Spain Travel Guide Best Places to Visit in Spain - Attractions
Spain Travel Guide Best Places to Visit in Spain - Attractions
Transcript
00:00Tourism in Spain is a major contributor to national economic life, contributing to about 11.8% of Spain's GDP.
00:07The country has been a popular destination for summer holidays, especially with large numbers of tourists from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Turkey, France, Germany, Italy, the Benelux, and the United States, among others.
00:19Accordingly, Spain's foreign tourist industry has grown into the second biggest in the world.
00:23Spain was the second most visited country in the world, recording 83.7 million tourists, which marked the seventh consecutive year of record-beating numbers.
00:31Due to the coronavirus pandemic, in the first 11 months of year 2020, only 18.3 million tourists visited Spain.
00:39You can find the soul of Spain in tourist experiences, which represent the country's rich history, fascinating culture, and enchanting natural beauty.
00:47From the bustling street life of Lo Rambla in Barcelona and Plaza Mayor in Madrid to the forests of columns and Moorish arches disappearing into the silent expanse of Cordoba's Great Mosque, Spain exudes a vibrant energy and a captivating blend of pasts and present.
01:01Plan your trip and find interesting things to do with our video of the top attractions in Spain.
01:06Number 1. The Alhambra and General Life Gardens.
01:09No matter how much you have read or how many pictures you have seen of Granada's Alhambra palaces, this Moorish pleasure palace will still take your breath away.
01:17The Nasrid dynasty's royal palace is the artistic highlight of Spain's Islamic period, when Al-Andalus, as they called Andalusia, represented the epitome of culture and civilization in medieval Europe.
01:28The Alhambra complex includes several buildings, towers, walls, gardens, and a mosque, but it's the indescribably intricate stone carvings, the delicate filigrees, and magnificent tile-lined ceilings, the graceful arches, and serene courtyards of the Nasrid palace that will haunt your dreams.
01:44That said, the adjoining palace built for the Emperor Charles V, even in its unfinished state, is the finest example of high-Renaissance architecture in Spain, and General Life's terrace gardens offer a peaceful respite from the grandeur and splendid views back at the rest of the Alhambra.
02:00Travelers should set aside at least a half-day to visit the Alhambra palaces and several days to explore the tourist attractions of Granada.
02:07Number 2. Sagrada Familia.
02:10Foremost is the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, officially the Temple Expiatory de la Sagrada Familia, or the Holy Family Church of the Atonement.
02:18One of Europe's most unconventional churches, it is also unfinished, so as you look down from its tower, you can see the work in progress below.
02:26You may search in vain for absolute straight lines in Gaudi's Casa Milla, his last and most famous secular work, it resembles a piece of sculpture more than a functional building.
02:35Be sure to ascend to its roof, the chimneys are said to have inspired the image of Darth Vader from Star Wars.
02:40New in 2022, the fantastic Casa Batlle, an iconic Gaudi building with mass-shaped balconies and an undulating facade, presents Magic Night's outdoor concerts on the building's rooftop terrace.
02:52Gaudi's monuments appeal even to children and to adults who don't care a thing about architecture for one simple reason, they are just plain fun to look at.
03:00Number 3. Great Mosque of Cordoba.
03:03Once the principal mosque of Western Islam and still known as La Mesquita, Cordoba's Great Mosque is one of the largest in the world and the finest achievement of Moorish architecture in Spain.
03:13In spite of later alterations that carved out its center to build a Catholic cathedral at its heart, the Great Mosque ranks with the Alhambra in Granada as one of the two most splendid examples of Islamic art and architecture in Western Europe.
03:25Building materials from Roman and Visigothic buildings were used in the construction, which began in 785 and by 1000 it had grown to its present dimensions, its prayer hall with no fewer than 19 aisles.
03:37No matter where you stand or which direction you look, its rows of columns and rounded Moorish arches line up in symmetrical patterns.
03:44Other top tourist attractions of Cordoba include the flower-bedecked patios in the Judiria near the Great Mosque, the Palacio Niviana, a 15th-century aristocratic palace, and the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, the former caliphal palace that Catholic King Fernando III took over in the 13th century.
04:01Narrow, winding streets, small squares, and low whitewashed houses fill the Judiria, lending a Moorish atmosphere inherited from its past.
04:09Number 4. The Prado and Paseo del Arts.
04:12One of the top tourist attractions in Madrid, the Prado alone ranks with the world's top art museums for the riches of its collections.
04:19But add the Rhinosofia National Art Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, and the Caxiforum all along Madrid's mile-long tree-shaded boulevard and you have what may be the world's highest concentration of priceless art treasures.
