' at the Festival of San Fermín takes place in July and attracts huge numbers of tourists. If you fancy seeing a bull fight from the safety of your seat, go to Madrid, which is home to the imposing bullring of Las Ventas, also known as the 'Cathedral of Bullfighting'. Flamenco is Life in Spain Feel the passion of flamenco, whose tragic lyrics and tones reflect the sufferings of the gypsy people. Gypsies say it is in the blood, but Spain's famous poet and writer Fredrico Garcia Lorca, called flamenco one of the greatest inventions of the Spanish people. Many flamenco or other regional dancing displays can be seen throughout Spain, particularly in Andalucia, Southern Spain.
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Ten Best
Things To Do in Spain
Top Things To See in Spain Madrid is a paradise for art lovers. Explore the city's three superb art museums. The Prado has one of the most remarkable art collections in the world. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia focuses on modern art and is where Picasso's famous Guernica is on display. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is one of the most important private collections of western painting in the world. Discover Madrid's Royal Palace, which dates from the mid-18th century and has more than 20 rooms open to the public. Enjoy the atmosphere in the area around Puerta del Sol, the heart of the city, and on Madrid's most historic and popular square, the Plaza Mayor, completed in 1617 during the reign of Philip III. Travel the 30 kilometres from Madrid to Alcalá de Henares, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the birthplace of the writer Miguel de Cervantes and the English queen Catherine of Aragon. The main points of interest are the university, founded in the 16th century by Cardinal Cisneros, and the oldest surviving public theatre in Europe - as important to Spain as Shakespeare's Globe is to England. Absorb the lively atmosphere of Barcelona, Spain's second-largest city. A major commercial and industrial centre, it is graced by several of Antoni Gaudí's architectural masterworks, the most famous being the still incomplete church of the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family). Visit the Barri Gótic (Gothic quarter), where the buildings date 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. Take the funicular to Tibidabo, the highest of Barcelona's hills, or a cable car to Montjuic in the southern suburbs. Both offer spectacular views over the city and have funfairs at the summits. Barcelona's museums include the Museo Picasso, which focuses on the artist's formative years, but includes works from the Blue and Rose periods, the Fundació Joan Miró with works by another of Spain's most innovative 20th-century artists, the Museum of Catalan Art, the Maritime Museum, and the Zoological Museum. Frank Gehry's marvellous Guggenheim Museum has turned Bilbao, the main city of the Basque region, into a very successful tourist destination. The museum has been hailed as a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture. Bilbao's Old Town is quite extensive with a Gothic Cathedral and an attractive Town Hall. Check out the newest tourist attraction in Valencia, Santiago Calatrava's City of Arts and Science Park. The Hemispheric, an amazing glass structure, houses a planetarium, IMAX dome and laserium, and the Palace of Arts boasts the largest oceanarium in Europe. While in Valencia's, visit the cathedral. It claims possession of the Holy Grail. The Fallas (Mar 15-19) is a major festival culminating in the burning of papier-mâché effigies satirising famous Spanish figures and a magnificent fireworks display. Outside the fiesta season, Pamplona's main attractions are its old walled quarter, Renaissance cathedral and imposing citadel. Seville is the romantic heart of Spain, the city of Carmen and Don Juan. Lovers of Gothic architecture should come here to see the cathedral, the largest Gothic building in the world. Christopher Columbus is buried here. The bell tower, known as the Giralda from its crowning weather vane, was originally a minaret and observatory. Seville bears numerous traces of the 500 years of Moorish occupation. Of great importance is the Alcázar, the palace-fortress of the Arab kings and one of the finest examples of Mudéjar (Moorish) architecture. Discover the magic of the Alhambra, the palace-fortress in Granada that was built by the Nasrid rulers in the 13th and 14th centuries. Highlights include: the Palacios Nazariés, its halls, courtyards and loggias decorated with painted enamel tiles, delicately fretted arches, stalactite vaulting, marble sculptures and stucco ornament; the Alcazába, an 11th-century hilltop fortress; and the Generalife, the gardens of the summer palace. The Alhambra is the most popular tourist attraction in Spain. To the south of Madrid is the ancient Spanish capital of Toledo. The city is dominated by the magnificent cathedral and Alcazar. Toledo is justly proud of its collection of paintings by El Greco, who lived and painted here. Go and see his most famous painting, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, which is preserved in the Santo Tomé Church. There are more El Grecos as well as works by Goya and other artists in the Hospital y Museo de Santa Cruz, a magnificent Renaissance building with a Plateresque facade. Superbly situated on a plain overlooked by the Sierra de Gredos, Avila is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its perfectly preserved 11th-century walls and for being the birthplace of the 16th-century mystic, St Teresa. The ancient university town Salamanca, 'European City of Culture' in 2002, is well worth a visit on account of its many superb Renaissance buildings, weathered to a golden-brown hue, and the unusual and absorbing Museo Art Nouveau y Art Deco, with its fascinating collections of objets d'art from the first half of the 20th century. Food and Drink in Spain
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