Spain culture history food and visit places

Spain

Spain

Spain officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state largely located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, with archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and several small territories on and near the North African coast.

SpainSpanish territory includes two archipelagos: the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast. Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent

Historic Places of SpainPalacio RealThe Palacio Real (Royal Palace) of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain although it is only used for state ceremonies. The Royal Palace was built between 1738 to 1755 and King Carlos III took up residence in the palace in 1764.

Historic Places of Spain

Aqueduct of SegoviaThe Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the best-preserved monuments left by the Romans in Spain. The ancient aqueduct carries water 16 km (10 miles) from the Frío River to Segovia and was built of some 24,000 massive granite blocks without the use of mortar. Probably constructed around 50 AD it still provided water to the city in the 20th century.

Historic Places of SpainCuencaSituated between Madrid and Valencia, Cuenca is a marvelous example of a medieval city, built on the steep sides of a mountain. The many “hanging houses” are built right up to the cliff edge, making Cuenca one of the most striking towns in Spain, a gem in the province of Castilla La Mancha.

Historic Places of SpainSagrada FamiliaThe Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, and one of Spain’s most visited tourist attractions. It’s a design by Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan architect who worked on this project for almost 40 years until his death in 1926. The construction of the basilica began in 1882 and still as yet not finished.


El EscorialNestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, El Escorial was the political center of the Spanish empire under King Philip II. Philip appointed Juan Bautista de Toledo as the architect in 1559 and together they designed El Escorial as a monument to Spain’s role as a center of the Christian world. Today it functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school.


Mezquita of Cordoba

The Mezquita (Spanish for “Mosque”) of Cordoba is a fascinating building famous for the forest of pillars and arches inside the main hall. The site was originally a Roman temple, then a Visigothic church, before the Umayyad Moors built the Mezquita. After the Spanish Reconquista a cathedral was built into the center of the large Moorish building.


Alhambra

Part fortress, part palace and part garden the Alhambra is situated on a plateau overlooking the city of Granada in southern Spain. The palace was constructed in the 14th century by the Nasrid sultans. The Alhambra is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions and many visitors come to Granada just to see the Alhambra.


ALCAZAR OF SEGOVIA The Alcazar of Segovia is an imposing medieval fortress turned royal palace


BAELO CLAUDIA

The Roman town of Baelo Claudia in Spain is a well-preserved ancient city which sits on the Andalusian coast, providing a beautiful backdrop to these ancient remains.


EL ESCORIAL El Escorial is an impressive sixteenth century royal complex built under the orders of King Philip II of Spain. UNESCO listed.


BELCHITE Belchite contains the ghostly remains of a town destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.

Historic Places of SpainLUGO ROMAN WALLS The Lugo Roman Walls have been described by UNESCO as "the finest surviving example of late Roman military fortifications", a title they truly deserve.


ROYAL PALACE OF MADRID The Royal Palace of Madrid was built in the eighteenth century and was the home of the Spanish royal family until 1931.

Historic Places of SpainALCAZAR OF TOLEDO The Alcazar of Toledo in Spain is a fortress dating back to the third century AD.


MERIDA ROMAN THEATRE The Merida Roman Theatre is a well-preserved first century BC structure and a UNESCO site.


PALMA CATHEDRAL Palma Cathedral is a vast and imposing Gothic cathedral in the capital of Majorca.

Festivals in Spain

Festivals in Spain

Semana SantaSemana Santa is the Spanish name for Easter. Members of local parishes carry ornate decorated floats depicting the Passion of Christ into the city cathedral.Though Seville and Malaga are the most famous cities for Semana Santa, the Castilla-Leon cities of Valladolid and Leon are also important.

Festivals in Spain

San Fermin (Pamplona Bull Run)The Pamplona Bull Run is a week-long bull running and bullfighting festival. Every morning at 8am, the city's brave and the world's foolhardy run ahead of a group of angry bulls. The rest of us look on in amazement.The San Fermin Festival, where the Pamplona Bull Run takes place, runs for one week in early July.

Festivals in Spain

Tomatina Tomato FightThe Tomatina Tomato Fight is probably the world's biggest food fight. Thousands of people gather in the streets of the tiny town of Buñol to fling tomatoes at each other.The origins of the festival are unknown and, to most people who like throwing food at each other, largely unimportant.

Festivals in Spain

Las FallasImagine a bonfire from Guy Fawkes Night or a Homecoming and multiply it by a factor of one hundred: that is Las Fallas.Each neighborhood traditionally gets together to build giant puppets which are then later set fire to. There is usually a satirical nature to these puppets, though not always.The burning of these puppets is of course accompanied with plenty of street parties throughout the city

Festivals in Spain

Feria de SevillaAfter all the piety of Easter (even if this piety is done in Seville's usual extravagant style), the Feria de Sevilla is that holiday everyone needs to get over the previous one!