04:32It's no wonder this is known as El Paseo del Art, Boulevard of the Arts.
04:36After a 2007 expansion that doubled its exhibition space, the Prado added another 12 galleries in 2009 to house a collection of works by Goya and other late-19th-century artists.
04:47The Prado has the world's largest collection of Spanish art, an impressive continuum from 12th-century medieval works through the avant-garde movement of the early 20th century, and is especially noted for its works from Spain's Golden Age by El Greco, Velázquez, and Goya.
05:03Number 5. San Lorenzo de El Escorial
05:06San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometers northwest of Madrid, was the summer home of Spain's kings and in 1563, work was begun here on a huge complex, which would include a monastery, church, royal palace, mausoleum, library, and museum, all conceived as a monument to Philip II and his reign.
05:26The result is a staggering collection of attractions built around 16 courtyards, its rooms and structures connected by 16 kilometers of corridors.
05:34At its core is the church, the highlight of which is Herrera's 30-meter-high retablo, made of jasper and red marble, and approached by a flight of 17 steps.
05:44Along with the vaulted and frescoed ceilings by Tibaldi in the rooms off the lower cloister, highlights of the monastery are the Pansion de los Reyes and the library, a grand room also adorned with Tibaldi frescoes.
05:55In the palace, be sure to see the Bourbon Suite, where the state apartments of Charles IV are decorated with rare furnishings and 338 tapestries. Beyond are the art-filled private apartments of Philip II.
06:06The picture gallery below has a large collection of fine paintings, including works by Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, Titian, Tintoretto, Vérimiz, Velázquez, and El Greco.
06:17Number 6. Seville Cathedral.
06:19La Giralda Tower, the Catedral de Sevilla, and the Alcazar combine to form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
06:26These three exceptional historic landmarks are the top tourist attractions of Seville.
06:30Considered a masterpiece of Almohad architecture, La Giralda, the emblem of Seville, began life as a minaret and, as all that's left of the city's great mosque, destroyed to build the cathedral.
06:41The Cathedral of Seville has more interior space than St. Peter's in Rome and a 37-meter main altar, a carved statue, is completely covered in gold.
06:50The monumental tomb to Christopher Columbus is held aloft by a quartet of larger-than-life figures.
06:55The Alcazar opposite the cathedral was begun by the Moors in 712 and redesigned after the Christian reconquest by Pedro I in Ornate Mudéjar style.
07:04The rooms and salons are breathtaking with fanciful embellishments such as intricate tiled walls and patterned ceilings.
07:10Shaded by fragrant orange and lemon trees, the dreamy Alcazar Gardens were pictured in the Game of Thrones series.
07:16Fans of the show may recognize the fountains from the Kingdom of Dorne's water gardens.
07:22Number 7. Guggenheim Museum.
07:24You really have to see this building to believe it.
07:26No photograph has ever done justice to this symphony of shapes so alive that they seem ready to take wing.
07:31American architect Frank Gehry used blocks of limestone and undulating sheets of titanium to turn the notion of modern architecture on its ear.
07:38So thoroughly did he succeed that two new terms were born from it.
07:42The Bilbao effect, the ability of a city to turn its fortunes around by constructing a single world-class building, and architurism.
07:49A whole segment of the travel industry revolving around landmarks of contemporary architecture.
07:55Inside the 24,000 square meter galleries of the museum are temporary exhibitions and rotating displays of its own collections of modern art.
08:03Highlights include works by Anselm Kiefer, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol.
08:08Besides the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao has other interesting cultural attractions.
08:13The Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, the Casco Viejo, and the gourmet dining scene.
08:17Bilbao is renowned for its Mechelen-starred gastronomic restaurants including Nerua in the Guggenheim Museum.
08:23Ola Martín Berra Sategui, which serves contemporary Spanish cuisine based on fresh market ingredients.
08:29And Atelier Exxonob, which offers creative haute cuisine.
08:37The magnificent Cathedral of Santiago in Santiago de Compostela was built to house and honor the relics of the saint.
08:43And it has been the ultimate destination of pilgrims since the Middle Ages.
08:47Today, the historic town of Santiago de Compostela still draws modern day pilgrims and also is a top travel destination in the Galicia region of northern Spain.
08:56One of the outstanding monuments of early Romanesque architecture.
08:59The cathedral was built between 1060 and 1211 and despite the Baroque transformation of the exterior in the 16th to 18th centuries, the interior is still in the purest early Romanesque style.
09:11You'll see both of these periods at play as you enter the west front through one of Spain's most impressive church façades.
09:17Step inside to face the Portico della Gloria, part of the old west front now concealed by the 18th century façade.
