www.spaintrails.com vitalez/shutterstock.com S.Borisov/shutterstock.com HIGHLIGHTS Dm_Cherry/shutterstock.com syolacan/shutterstock.com 6 7 1 2 Tomas1111/shutterstock.com Foxys Forest Manufacture/shutterstock.com Forest Foxys 8 3 leoks/shutterstock.com LUISMARTIN/shutterstock.com LucVi/shutterstock.com Borja Laria/shutterstock.com 5 9 1 - Flower Pots, Córdoba. 2 - Plaza de España, Barcelona. 6 - Flamenco Performance, Spain. 3 - Tapas Tastings, Seville. 7 - Street Market, Granada. 4 - La Ribera Market, Bilbao. 8 - Almudena Cathedral, Madrid. 5 - Crystal Palace in Buen Retiro Park, 9 - Dom Quixote Windmills, Consuegra. 4 Madrid. 10 - Las Fallas Fest, Valencia. 10 4 HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS 5 Migel/shutterstock.com Freeartist/iStockphoto.com roberaten/shutterstock.com Marisa Estivill/shutterstock.com 11 17 18 12 LucVi/shutterstock.com David Pereiras Villagrá/shutterstock.com David Pereiras Sean Pavone/shutterstock.com 13 14 19 LucVi/shutterstock.com Victor H/shutterstock.com Victor javarman/shutterstock.com 15 20 Anky/shutterstock.com 11 - Roman Ruins, Mérida. 12 - San Fermin Festival, Pamplona. 13 - La Boqueria Market, Barcelona. 14 - Cityscape on the Tajo Gorge, Ronda. 15 - The Golden Tower Located at 17 - Symbol of Camino de Santiago, Burgos. the Margin of the Guadalquivir River, 18 - View with Cathedral, Girona. Seville. 19 - Puerta de Alcala, Madrid. 16 - Mae West Room in Dali Theatre 20 - Sherry Barrels in Bodega, Jerez de la Frontera. 16 and Museum, Figueres. 21 - Ruined Tower, Cambados. 21 6 HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS 7 INTRODUCING SPAIN TOP 10 EXPERIENCES IN SPAIN DISCOVERING THE ART OF SPANISH CUISINE In Spain, cooking is an art and the ingredients, the gastronomic specialities and the tasting rituals reflect the geographic diversity, climate and customs. The famous concept of tapas started in Seville, but spread throughout the country, so much so that it is part of Spain’s identity and a customary evening ritual in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. The common habit of tapear is all about sharing little snacks that bring out the best of local ingredients. Usually each establishment boasts its own specialty so it makes sense to go for a tour through different bars and restaurants. In the Basque country, especially in San Sebastián, tapas are called pintxos and make your mouth water for more, as you eye them up on the bar counters. Bergara Bar is one of the most famous pintxo bars. The city is already renowned for being one of the best cities in Spain for eating out, as all together it has 16 Michelin stars, the Arzak, Martin Berastegui and Akelare restaurants having three each. But besides this unique way of eating, the Spaniards have typical specialities in the different regions. By the coast, on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, fish and shellfish are prominent, whilst inland, especially in the areas of mountains and valleys, where cattle is bred, you’ll find tasty sausages and dishes made with succulent oven-baked kid. Tomatoes were brought from the Americas by Spanish sailors and are the base for gazpacho, a chilled soup that is very popular in Andalusia. They also brought the delicious chocolate that is served with the churros, an after-hours delight not to be missed in Madrid. But it is the paella from Valencia that is the most distinctive dish, with its creamy rice of shellfish, meat, tomato and red pepper, seasoned with saffron, one of the spices from the legacy of the Moors, winning over the palate of anyone visiting the region. funkyfrogstock/shutterstock.com 10 INTRODUCING SPAIN Bertl123/shutterstock.com Fotomicar/shutterstock.com STEPPING BETWEEN HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE LARGE CITIES WITH STRIKING FEATURES Spanish architecture is simultaneously a reflection of the country’s history and proof of the charisma Madrid and Barcelona are the two biggest cities in Spain and vie for attention due to their unique of the local people. The Roman constructions, such as the theatre in Cartagena and the incredible environment, experiences and heritage. Apart from size, they have in common the fact that they are aqueduct in Segovia, are just as fascinating as the modern ones, like the Guggenheim in Bilbao and both young, cosmopolitan cities, where art is in the spotlight. Madrid, the Spanish capital, was once the Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias (City of Arts and Science) in Valencia, which were the drivers of just a small town between the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, until its expansion began during the the makeovers of these cities. But in the middle, there’s an array of styles which help make Spain the 16th century. Barcelona on the other hand, due to its location by the sea, was famous as a fishing country with the third most buildings listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. town and became the city it is today following a period of