Tourism Spain, visit Spain
Spain
Spain is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.
Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 km², it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France.
Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject to many external influences since prehistoric times and through to its dawn as a country. Spain emerged as a unified country in the 15th century, following the marriage of the Catholic Monarchs and the completion of the reconquest or Reconquista of the Iberian peninsula in 1492. Conversely, it has been an important source of influence to other regions, chiefly during the Modern Era, when it became a global empire that has left a legacy of over 400 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second most spoken first language.
Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the ninth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP, and very high living standards (15th highest Human Development Index), including the tenth-highest quality of life index rating in the world, as of 2005. It is a member of the United Nations, European Union, NATO, OECD, and WTO.
Mapa de España
The Spanish capital 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. Read more
Plaza Mayor de Madrid
Barcelona
Spain’s second-largest city (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. Read more
Torre del Oro, Sevilla
Seville (Sevilla)
The regional capital is Seville, 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. Read more
Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao
The Basque Country (País Vasco)
Guipúzcoa, Vizcaya and Alava form the Basque provinces, to the east of the Cantabrian Mountains. The economy of this fertile region is based on agriculture, despite having been highly industrialized in the 19th century. The Basques are an ancient pre-Indo-European race and the origins of their language have baffled etymologists for centuries. An independence movement started to make headway around the turn of the 20th century and the separatists still have a following in parts of the region.
The Spanish constitution allows the Basques a degree of autonomy, but Nationalist politicians are demanding a greater say in their own affairs.
A large though declining port, Bilbao is the main city of the region. The city was founded in the early 14th century and the Old Town is quite extensive with a Gothic Cathedral and an attractive Town Hall. Bilbao’s pre-eminent attraction is Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum, hailed as a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture. The vast exhibition spaces are given over to rotating exhibitions of modern art in all its forms. The Palacio Euskalduna is Bilbao’s new congress and music center. Read more
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