09:23This triple doorway is one of the largest and most magnificent collections of Romanesque sculpture in the world.
09:28The focal point of the interior is the elaborately decorated Capilla Mare built over the Apostle's tomb.
09:34In the center of the high altar of Jasper, alabaster and silver is a 13th century wooden figure of the Apostle, richly adorned in precious metals and gems.
09:43On either side, narrow staircases lead up behind the figure so that pilgrims can kiss the Apostle's cloak, culminating their pilgrimage.
09:51In a crypt under the altar, the Apostle's remains are in a silver casket.
09:57The throbbing heartbeat of Spain's vibrant capital city, Plaza Mayor has played an important part in Madrid's everyday life since the 16th century,
10:04when Philip II entrusted the task of designing it to his favorite architect, Juan de Herrera, builder of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
10:12Today, one of the top cultural attractions of Madrid, the Plaza Mayor has for centuries served as the stage for ceremonial events,
10:18the proclamation of a new king, the canonization of saints, the burning of heretics, and public entertainment such as chivalric tournaments and bullfights.
10:26The café spilling out onto the plaza's pedestrian-only stone pavement and the restaurants shaded under its arcades are Madrid's living room,
10:33popular meeting places for Madrilenos and tourists alike.
10:37As the center of Madrid's social life, the area around the Plaza Mayor is one of the best places to stay in Madrid.
10:42If you'd like to find accommodations near the Plaza Mayor, the four-star Catalonia Las Cortes is a short walk away and appeals to families because of its spacious guest rooms
10:51and to art lovers because it's located near the Prado Museum.
10:57Built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 to celebrate the various regions of Spain,
11:03the Plaza de Espana is an impressive semicircular pavilion surrounded by colonnades.
11:07Beautiful panels of colorful decorative tiles representing each of Spain's provinces are set overlooking the lawn pool, which is crossed by bridges.
11:15It's a popular place to visit for a stroll or to row a rental boat around the pool and under the bridges.
11:21The Plaza de Espana is the focal point of the vast Parque de Maria Luisa,
11:25a half-mile of gardens, lawns, and shaded walks stretching alongside the river opposite central Seville.
11:31You can rent a pedal car or ride, though, in a horse-drawn carriage.
11:34Busy any day on Sundays, the park overflows with families.
11:38The best way to see the giant trees, flower beds, pools, gazebos, and the man-made rock mountain with a waterfall is to stroll through the park,
11:45following the side paths into hedge-surrounded gardens.
11:48At the far end of the park, you'll find a small but rich archaeology museum with Visigoth-jeweled crosses and ancient gold work.
11:56Number 11. Beaches of Gran Canaria.
11:59The largest of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria is best known for the golden sand beaches that line most of its southern coast.
12:05Playa de las Canteras is in the capital city of Las Palmas, popular with families for its calm waters,
12:11protected by a natural breakwater of volcanic rock.
12:14The largest beach and the liveliest is the Playa del Ingles at Maspalomas,
12:18which abounds with cafes, restaurants, shops, play parks, and other amusements.
12:23At one end is one of the archipelago's natural wonders, a vast protected area of gigantic sand dunes.
12:29These reach as high as 12 meters and are constantly shifting as they are shaped by the wind and the sea.
12:34To complete the desert illusion, you can ride through this desolate and otherworldly landscape on a camel.
12:39The water is relatively warm on this coast and so clear that it's popular with divers.
12:44There's an underwater park at Aranaga and diving school at Playa del Ingles and several other places along the coast,
12:50where you can see the fish and other sea life from a cruise on a glass-bottomed boat.
12:54The south coast is also popular for windsurfing and sailing.
13:01Poised like dabs of white frosting atop the steep crags of southern Andalusia,
13:05the white towns are not just beautiful, they speak of this region's long and fascinating history.
13:10West of Gibraltar, mountains rise straight from the sea and among them hide these hilltop whitewashed towns.
13:16Most spectacular is Arcos de la Frontera, whose plaza beside the Gothic church ends vertiginously in a 137-meter cliff,
13:24affording views across a valley of olive, orange and almond orchards.
13:28Its maze of winding cobbled streets lead past kefes and craft shops selling ceramics and pottery to a Moorish castle.
13:36A total of 19 of these villages of small white houses are in the area around the Grazalema Nature Reserve.
13:42Grazalema and Zahara de la Sierra are two others worth seeing.
13:45A good base in the region is Jerez de la Frontera, home of flamenco and Andalusian thoroughbreds.
13:51Watch these courses Precision Ballet at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art
13:55and for authentic flamenco, visit Centro Cultural Flamenco.