The sun, the beach, a gastronomy that is internationally renowned, and a passion for partying and as a consequence having a “siesta," are some of the most common clichés that define Spain. Although these ideas about Spain are fairly true, and considering clichés aren’t always thoroughly accurate, this beautiful and unique country will impress its visitors due to its singular blend of old civilizations, whose legacy is a landmark in some of the cities in Spain, like the ones described below.
Madrid
"De Madrid al cielo, y en el cielo, un agujerito para verlo" is the popular saying with which the people from Madrid boast about the intense blue sky that covers the capital city of Spain. A valid translation to English would be “From Madrid to Heaven, and in Heaven, a whole to see Madrid."
Velázquez and Goya represented Madrid in many of their masterpieces, which are safely guarded and visited by millions of tourists in one of the most important galleries in the world: El Museo del Prado. And if it’s art what you are craving, just a few steps away from the Prado are the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía. The latter is home to Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, and all three of the museums form what is known as the "Golden Triangle of Art" which received more than 7 million visitors in 2011.
Hemingway himself was an admirer of Madrid: “it the most Spanish of all cities” and added that “"when you can have the Prado and the bullfight season at the same time with El Escorial not two hours to the north and Toledo to the south, a fine road to Avila and a fine road to Segovia, which is no distance from La Granja, it makes you feel very badly, all question of immortality aside, to know that you will have to die and never see it again"
Barcelona
This is another city that travelers visiting the Iberian Peninsula cannot miss. The sea, the sun, and an exquisite taste for design and urbanism have launched Barcelona as a target for tourists from all around the world. Picasso, Gaudí, or Dalí are some examples of great artists who decided to relocate, work, or live in such a distinguished city, whose streets are full of life. Las Ramblas, la Barceloneta, el Raval, and Plaza de Cataluña are perfect examples of places with such an intense vibrant activity that is contagious for those who visit them. Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, is the Spanish birthplace of Art Nouveau, was an Olympic game city and is always embraced by a nice climate, all of which are great reasons to make of Barcelona a “must” on your “cities to visit” list.
Granada
Located in the South of Spain, Granada is one of the most versatile cities in Andalusia and Spain. An amazingly rich legacy where Arab, Jewish, and Christian cultures were merged and are still conserved is one of Granada’s best attributes: “La Alhambra”, “el Generalife”, “el Albaicín” or “el Sacromonte” are some of Granada’s most ravishing sites. South of the province of Granada is the beautiful coast with its amazing beaches and also the ski station of Sierra Nevada, both of which make of this province one of the most relevant and complete tourist attractions in Spain. ‘Flamenco’, ‘tapas’ and great wine add the spark to make this city—where Bill Clinton claims to have seen the most beautiful sunset in the world—an even more special one.
Córdoba, Salamanca, Sevilla, Toledo, Bilbao and Mallorca are just a few more of the cities that travelers can visit in Spain. Sun, beach, the mountains and History in just one country: Spain, which is the second richest country in the world in cultural resources.
This post was written by our friends at www.infohostal.com, a market leader in the budget accommodations sector for Spain and Portugal.