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Spain
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When to visit
Attractions in Spain
1. Basilica of the Sagrada Família, Barcelona
Quick facts: Vast, almost organic facades give the impression of living rock formations, and the sculptural details hold the gaze for long minutes. The interior is flooded with a kaleidoscope of colors from the stained glass, and the planned 18 towers have deep symbolic significance.
Highlights: When sunlight pours through the stained glass, the interior turns into a kaleidoscope of colors: fiery oranges and reds mix with sea blues, and the columns designed by Gaudí give the impression of a stone forest. Construction has continued uninterrupted since 1882, and the entire project foresees 18 towers, the tallest of which is set to reach 172.5 meters in height.
2. Park Güell, Barcelona
Quick facts: Colorful mosaics and undulating benches tempt the eye, and from the main terrace a panorama unfolds that blends the urban fabric with greenery. A walk along the winding paths reveals hidden colonnades and mosaic details made from thousands of ceramic shards, which often surprise with shapes reminiscent of sea creatures.
Highlights: Antoni Gaudí's project was carried out from 1900 to 1914, resulting in the mosaic sculpture called El Drac and a grand hall supported by 86 columns that look like stone trunks under the terrace. The shimmer of thousands of trencadís pieces sparkles in the sun and tickles the eye, and the wavy bench about 110 meters long forms an ergonomic backrest and hides Gaudí's water drainage systems.
3. The Alhambra (Palace of the Alhambra and the Generalife), Granada
Quick facts: Walking through the palace rooms you will feel the coolness of marble courtyards and see the intricate mosaic of arabesques, where fountains and channels create a soothing, continuous murmur. From the terraces there is a view over tangled gardens and a complex irrigation system that maintained lush greenery despite the harsh climate, working with surprising precision.
Highlights: In the courtyard with the fountain stand 12 marble lions, each with a different expression, and if you crouch by one of them a whisper will unexpectedly echo from the channels so that you can hear footsteps from another part of the palace. In the Hall of the Abencerrajes there is an old tale about a stain on the marble, supposedly the mark of fallen knights, and in the evening the coolness of the stone, the scent of orange trees and the symphony of splashing water make the place seem to live its own, watery rhythm.
4. Royal Alcázar of Seville, Seville
Quick facts: A walk through the palace gardens surprises with the scent of orange blossoms and the coolness of shady arcades, where water in the pools creates hypnotic reflections of the mosaics. Interiors full of azulejos and intricately carved ceilings testify to the blending of Moorish and Christian influences, and some rooms still serve official ceremonies.
Highlights: Beneath the surface hide the baths of María de Padilla, quiet cisterns with water reflecting the vaults, where the echo of dripping drops sounds like a whisper from bygone centuries. In the gardens the intense aroma of orange blossom mixes with the murmur of fountains, and in 2015 the Game of Thrones crew used its alleys and halls as a film set for Dorne, so you can sense an atmosphere familiar from the screen.
5. Mezquita-Cathedral of Córdoba, Córdoba
Quick facts: Walking among hundreds of slender columns and red-and-white arches feels like wandering through a luminous labyrinth, where shadow and light create theatrical effects. More than 850 columns made of various materials form a breathtaking mosaic of stone and space, and the acoustics emphasize every step of visitors.
Highlights: The interior with over 850 columns of marble, onyx and granite arranges itself into a dense forest of pillars, among which the red-and-white double arches form a hypnotic, striped pattern when sunlight streams through the side windows. In the courtyard with orange trees you can sense the bittersweet aroma of fruit and incense, and the Renaissance choir installed in the 16th century makes the echo of prayers and psalms sound like a conversation between two religious traditions.
6. Prado National Museum, Madrid
Quick facts: Soft whispers of guides and the focused gazes of visitors bring out from the gallery lights every brushstroke of Velázquez and Goya, as if the paintings tell their own intimate stories. The collection is full of masterpieces from the Spanish Golden Age and dramatic scenes by Italian masters, so even a short visit can stretch into hours of pauses before favorite canvases.
