Royal Palace and Gardens

This grandiose palace is the Spanish version of Versailles, a royal court designed to impress. Rising above a steep slope overlooking the lush gardens, the palace is built entirely of granite and white Colmenar stone. The palace was commissioned by Philip V in the 18th century. The majestic Neoclassical facade features Ionic columns and Doric pilasters, based on drawings that the sculptor Bernini originally intended for the Louvre in Paris. The balustrade features statues of Spanish kings.

The most striking feature of the interior is the imposing staircase at the entrance hallway, with a fresco of The Triumph of Religion and the Church, that leads up to the main floor. The King Charles III apartments are among the beautiful rooms in the Royal Palace. A masterpiece of Rococo style, the Salon de Gasparini features graceful chinoiserie, an intricately patterned marble floor, and carefully matched silk wall hangings. The Salón del Trono (Throne Room) is adorned with frescoes by Tiepolo including The Greatness of the Spanish Monarchy, one of his finest works. Still used for State ceremonies, the Throne Room is clad in sumptuous red velvet and decorated with valuable tapestries, mirrors, furniture, and chandeliers. Throughout the palace masterpieces of art decorate the walls: paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco, and Caravaggio, and exquisite Flemish and French tapestries. History buffs will want to visit the palace's Royal Armory, which contains 3,000 exhibits dating back to the 16th century. Behind the palace, and a good place for quiet strolls, are the Sabatini Gardens, formal beds and hedges laid out in the geometric Neoclassical style, with fountains, statues, and a pool.

Address: Calle Bailén, Madrid

Museo Sorolla

This charming museum is dedicated to the work of Joaquín Sorolla, the most famous Spanish Impressionist artist. Displayed in beautiful bright rooms, the collection includes a broad representation of the artist's paintings and drawings. Be sure to see the museum's lovely patio adorned with a gurgling fountain and Andalusian-style decorative tile work.

Address: 37 General Martínez Campos, Madrid

Buen Retiro Park and the Crystal Palace

The Buen Retiro Park (Parque del Retiro) is an oasis of peace in the heart of Madrid. Just beyond the busy streets, this lush 120-hectare park offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Created for the Count-Duke of Olivares in the 17th century, the historic park has an elegant ambience with its lovely landscaping and tree-lined paths. From the main entrance at the Plaza de Independencia, visitors arrive at the pool in the center of the park. From here, paths lead to the enchanting Rosaleda (Rose Garden) and the formal French Jardín de Don Cecilio. The Palacio de Cristal(Crystal Palace), a splendid site with its graceful fountain and reflecting pool, often houses art exhibitions. Visitors will find other interesting fountains including Los Galápagos (The Turtles), El Ángel Caído (The Fallen Angel), and La Alcachofa (The Artichoke). A pleasant pastime among locals is sitting at one of the park's open-air cafés, while basking in the sun or relaxing in the shade according to the season. For stargazers, the park has an observatory that was built in 1790.

La Playa de la Victoria, Cadiz

Cadiz is an ancient city in southwestern Spain, once a key port during Spain's time in the 16th and 17th centuries as the world's maritime power. One of the most historic cities in Spain, it offers amazing sightseeing along with miles of wide beaches. La Playa de la Victoria is the city's most popular beach. It's about 2.5 kilometers long and a few hundred yards wide. The surf is calm, and the beach and sea are not rocky, so it's good for swimming and wading. There's a small street that separates the beach from a row of stores and places to eat. The Hotel Playa Victoria is right on the sand. All of the rooms and suites have private balconies, and the hotel has its own small private beach area

Benicassim, Costa del Azahar

Benicassim is known as Spain's music beach and deserves a mention if only for its huge, annual music festival. The multi-day concert, held on the beach, attracts several hundred thousand people each July, along with the top names in the music business. The city itself is a modern, Mediterranean resort, with wide, sweeping beaches and a highly developed beachfront promenade. Torreon Beach is a peaceful, laid-back section, perfect for relaxing in the sun. All the beaches in Benicassim are very wide, stretching several hundred yards to the waterline at low tide. They're also very flat. The Thalasso Hotel El Palasiet is a spa hotel about five minutes from the beach and a 20-minute walk from the center of town.