industrialisation, which in the 18th and There is an undeniable Moorish influence, more to the south of the country, giving it an exotic 19th centuries culminated in the demolition of the old city walls and the expansion of the city into feeling. The Arab domination of Spain, with the powerful Al-Andalus kingdom, left many majestic the L’Eixample area. buildings, such as the Mosque of Córdoba and the Alcázar of Seville, as well as a hybrid Mudejar And if we can see the multicultural aspect of Madrid in the neighbourhoods of Malaseña and architectural style, which combines Moorish, Gothic and Roman architecture, and was also adapted Lavapiés, epicentres of the cultural revolution of Madrid, the same can be seen in Barcelona in the El for numerous forts and monuments. But the greatest example of this period is the Alhambra in Born and El Raval neighbourhoods. Granada, a sumptuous, refined palace and fortress complex, with luxurious gardens. At the same It is also in the Spanish capital that the famous golden art triangle can be found: Museo del Prado, time, the Roman style extended northward, following the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, three of the most prestigious galleries Gothic architecture dominated the cathedrals, as is the case of Burgos, Toledo and León. in the world, all on the same block. But Barcelona will not be outdone, as apart from the artistic The two biggest Spanish cities, Madrid and Barcelona, have played an important role in bringing legacy of modernism, it is the home to works by two renowned painters: Museo Picasso Barcelona two very specific architectural styles to public knowledge. During the 19th century, the Spanish and Fundació Joan Miró, not to mention the historic Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. capital became a kind of ambassador of the neo-classical style, which we can see in buildings such The next largest Spanish city, Valencia, has become one of the most modern cities in Spain, with as the Museu del Prado and the Museu Thyssen-Bornemisza, whilst in Barcelona, during the 20th the mega-complex Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias de Valencia (City of Art and Science) and century, the city’s expansion opened the way to a proliferation of modernist architecture. Antoni the gardens, Jardines de Turia. On the other hand, Seville, the fourth largest city, in the Andalusian Gaudi, the Catalan architect is a household name, who left various “pieces” throughout the city with heat, has its very own personality and buzz of life which beats to the Flamenco rhythm, the flavour of his very own, individual and intriguing aesthetics. Examples of these are the Parc Guëll and the Casa tapas, “overseen” by the beautiful cathedral and the royal Alcázar. Batló, although the Sagrada Família is his masterpiece, which he tragically left unfinished. 12 INTRODUCING SPAIN INTRODUCING SPAIN 13 EXPLORING THE CITIES WITH MULTICULTURAL HISTORY Toledo and Cordoba, in the centre and south of the country, respectively, are two very different cities, but which share the fact that in medieval times they were both home to different communities, cultures and beliefs. The important thing is that these communities lived together in harmony, and left a unique heritage, because it is not so common for them to coexist and stand the test of time. At the time when the Romans used Toledo as a strategic link to other cities, many Jews lived there. And it remained so with the Visigoths and the Moors, who made it the regional centre. With the Christian re-conquest in 1085, Toledo, while still a medieval city, was strikingly liberal with regard to tolerance and cultural diversity. The triangle in the romantic, historic centre formed by the Cathedral, the Santa Maria La Blanca Synagogue and the Mosque, dates back to that period. The Visigoth Museum is also in the middle of that triangle. The same can be said of Cordoba, which was the regional capital for the Roman empire and capital both of the Cordoba Emirate, and the Al- Andalus kingdom, and which, during the Middle Ages, was a city with aqueducts, paved streets with oil lighting, libraries, palaces, public baths and a huge, impressive and luxurious mosque, in contrast with what was at that time a poor, under-educated Europe. Although the Muslims were in the majority, they lived in cooperation with Christians and Jews, so basically there was a common culture shared by the three religions: the same language, the same food, the same clothing, the same art and the same music, whilst religious rituals were kept in the private domain. The Mosque, the Jewish Quarter, the Roman Bridge and the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos are proof of just that. JoseIgnacioSoto/iStockphoto.com 14 INTRODUCING SPAIN Marques/shutterstock.com Botond Horvath/shutterstock.com WANDERING THROUGH THE PICTURESQUE TOWNS GETTING TO KNOW THE BEACHES FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH Spain doesn’t only have big cities and an unparalleled cultural wealth.