Highlights: In the most famous painting, 'Las Meninas', Diego Velázquez placed himself at the easel, and in a small mirror in the background the reflections of King Philip IV and Queen Mariana are visible, which for visitors works like a theatrical puzzle aimed at the onlooker. The collection numbers more than 8,000 paintings, and the scent of old wax, the cracks in gilded frames and the soft tap of footsteps on marble stairs make it feel as if the history of painting can almost be touched.
7. Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid), Madrid
Quick facts: The interiors dazzle with marble, gold and rich stucco, and over 3,400 rooms create a labyrinth of sumptuous halls and private chambers. On the visitor route the throne room draws attention as does an exceptional collection of arms and instruments that underline former power and courtly life.
Highlights: In the royal armory you can see over 3,000 exhibits, including the shining, engraved armor of Emperor Charles V, which reflects light like polished silver. The great marble halls and tapestries designed by Goya now serve mainly for banquets and state ceremonies, and the royal family lives in another palace, which gives the place a more ostentatious, theatrical character than a private atmosphere.
8. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Bilbao
Quick facts: Huge, gleaming titanium panels reflect light like fish scales, attracting glances and changing color with the weather. Interiors surprise with a maze of curves and open spaces, and the place can attract more than a million visitors a year thanks to spectacular exhibitions.
Highlights: In front of the building stands a 12-meter-tall dog made of flowers by Jeff Koons, planted with about 60,000 plants: in spring its coat strongly smells of begonias and geraniums, and tourists often stand close to take a photo with the bouquet of scents in the background. The facade consists of about 33,000 titanium panels that shimmer in the sun like silver scales and can change color within a few steps from blue to copper, which locals jokingly like to call the building's breathing.
9. Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela
Quick facts: The interior is filled with pilgrims and heavy clouds of incense, and the echo of footsteps and whispers gives the place an almost ritual character. The enormous censer can weigh around 80 kilograms and swing on an arc reaching nearly 20 meters, which always impresses visitors.
Highlights: During selected services a huge censer called the Botafumeiro is swung from the ambulatory, weighing about 80 kilograms and operated by eight tiraboleiros, which will swing up to about 20 meters high, scattering dense, resinous smoke and the creak of ropes through the entire nave. After such a spectacle hundreds of pilgrims queue for the Pilgrim Mass to kneel by the silver tomb of Saint James or to touch the painted scallop shell, feeling the cool stone and the sweetish scent of incense in their hair.
10. Monastery of Montserrat (Santa Maria de Montserrat), Montserrat
Quick facts: Rocky corridors carry the echo of bells and the daily songs of the boys' choir, which delights visitors with its pure, angelic sound. In the maze of cloisters are chapels with intricate mosaics, and the place attracts over a million tourists a year.
Highlights: When at 13:00 the Escolania choir sings a cappella in the marble basilica, about 50 boys aged 9-14 sing medieval hymns so purely that the sound seems to vibrate in the fissures of the rock and sink into the listeners' chests. Thousands of pilgrims since the 12th century touch the darkened wooden figure of the Black Madonna, making its surface smooth and warm, almost sticky under the fingers.
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Day trips
Segovia
Roman aqueduct, fairytale Alcázar and Gothic cathedral.
Google MapsComments (6)
Don't eat on the main square, walk two blocks and you'll find menus del dia for half the price and real local food.
Madrid felt overpriced and crowded, museums packed, only the parks saved it for me. Would avoid high season next time.
Amazing food everywhere, but August heat is brutal. Expect lines at attractions, carry water and plan siestas or morning sightseeing.
Barcelona's energy is unbeatable, tapas every night, beach strolls, Gaudi is wild. Busy in summer but food and nightlife make it worth a trip.
Check museum free times, many have a free evening once a week but you still need a timed slot, book online to avoid queues.
Getting there
Airports
Train stations
AVE high-speed to Barcelona/Seville/Valencia + regional/Cercanías
Long-distance northbound and AVE services; commuter lines
From MAD take Cercanías C1 to Atocha (~25–30 min); taxis and metro also available.
Click to get eSim for Spain
The easiest and most affordable way to get mobile internet wherever you travel.
Rent a car in Spain
Visa & entry
EU/EEA/Switzerland, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea
China, India, most African nations, many other non-Schengen countries
90 days in any 180-day period; carry passport, return ticket and proof of funds.