Carboneras, Almeria

Almeria is in southeast Spain on the Mediterranean Sea. The city is dominated by a Moorish castle looming on a hilltop. Close to Almeria, the resort town of Carboneras is known for its beautiful beaches, which are surrounded by a huge nature preserve. It's also known for its food, mainly fresh seafood. There are a few beach areas around the bay, which extends quite far into the land. Beaches in front of the hotel and business area have beach chair and umbrella rentals, but a more natural experience can be found just by walking a few minutes down the sand. The water is warm, and the sand here is tan and slopes down towards the waterline. The beach is bordered by palm trees and raised dunes, topped with a beachfront walkway. The Hotel Valhalla Spa sits on a hill in Carboneras, offering great views of the sea from its rooftop pool.

Playa de Torimbia, Asturias

Asturias is a region in northern Spain also on the Atlantic coast. The beaches here are white, sandy, and clean, surround by rocky cliffs. Playa de Torimbia is a stunning, secluded beach, close to the port of Llanes, west of Bilbao. It's a raw beach, with no shops or food, but it does have lifeguards on weekends during the summer season, and showers are available. It's accessible by car, although parking can be difficult during the summer, or you can walk here from the village of Niembro. Aside from the beaches, it's a great area for sightseeing as it was an important part of both medieval and Moorish Spain. The Hotel Miracielos is close to Niembro in Barro, which has a few nice beaches of its own.

Laredo, Cantabria

On Spain's north coast, near the French border, the Cantabria region has more than 60 beaches along its beautiful Atlantic Ocean coastline. Laredo is Spain's outdoor watersports capital, popular with surfers, windsurfers, kitesurfers, and jet skiers. The beach is about five kilometers long, curving along a picturesque bay. The beach itself is wide, with very fine, soft, white sand. There are many places to rent all kinds of water sports equipment or take lessons and try something new. The region is also popular with foodies due to its Basque cuisine. Attractions inside the town include some Roman ruins. The Cosmopol hotel is on Laredo's main street, and rooms on the upper floors have great views of the ocean (try to get one with a balcony).

Almunecar, Costa Tropical

Pass up the resorts on the crowded Costa del Sol and head to the next part of the coastline, the Costa Tropical. There's a much better mix of development and the preservation of natural beauty. The primary resort is Almunecar, which feels like a seaside town in the South of France. There's a long, curving beach, fronted by a street lined with shops, restaurants, and hotels. There is also a row of mainly restaurants along the beach itself. The beach has soft, white sand and the water, especially in the summer, is quite warm. There are many places to rent beach chairs and umbrellas. Swimming areas are roped off, and lifeguards are on duty during the summer months. Attractions in the area include historic Spanish cities like Seville and Granada. The Playacalida Spa Hotel has a huge, rooftop infinity pool and an overall design like a Moorish castle. The resort is on a hill with beautiful views of the blue water below, a bit outside the tourist zone.

Cala Mesquida, Mallorca

Another of the Balearic Islands (like Ibiza), Mallorca is the largest and most developed. It's still possible to find some hidden beach gems. Cala Mesquida is on the northeast coast and just starting to be discovered by international tourists. The small bay has a quarter-mile-long beach with fine sand. There are chair and umbrella rentals but only one restaurant and one snack stand. Showers and bathrooms are also available, but no changing areas. Beyond the beach there's a small town. Vanity Hotel Suite & Spais a boutique resort property in the little town of Cala Mesquida.

Bogatell, Barcelona

 Barcelona is Spain's second largest city and it sits right on the Mediterranean coast. The coastline in and around the city is lined with beaches. Bogatell is within the city limits but less crazy than the city's main Barceloneta beach. Bogatell, a man-made beach, was created for the 1992 Olympics, so it's well-designed and clean. There are lifeguards on duty and basic facilities (bathrooms and showers) every few hundred yards along the beach. It's a wide, flat beach with coarse, brown sand. The Ibis Styles Barcelona City Bogatell is a good mid-range choice in the area. It's a 10-minute walk from the sand. Locals also enjoy Castelldefels. This beach is 20 minutes by train from downtown Barcelona, and right across from the train station. It has miles of wild beach, but still plenty of tapas places and beach shacks for food. It's also popular for swimming as well as wind- and kitesurfing.

