10 Things You Must See In Spain   by James Burrows

You just can’t resist the charms of Spain, because they’re really-really irresistible. Spain certainly has one of the most mesmerizing beauties. Surely, one of my favorite countries, Spain is an extremely popular destination in the Mediterranean Europe. It is an exotic land as surreal as a dream.

Spain definitely has numerous charms, which include many art & architectural magnum opuses, moorish palaces, crumbling castles, roman ruins, gothic & renaissance cathedrals, museums & art galleries, etc. Thus, it’s really tough to pick the 10 things that you must see in Spain. What makes it more difficult is that every single thing looks better than the other. Yet, I’ve tried to pick the ten most popular sites in Spain.

1. La Sagrada Família – one of the most iconic & popular architectural masterpieces in Spain. Associated with Antoni Gaudí, the monumental Roman Catholic basilica is under construction in Barcelona. Its construction began in 1882, and Gaudí worked on the project for over 40 years.

2. Casa Milà – an outstanding Antoni Gaudí architecture, popularly known as La Pedrera, located in the Eixample, Barcelona. One of the finest works of Gaudi, it’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí".

3. Park Güell – a large garden complex located on the hill of el Carmel in Gràcia, Barcelona. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, the magnificent complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí".

4. Burgos Cathedral – a Gothic-style cathedral in Burgos, Spain. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Cathedral is famous for its vast size and unique architecture.

5. Cathedral of Seville – one of the largest churches in the world, located in Seville, Spain. It is the finest example of the Gothic and Baroque architectural styles.

6. Alhambra – a palace and fortress of the Moorish kings, located in Granada, Spain. Onetime residence and court of the Muslim kings of Granada, the beautiful Islamic architecture presently houses a museum. 

7. Aqueduct of Segovia – the most significant and best-preserved monuments of the Romans, located in Segovia, Spain. It has virtually become the symbols of the city of Segovia.

8. Guggenheim Museum – a modern and contemporary art museum designed by, located in Bilbao, Basque Country. The museum is designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.

9. Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes – a large square in Barcelona, located in the Sant Martí district, bordering Eixample. First designed by Ildefons Cerdà, the square gives fantastic view at night.

10. Santa María Magdalena – a monastery dating from the 19th century, located in Novelda, Alicante. It has a church designed by a disciple of Gaudi.

About the Author
Author writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for Hotels, Villas, Barcelona holiday apartments & hotels, and Spanish short-term apartments.

Free Spanish Lessons

What kinds of music are you going to hear when you arrive in Spain? ¡Mucho! But just because Enrique Iglesias is from Spain, not Mexico, does not mean that you are listening to real Spanish music. When kids turn on the radio in the states they might hear Shakira singing her popular song la tortura (the torture) along with Spanish Grammy winner Alejandro Sanz, but sorry Enrique and Alejandro, Spanish music is and always will be flamenco, de pura sepa (the best of the best).

There are at least 30 varieties of flamenco in Spain and can be found everywhere, and since Spain invented the guitar the people know their music. The famous Spanish poet Fredrico Garcia Lorca called flamenco one of the greatest inventions of the Spanish people. During my 2 ½ years in Spain I heard flamenco more than anything, and especially in los barrios gitanos (gypsy neighborhoods). 

Flamenco can be considered much more than music, rather a lifestyle, with so much diversity in Spain the love of flamenco has been a constant through out and even has roots in France. The beauty of flamenco takes more than just a guitar; the style is tied to the elaborate dancers with castanets and the traditional hand clapping.

The type of flamenco most tourists see is with colorful dresses and music dating back to the 16th century beginning in the region of Andalucía with traces of Moorish and Jewish traditions. But flamenco is not just a style from centuries before, El Camarón de la isla (1950-1992) is considered a legend in Spain, his image is everywhere from car stickers to t-shirts, Camarón helped bring about nuevo (new) flamenco with the induction of the electric bass.  After a battle with lung cancer Camarón died, with over 100,000 mourners at the funeral it truly showed the world the power of music with people. Following his death film director Jaime Chávarrí made a movie of his life which later received several nominations for the prestigious Goya Awards. 

Today flamenco is still a huge part of understanding the culture; don't think that Enrique Iglesias is what Spanish music is all about. To really enjoy Spain and flamenco I would encourage listening to the various types of flamenco, preferably Camarón, Paco de Lucia, and Tomatito and when you arrive make sure you see a show. ¡Vive España! 

Listen to a song by Camarón