Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and the capital city of Catalonia. This place has won the esteemed 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal, mainly because of the structural designs of edifices. Not all cities have had the prestige of having that award. It used to be just architects who win awards like these, but Barcelona has pretty much done it as a city. That’s how beautiful this city is as far as architecture is concerned. Add the fact that Barcelona is included in the top 10 list by a Travel Magazine under the category of must-visit places in Europe

The early 20th century structural designs of Catalan were developed here in Barcelona between 1885 and 1950. True enough, it has left a vital heritage in the city. Group of these creations are now known as World Heritage Sites. Part of these sites are works of the celebrated architect Antoni Gaudí, responsible for the great but still-in-progress temple of the Sagrada Família (construction of this started in year 1882 and is due for completion in 2026).

Another renowned architect was Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who was responsible for the design of the Palau de la Música Catalana.

Barcelona is a great destination for historical pieces as it a convergence of a good number of museums, one of which is The City History Museum that used to be a royal residence. Works of Joan Miró can be found in the museum of the Fundació Joan Miró. The Picasso Museum can also be found in Barcelona, which features early works by Pablo Picasso.

Barcelona also now has a revitalized coastline which is always picture-worthy nowadays.

Taste for yourself the gastronomical delights of this city. Pan con tomate with tapas are some of the originals of Barcelona, and these can very much go well with your choice of wine.

Come and visit this majestic cityBarcelona!

Seville has long, dry and hot summers and even warm winters. Annual average temperature is 18.2C and can go up as high as 26.6. No wonder, it is known to be one of the hottest places in Europe. But the hot weather is not a hindrance for people to enjoy Seville’s wonderful tourist spots

Seville is proud to have the tallest tower in Spain, which is attached to its cathedral. The La Giralda (Moorish Tower) is 319 feet high and is an ancient minaret of the Islamic Mosque. Another one of its pride is the Torre del Oro or Golden Tower (made of golden tiles that reflect the sun) built at the end of the reign of the Taifa Kings.

There are lots of other visit-worthy places in Seville and can easily be seen with any City Bus tours with English-speaking guides. There are also hop on / hop off Seville guided bus tours which give an easy way of sightseeing.

For sheer Andalucian culture, Seville is the place to be.

Seville Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: Spain / España
• Status: city / capital of Andalusia
• Population: 720,000 in the city, 41 million in Spain
• Language: Castilian Spanish
• Currency: Euro (EUR)
• Time zone: 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• Country dialling code: +34
• Telephone area code: 95
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz – round two-pin plugs are used

Cadiz is located in Southern Spain in close proximity to the Rock of Gibraltar. The old city is small and very much echoes the Moorish era. The narrow streets are made up of cobblestones, well-preserved up to now. Their most favorite structure to flaunt? The twin-towered Cathedral, which is just a stone’s throw away from the harbor.

The Landward Gate, one of the city’s few 18th century walls, is still in place. Several of the aged buildings tell a rich association of Cadiz to other countries. Santa Cruz and San Felipe Neri, which were historically instrumental places for the changes of Spain’s Constitution, are the must-see churches of Cadiz are the churches of. The La Santa Cueva( home to quite a lot of paintings by Goya), and majestic mansions such as the Casa del Almirante and Casa de las Cadenas are other landmarks that are worth visiting.

In 1522, Almeria was distressed by a seismic activity. Reconstruction and recovery did not arrive in Almeria’s favor until the 19th century.

With its interesting medieval architecture, Almeria’s old town is a delight to stroll through with its tranquil squares, archways and colonnades. The city also has a fascinating archaeological museum and unique cave dwellings in the hillside above the old gypsy quarter.

WEATHER

This is mainland Europe’s warmest and sunniest region, with over 3000 hours of sunshine a year. Until recently Almeria was less accessible than some other Spanish destinations, a fact which has undoubtedly helped to shield it from the excess of tourism and let it to become the unspoiled, peaceful place it is today.