Playa del Ingles, Canary Islands

No list of Spanish beaches is complete without a mention of the Canary Islands. Another Spanish territory, these islands are about 95 kilometers off the coast of Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean. The two main islands are Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Playa del Ingles, on Gran Canaria, is 11 kilometers of wide, sandy beach, gradually transforming into beautiful dunes. Once a popular hippy hangout in the 1960s, it's now filled with luxury boutique hotels and foodie restaurants. The beach is golden brown with a gentle slope towards the sea. There are many beach clubs that rent beach chairs and umbrellas. The Hotel Riu Palace Maspalomas overlooks the incredible dunes of Maspalomas (and the ocean beyond), which look like a Martian landscape.

Es Pujols, Formentera

Formentera, Ibiza's neighboring island in Spain's Balearic Islands territory, is far more beautiful and peaceful than Ibiza. Beaches like Es Pujols offer both bright, white sands and dreamy blue-green water. It's no deserted island; the beach is fronted by a pathway lined with cafes and restaurants, and beyond the beach there's a vibrant little town. Formentera is a 30-minute ferry ride from Ibiza. The Castavi Apartments are steps from the beach in Es Pujols. The units are large, and there's a big swimming pool. In addition to its close proximity to the beach, it makes a good base for sightseeing around the island.

Tossa de Mar, Costa Brava

Spain provides everything you need for the perfect beach vacation: beautiful weather, a culture that loves to enjoy life, and a seemingly endless array of beach options. Its peninsular location in Europe gives it two coastlines, one along the Atlantic and one along the Mediterranean. Beyond those two coastlines, and beyond continental Spain, the beaches of the Balearic Islands (especially on Ibiza and Mallorca) and places like Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands are some of the world's best. Spanish beaches come in all shapes and sizes, from secluded coves surrounded by pine-covered cliffs to wide, crowded spaces with plenty of restaurants and resorts. Find the country's best stretches of coast with this list of the top-rated beaches in Spain:

Located on the Catalonian coast in northeastern Spain, the Costa Brava area delivers rugged beauty (the name means "rough coast") with many serene beaches surrounded by high cliffs. Aside from the beaches, it's a great part of Spain for sightseeing. Tossa de Mar is an ancient town, midway between Barcelona and the French border. It has a beautiful, curved beach with a bonus: there's a large castle on the hill beyond the beach. The sand here is coarse and dark golden brown, with a large area of the bay roped off for swimming. Attractions in the area include Roman ruins, as well as several nature preserves. The Premier Gran Hotel Reymar & Spa is in the little town of Tossa de Mar, up on the hillside, overlooking the bay. Some of the rooms and suites (try for one on a high floor) have sweeping ocean views.

Playa de As Catedrais, Galicia

While some beaches may have a beautiful sandy shoreline or stunning ocean vistas, Playa de As Catedrais in Ribadeo has some of the most stunning rock formations anywhere in the world. The beach is wide and flat, but there are giant rock arches forming the skeleton of a natural cathedral. They're best viewed during low tide, as you can stand right under and next to the giant structures. The beach is about eight kilometers from the town of Ribadeo, in Galicia, on the northwest tip of Spain. The Hotel O Cabazo is a clean, well-managed hotel in Ribadeo, overlooking a tidal river.

Spain Travel Guide

Spain is blessed with a mild climate, beautiful coastal beaches, mountains and plains, and a long history that can be appreciated, in many respects, through the architectural masterpieces found throughout the land. On top of all this are vibrant cities that invite travelers to linger. Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville each have their own unique charm and remarkably different sites. In the countryside, small towns like Ronda or Cuenca offer a slower pace and some unexpected scenic delights.

Barcelona is one of the country's top destinations and a place where a visitor could easily spend a week. Sights abound and the pleasant atmosphere can be appreciated from the quaint squares and courtyards, or the outdoor restaurants and cafés. The city was fortunate enough to be chosen by Antoni Guadi as a canvas for his unique architectural masterpieces. His 20th Century buildings stand in stark contrast to the typical lovely old architecture found throughout Spain. Gaudi's unfinished cathedral of Sagrada Família is the city's most famous site, but the Parc Güell is also a must see, offering a glimpse into the fantastic imagination of this man. For general people watching, relaxing, or dining, Las Ramblas is the main tourist hot spot in the city, where there is always something going on.