Festivals in Spain

CarnivalThe Carnival in Spain varies in nature across the country but in Tenerife and (to a lesser extent in Cadiz) is second only to Rio de Janeiro in terms of extravagance.

Festivals in SpainChristmas & New YearChristmas in Spain is what you'd expect of a Catholic country. It is a family event, with much eating and drinking, visiting relatives and going to mass.

Festivals in Spain

Cristianos y MorosThe Cristianos y Moros celebration (Moors & Christians in English) is a slightly tongue-in-cheek commemoration of the Moorish control of Spain and a celebration of the sebsequent return to Christian rule.

Festivals in Spain

Semana Grande, BilbaoSemana Grande (Spanish for 'Big Week', Aste Nagusia in Basque) is another 'general' festival, much like the Feria de Sevilla but a little less traditional. A big attraction of Semana Grande is the large number of concerts, from rock to pop and classical to jazz.

Festivals in SpainTamborrada, San SebastianA mass participation drum festival. Hugh parades take to the streets bashing drums throughout the night and for most of the following day.There are two sides to this festival - the organized processions and the free-for-all drum bashing that anyone can be a part of.

Spanish Food

It would be impossible to list all the tasty foods from Spain's rich food culture – but here are at least 10 top Spanish foods you have to try.

Spanish FoodCroquettesYou can find Spanish a plate of croquetas in almost any restaurant or bar, each made to the establishment's own – sometimes secret – recipe, combining ingredients such as jamon (cured ham) or bacalao (Atlantic cod fish) with béchamel sauce, which is then breaded and fried. The creamy cheese (queso) croquettes pack a smooth flavour, or try the croquettes of local sweet-spiced black sausage (morcilla) or Spanish blue cheese (queso de Cabrales) for unique Spanish flavours.

Spanish Food

Tortilla EspanolaThe Spanish omlette is another beloved top Spanish food – and everyone has an opinion on how to cook it. It's a great starter (or meal) for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and no doubt you'll come across many Spanish potato omelettes during your time in Spain. Like croquetas, you can find them in almost any bar and to varying degrees of quality and flavor.

Spanish Food

Gazpacho or salmorejoThis zesty, chilled tomato soup has claimed space in supermarkets and on menus around the world, but few compare to refreshing Spanish gazpacho made with full-flavoured Spanish tomatoes. Usually eaten as an appetizer

Spanish Food

Pisto – Spanish ratatouilleThis vegetarian top Spanish dish is for all ages, eaten in Spain as a tapa, appetiser, a side dish to meats, or even as a meal with a fried egg on top or chorizo.

Spanish FoodCured meats – jamon, chorizo, salchichónJamon is ubiquitous in Spain, carved thinly off cured legs of pork that you will see hanging in most bars and restaurants. Jamon is a serious business and an art in Spain, with many factors in place to determine quality, such as what the pigs are fed, the type of pig and the curing process.

Spanish FoodPulpo a la gallegaThis boiled octopus dish gets its unique flavours from maceration in three simple ingredients: paprika (pimenton), crusty rock salt and a drizzle of olive oil. It's a signature Galician dish and you'll find it on the menu in many Galician restaurants around Spain, and especially in the many polbeiras (octopus restaurants) dotting the Galician region.

Spanish Food

Spain's famous bean stews – and saladsSpain is home to a wide variety of unique beans and legumes, and certain regions are famous for particular types and dishes, for example the large white kidney beans from the Asturias region (Faba Asturiana), where these tender, creamy beans are key in the local bean stew Fabada Asturiana.

Spanish Food

PaellaThis rice-based dish is well known internationally, although in Valencia you will find many authentic variations that equally vie for attention. Some consider this a national dish of Spain, but many consider it a Valencia dish, from where it originated and you can typically find the best paella.

Spanish Food

Fried milkYou might not find ‘leche frita' on every menu, but it is a classic Spanish dessert to try for something unique. Its firm, cool, milk-pudding center contrasts with a warm, crunchy encasing of flour and egg, dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

Spanish FoodPrawns in fried garlicAs in many top Spanish foods, simplicity and drawing out natural flavours of fresh ingredients are key, and this is easily seen in this tantalising yet simple dish gambas al ajillo. Small Spanish prawns are typically lightly cooked in a small clay dish of hot olive oil, roasted garlic and usually a small chilli that gives this dish a little kick. It's hard not to want this sizzling dish when the fried garlic smell hits your nostrils.

Spanish SportsTraditional and Regional Sports of

Spain

Spanish Sports

Basque Pelota— a variety of court sports which involves hitting a ball against a wall using the hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket

Spanish Sports

Valencian Pilota — is a traditional handball sport played in the Valencian Community of Spain. The ball is usually struck with a bare hand in a game involving two teams.

Spanish Sports

• Bull Fighting - involves one or more bulls which are being fought in a bullring

Spanish Sports

Calva a traditional Spanish sport in which you throw a piece of metal to knock down bull's horn shaped piece of wood.

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Spain culture history food and visit places