Towns of Costa Almeria:

Adra, Agua Amarga, Aguadulce, Alba, Albox, Alcolea, Alhama de Almeria , Almanzora , Almeria, Almerimar, Antas, Arboleas, Bayarcal, Bedar, Berja, Cabo de Gata, Cabrera, Canjayar, Cantoria, Carboneras, Chirivel, Cuevas del Almanzora, Dalias, El Ejido, Finana, Gador,Garrucha,Gergal,Huercal Overa ,La Alfoquia, Laujar de Andarax, Los Gallardos , Los Lobos ,Lubrin, Lucainena de las Torres , Maria, Mojacar Playa, Mojacar Pueblo,Mojacar pueblo,Nijar,Olula del Rio, Oria, Palomares , Puerto Rey, Pulpi, Retamar, Roquetas de Mar, San Jose, San Juan de Terreros, Seron, Sorbas, Tabernas, Taberno, Tijola, Turre, Velez Blanco, Velez Rubio, Vera, Vera Playa, Vicar,Villaricos, Zurgena

The oldest component of the city is the Old City (known as the Seven Streets) has been under local security since 1972 due to its historical value. In here are the most imperative shops of the city, and it has a continual chain of bars and restaurants which bestows an extraordinary ambience.

At the very core of the Seven Streets is the Santiago Cathedral , which is the oldest sight that you can see in the vicinity. It has Gothic architecture and is definitely classified as a national integral piece in the history of art and architecture.

Bilbao lies within a huge iron ore mining expanse, near the Bay of Biscay, making it one of the major industrial centers of Spain and also an important seaport.

Bilbaínos are noted to be passionate with their ball games. They are also renowned for their warmth; a visitor to their territory is made to feel at home.

It is now a vibrant city of around 360,000 inhabitants. It forms the hub of the Greater Bilbao metropolis, which is habitat to almost one million people. The City of Bilbao is the Basque Country’s monetary and artistic centre. It is linked to the rest of Spain and Europe by an urbane highway network. It is also the permanent site of the International Samples Trade Fair . Bilbao is now considered one of the most exciting destinations in Europe.

For a long period of time, Bilbao was a very industrial area, one could see, even from miles away, the oven flames that were transforming iron into steel. Tourism was definitely not a foremost scheme of commerce, even if the inhabitants were mostly local tourists from other parts of Spain.

Bilbao, as industrialized as it is, has constantly comprised a unique appeal made possible by traces of earlier times, such as their old theaters, hospitals, mansions, and palaces.

With much gratitude to the construction of the famous Guggenheim Museum designed by the well-renowned Frank O. Gehry, people are now seeing Bilbao in a whole new light. More and more tourists are looking forward to visit Bilbao. Major developments such as metropolitan bridges, luxury hotels, sanitation moves, contemporary metro lines are now much anticipated, making the Bilbainos much more optimistic with reference to their homeland.

Famous (and not-so-famous) European geniuses like Archiduke Louis Salvador of Austria, Chopin and Georges Sands, Robert Graves, Joan Miró are just some of the few who introduced themselves to the region. Many have spent their lives in the island. At present, Mallorca is slowly becoming a favorite destination to visit by some 7million tourists every year. Some opt to live permanently in the island (adding to the almost 600,000 population), making it a mixture of various people of different descents, mostly European.

Mallorca enjoys all the 4 seasons in a year although the typical weather is moderate and comparatively dry. Spring is a magnificent time to enjoy Mallorca’s natural reserves. It is a rather quiet season. Summer (from June to September) is definitely the unbeatable season that makes Mallorca famous to tourists. It is during this season that the sun fanatics flock the island. Autumn means the return of the perfect weather for walkers and nature-trippers. It is in this time of the year that the locals can show off their different home grown produce in the dynamic village markets. Winter season in Mallorca is to some extent subdued compared to the other seasons.

Mallorca does have first class hotels, shopping places, gambling locations, night spots, restaurants, top rated golf courses, museums, nature parks, fabulous beaches, and horse-riding clubs which are really a favorite among tourists.