Madrid, the capital city, is another place where you could spend a considerable amount of time. It is home to the country's top museums, many of which are internationally renowned, including the Prado Museum. The Royal Palace, the Real Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, and the large Plaza Mayor, lined with outdoor restaurants and frequented by entertainers of all kinds, are some of the key sights. Outside the city, the 16th C Royal Monastery and Palace of the Escorial is also worth a side trip. Depending on the length time available visitors may also want to do a day trip to see the old walled city of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Travelers heading to Seville will find some of the narrow streets and small plazas a change from the open boulevards and large squares of Madrid. The city has more of a small town feel, and is somewhat more relaxed than Madrid or Barcelona. The huge Gothic Cathedral is the principle attraction, followed by the 14th C Alcazar and the Museum of Fine Art.

Other top sights that should be on visitors itinerary when traveling through Spain are the Alhambra Palace in Granada, and the city of Cordoba with its pretty squares, whitewashed houses, and the famous La Mezquita-Catedral. During the summer months sun seekers flock to the beautiful wide stretch of beach at Malaga and other coastal resort towns. Those looking for something a little more quaint and removed from mainstream Spain can hop a flight to the island of Majorca, where life is a little slower paced.

Toledo is the heart and soul of Spain. This monumental ancient city is a captivating UNESCO World Heritage Site.

El Teide, Tenerife

The highest peak in Spain, this ancient — but still simmering — volcano is also one of Europe's top natural wonders. The Pico de Teide and the Caldera de las Cañadas, a gigantic volcanic crater, together form the Parque Nacional del Teide, at the center of the island of Tenerife. In listing the park in 2007, UNESCO cited its natural beauty and "its importance in providing evidence of the geological processes that underpin the evolution of oceanic islands."

You can explore El Teide in several ways. You can drive or hike across the inside of the caldera — the crater floor — 12 miles in diameter and a barren moonscape of colored rock formations that's like driving into the center of the earth. You can climb El Teide's cone, but an easier way to get close to the top is by an eight-minute cable car ride. On a clear day, views cover the entire archipelago and can extend to North Africa — the nearest land mass to the Canary Islands.

The White Towns of Andalucía

Poised like dabs of white frosting atop the steep crags of southern Andalucía, the White Towns are not just beautiful, they speak of this region's long and fascinating history. West of Gibraltar, mountains rise straight from the sea, and among them hide these White Towns, each on its hilltop.

Most spectacular is Arcos de la Frontera, whose plaza beside the Gothic church ends vertiginously in a 137-meter cliff, affording views across a valley of olive, orange, and almond orchards. Its maze of winding cobbled streets lead past cafes and craft shops selling ceramics and pottery to a Moorish castle.

A total of 19 of these villages of small white houses are in the area around the Grazalema Nature Reserve. Grazalema and Zahara de la Sierra are two others worth seeing. A good base in the region is Jerez de la Frontera, home of flamenco and Andalucian thoroughbreds. Watch these horses' precision ballet at the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art, and for authentic flamenco, visit Centro Cultural Flamenco.

Toledo's Old City

Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture mingle and blend into a city that El Greco captured in one of his most famous paintings. High on a granite hill and surrounded on three sides by the deep gorge of the Tagus River, it presents a stunning profile; approaching it from below is an unforgettable sight.

The layout of the town, with its irregular pattern of narrow streets and numerous blind alleys, reflects its Moorish past, and the architecture of the Christian period is represented by the numerous churches, convents, and hospices. This makes the old city a kind of open-air museum, illustrating the history of Spain, and it has been listed by UNESCO as part of mankind's cultural heritage. The Gothic cathedral is splendid, its interior richly decorated, and the two synagogues in the atmospheric old Juderiaare ornate in the Moorish style. While in that quarter, be sure to see the church of San Tome for its El Greco masterpiece.

La Rambla, Barcelona

Strolling along La Rambla on a summer evening, you might think that every single one of Barcelona's inhabitants was there with you. It's definitely the place to be after work on a summer evening or on a weekend. This tree-lined boulevard cuts a green line — not a very straight one — through the city center, stretching northwest from the Columbus Memorial near the port.

