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Magnificent, unique monuments.
Streets that carry you back in time. In Spain you will find unique places
where you will live art and history at each step. These are UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. Exploring them you will enjoy a privileged journey back
in time, where you can discover Spain's important cultural heritage.
There is lots to see in Spain.
It is no coincidence that Spain is the country with the second largest
number of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Presented here in no particular
order other than roughly north to south, you will discover outstanding
examples of Spain's rich, varied cultural treasures.
In each location you will
find a beautiful "urban museum", packed with history, offering a range
of superb monuments in different artistic styles. Just one piece of advice:
take your time. Take a relaxed stroll through the streets and let each
city captivate you with its own special magic.
We start in the northwest
in Santiago de Compostela. With its majestic Cathedral, it is the final
destination for thousands of people who go on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
route every year.
In the west central region
not far from the border with Portugal, you will come to the historic city
of Salamanca where you will find unique places like its University, one
of the world's oldest and its emblematic Plaza Mayor Square.
Further south along the Portuguese
border, is Caceres with its amazing succession of historic buildings and
palaces, especially when they are illuminated by night.
Buildings
in a City, Caceres, Caceres Province, Extremadura
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In central Spain grouped
around Madrid are five more UNESCO Historic Sites.
Segovia has some of the best-conserved
Romanesque monuments in Europe. You will be left speechless when you see
its Roman Aqueduct, a truly stunning feat of engineering.
In Avila you will feel like
a medieval knight - here you can imagine what towns were like in the Middle
Ages. Its defensive wall is the best conserved in Europe and its Gothic
Cathedral is Spain's oldest.
Alcala de Henares on the
road to Guadalajara from Madrid, is the model of a university town that
was exported to Europe and America. Its University is not to be missed,
of course, along with Calle Mayor Street and the house where Miguel de
Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, was born.
Toledo was a melting pot
of cultures for centuries. Go on an adventure and search out the legacy
of Muslims, Jews and Christians, who once lived together in these narrow
city streets.
 Cuenca's
unique historic center looks out over rocky canyon walls in the heart of
the Cuenca mountains in the region of Castile-La Mancha. Its famous "hanging
houses" are an example of architecture and nature in perfect harmony.
In southern Spain you will
find the historic old town of Cordoba. Here you will see the splendour
of ancient Moorish culture, with the Great Mosque - considered the most
important Islamic monument in the Western World - being the prime example.
Not forgetting Ibiza in the
Balearic Islands also has UNESCO's prestigious designation: for its biodiversity
and archaeological heritage. The same is true of the town of San Cristobal
de la Laguna in the Canary Islands, whose architecture displays the origins
of Latin American urban development.
In these Spanish cities,
overflowing with art and culture, you will be sure to discover the pleasure
of history. Enjoy!
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