touristic places (spain)

While the most popular tourist attractions of Spain are undoubtedly its beaches, beyond the beaches, Spain has literally thousands of tourist attractions and historical monuments spread throughout the country. Some are well known and very popular, others off the beaten track, are largely ignored by tourists.
     These chapters About-Spain.net present the most important attractions of heritage tourism in Spain, by category. For more information about tourist attractions specific regions of Spain, check out regional guides.
    Spain has a unique cultural history among the Western European countries in many ways, but especially to the extent that it is the only country in Western Europe whose heritage was strongly influenced by the art and architecture of the Islamic world.
    The heritage of Spain is the result of the overlapping of the three main drivers son classic mediterranean culture - Christian culture, Islamic culture came from North Africa, and Jewish culture. Over the centuries, Spanish art as its exuberant architecture adopted styles that can be seen today in various forms, from the arabesques of Granada to the ornate Baroque art styles and platresque more recent centuries.
1 The best tourist cities in Spain
     It is the most visited tourist cities in Spain: but these cities are just the icing on the cake. Twenty Spanish cities contain or are themselves listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites; the four below are arrow on the tourist map, other Spanish cities are less visited (see undiscovered Spain) ....
Barcelona (Catalonia): seaside town on the north coast of the Mediterranean. Famous for its bars and cafes, architecture and ambiance.
Madrid (Madrid Region): The famous Spanish capital for its museums, palaces, monuments and other attractions
Toledo (Castilla la Mancha): less than an hour from Madrid - amazing city full of historical monuments and museums.
Granada (Andalucia): ancient capital of Moorish Spain, truly unique city, with its great sights.
2 The best sites of antiquity in Spain
     Hispania was an important part of the Roman empire, and the remains of cettte time are found in many places around the country. The most important ancient sites to discover:
Merida (Extremadura): - The most important site of classical antiquity in Spain
Segovia (Castilla y Leon): Roman aqueduct, still in use today.
         ► More details and other classical sites in Spain

3 The Moorish heritage of Spain
Eight centuries of Muslim presence in Spain have profoundly influenced the Spanish culture, and gave Spain a few of the most visited monuments in the country.
Granada (Andalucia): The Alhambra in Granada is the most famous historical monument in Spain.
Cordoba (Andalusia): La Mezquita, the former mosque, is over 1,000 years, and for centuries was the second mosque Muslim world, for its size.
         ► More details and other Moorish sites in Spain
4 The best museums and art museums in Spain
     Spain has some of the most important museums in Europe, located in different cities across the country. While the Prado Museum in Madrid allows itself the top spot in a list of the best museums of Spain, put in order the following list of museums in the country will depend on personal preference.
The Prado (Madrid): National Museum of Spain - and one of the richest museums in Europe.
Museo-Hospital de Santa Cruz (Toledo, Castilla la Mancha): A fine collection of paintings by Spanish master, whose many paintings of the most famous painter of Toledo, El Greco.
         ► More details and other museums and art museums in Spain

5 Best castles and fortresses in Spain
Centuries of conflict between Christians and Muslims in Spain, have left a legacy consists of thousands of castles and fortresses around the country - many of them among the most impressive in Europe.
Alcazar (Segovia): fairytale castle built on the basis of a stunning Moorish fortress.
La Mota (Medina del Campo, Castilla y Leon): massive medieval fortress, built of brick, overlooking the plains of Castile