The section to the Plaça de Catalunya is lined with plane trees, its wide pedestrian zone flanked by a narrow road on each side. Along with its flower and bird markets, La Rambla has a number of book and newspaper stands, as well as restaurants and cafes with open-air tables. Pavement artists, street musicians, living statues, and impromptu performers all add to its lively atmosphere.

Costa del Sol Beaches

With the record as Europe's sunniest place, and mile after mile of white sands lapped by gentle seas, it's no wonder that the Costa del Sol beaches are the goal of sun-starved northern Europeans looking for sun-and-sand getaways. This popularity caused serious over-development initially, but the Andalucian government has not only put a stop to this, it has begun the process of tearing down the worst offenders and returning entire sections of coast to natural landscapes, clean beaches, and attractive new buildings that are more in harmony with their surroundings.

The beaches are not Costa del Sol's only attraction for tourists. Revitalizing its hub city of Málaga has made this coast even more alluring to everyone. Yachtsmen love the smart marina of Puerto Banus, and avid golfers head west from Marbella's old-world charms to Nueva Andalucia, known as Golf Valley for its more than 50 courses. A few steps from the beach in Marbella is the old town of whitewashed houses and well-preserved remains of the Moorish Castillo.

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia

When Valencia diverted the course of the river that had repeatedly flooded the city, it was left with a broad, flat riverbed spanned by bridges. It was upon this clean palette that the brilliant Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava created a breathtaking ensemble of structures that have become a magnet for aficionados of contemporary architecture. Not only the buildings, but the museums, arts venues, and aquarium (by Félix Candela and the only building not designed by Calatrava) form a series of tourist attractions that rank among Spain's most popular. Europe's largest oceanographic aquarium, L'Oceanogràfic, was built in the shape of a water lily with buildings dedicated to different aquatic environments from the tropics to the poles.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

The throbbing heartbeat of Spain's vibrant capital city, Plaza Mayor has played an important part in Madrid life since the 16th century, when Philip II entrusted the task of designing it to his favorite architect Juan de Herrera, builder of the Escorial. It has served as the stage for ceremonial events — the proclamation of a new king, the canonization of saints, the burning of heretics — and public entertainment such as chivalric tournaments and bullfights. The cafes reaching out onto its pedestrian-only stone pavement, and the restaurants shaded under its arcades are Madrid's living room, popular meeting places for Madrileños and tourists alike.

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

The magnificent cathedral of Santiago (St. James) was built to house and honor the relics of the saint, and it has been the goal of pilgrims since the Middle Ages, the culmination of their completing the famed Camino de Santiago. One of the outstanding monuments of Early Romanesque architecture, the 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.

You'll see both of these periods at play as you enter the west front, through one of Spain's most impressive church facades. Step inside to face the Pórtico de la Gloria, part of the old west front now concealed by the 18th-century facade. This triple doorway is one of the largest and most magnificent collections of Romanesque sculpture in the world.

The focal point of the interior is the elaborately decorated Capilla Mayor, built over the Apostle's tomb. In 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. On either side, narrow staircases lead up behind the figure so that pilgrims can kiss the Apostle's cloak - culminating their pilgrimage. In a crypt under the altar, the Apostle's remains are in a silver casket.

Seville Cathedral and Alcazar

La Giralda tower, Seville Cathedral, and the Alcazar combine to form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tower is a minaret, a "masterpiece of Almohad architecture," according to UNESCO. The cathedral has more interior space than St. Peter's in Rome and a 37-meter main altar of carved statues completely covered in gold. The monumental tomb of Christopher Columbus is held aloft by a quartet of larger-than-life figures. La Giralda, the emblem of Seville, began life as a minaret and is all that's left of the city's Great Mosque, destroyed to build the cathedral.

The Alcazar opposite was begun by the Moors in 712 and continued after the Christian re-conquest by King Pedro in the 1300s in the ornate neo-Moorish style called Mudejar. The rooms and salons are breathtaking, and the gardens a joy to stroll in, shaded by fragrant orange and lemon trees. Adjoining on the east is Santa Cruz, the former Juderia (Jewish Quarter), a neighborhood of whitewashed homes, iron balconies, and flower-filled courtyards.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

You really have to see this building to believe it — no photograph has ever done justice to this symphony of shapes, so alive that they seem ready to take wing. American architect Frank Gehry used blocks of limestone and undulating sheets of titanium to turn the notion of modern architecture on its ear. So thoroughly did he succeed that two new terms were born from it: "The Bilbao Effect" — the ability of a city to turn its fortunes around by constructing a single world-class building — and "architourism," a whole segment of the travel industry revolving around landmarks of contemporary architecture. Inside the museum are traveling exhibitions and rotating displays of its own collections of modern art.

San Lorenzo de El Escorial

San 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. The result is a staggering collection of attractions, built around 16 courtyards, its rooms and structures connected by 16 kilometers of corridors. At 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.

Along with the vaulted and frescoed ceilings by Tibaldi in the rooms off the lower cloister, highlights of the monastery are the Panteón de los Reyes (the Baroque burial vault of the Spanish kings) and the library, a grand room also decorated by Tibaldi frescoes.

In 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. The Picture Gallery below has a large collection of fine paintings, including works by Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Velázquez, and El Greco.

The Prado and Paseo del Artes, Madrid

The Prado alone ranks with the world's top art museums for the riches of its collections. But add the Reina Sofia National Art Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the CaixaForum, all along Madrid's mile-long, tree-shaded boulevard, and you have what may be the world's highest concentration of priceless art treasures. It's no wonder this is known as El Paseo del Arte - Boulevard of the Arts.

After 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. The Prado has the world's largest collection of Spanish art, an impressive continuum from 12th-century medieval works through the avante-garde movement of the early 20th century, and is especially noted for its works from Spain's golden age by El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya. But its riches are not all Spanish; other highlights are the medieval murals and retablos, paintings by Flemish and Dutch artists (be sure to see the fantasy world of Hieronymous Bosch and works by Rubens and Brueghel), and Italian art (Botticelli, Raphael, Correggio, Titian, and Tintoretto). Highlights of the Reina Sofia's impressive 20,000 works are Picasso's Guernica and works by Miró, Dalí, Dubuffet, Braque, Serra, Calder, and Magritte.

The Great Mosque of Cordoba (Mezquita)

Once the principal mosque of western Islam and still known as the Mezquita, Cordoba's mosque is one of the largest in the world and the finest achievement of Moorish architecture in Spain. In 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.

Building 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 nineteen aisles. No matter where you stand or which direction you look, its rows of columns and rounded Moorish arches line up in symmetrical patterns. Narrow, winding streets; small squares; and low whitewashed houses with beautiful patios visible from the street fill the old Judaria around the mosque, a Moorish atmosphere inherited from its past.

Barcelona's Sagrada Familia and Gaudi Sites

Antoni Gaudi took the architectural style known as Art Nouveau a step farther, even, some have argued, into absurdity. The fanciful and outrageous buildings he created in Barcelona have become landmarks, the signature attractions of this Catalan city. Foremost is The Sagrada Família church, officially the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família or the Holy Family Church of the Atonement. One 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.

You may search in vain for absolute straight lines in Gaudi's Casa Milà, his last and most famous secular work; it resembles a piece of sculpture more than a functional building. Be sure to ascend to its roof - the chimneys are said to have inspired the image of Darth Vader from Star Wars. Parc Güell overlooks the city from a hillside, the views and gardens framed by fantastical creatures - salamanders, fish, an octopus - and designs in bright ceramic-chard mosaics. A fanciful towered house near the entrance is largely covered in colored ceramics. Unlike most buildings, Gaudi's 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.

The Alhambra and Generalife Gardens, Granada

No 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. The Nasrid dynasty's royal palace is the artistic highlight of Spain's Islamic period, when Al-Andalus - as they called Andalucía - represented the epitome of culture and civilization in Europe's Middle Ages.

The Alhambra complex includes several buildings, towers, walls, gardens, and a mosque, but it's the indescribably intricate stone carvings, the delicate filigrees, the magnificent tile-lined ceilings, the graceful arches, and serene courtyards of the Nasrid palace that will haunt your dreams. That 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 Generalife's terraced gardens offer a peaceful respite from the grandeur and splendid views back at the rest of the Alhambra.