Spain is known throughout the world as a country famous for the unique sights given to us thanks to its amazing story, as a result of which, the architecture of Spanish cities combines the features of various cultures, ranging from ancient, which came here during the time of the Holy Roman Empire, including Islamic, remaining from the period of Arab rule, ending with European, including Christian and Jewish, since the Middle Ages . This is why many cities in Spain are protected by UNESCO. They are ready to offer tourists a lot of interesting excursion programs, during which you can appreciate the medieval beauties of Spain, the rarest ancient monuments included in the “List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites”. Today we will talk about eight small but incredibly beautiful Spanish cities-UNESCO monuments, with their Catholic churches, monasteries, Arab mosques and baths, Roman bridges and aqueducts, ancient mansions of the nobility and powerful fortress walls.

– ancient settlement country, founded by the ancient Romans in 90 BC. Today, Segovia is one of three ancient museum cities located near the Spanish capital, Madrid. The most recognizable landmarks of this Spanish city are the Aqueduct and the Alcazar.

Or “El Acueducto de Segovia” - an absolutely amazing architectural monument, included, along with the historical center of the city, on the UNESCO list. This is the longest ancient aqueduct in Western Europe, preserved here from Roman times. The length of the structure is eight hundred and eighteen meters, the height is about thirty meters. The aqueduct consists of twenty thousand granite slabs, which are not held together with cementitious mortars. It is divided into one hundred and sixty-seven huge arches. The aqueduct was built at the end of the first century AD and regularly performed its functions for many centuries; to this day it has remained in excellent condition, continuing until recently to constantly deliver water to the city of Segovia, mainly to the Alcazar Castle. This Roman building was named “Monument of National Treasure” in 1884, and in 1985 it was given the status of “Object world heritage under the protection of UNESCO."

Or “El Alcazar de Segovia” - another no less amazing and charming city attraction. The Alcazar Castle was built in Roman times, but the first written mentions of it are found only in the twelfth century. The Alcazar is located on a cliff between the Eresma and Clamores rivers. The fortress was built in the Roman-Gothic style, and the interiors were decorated in the Mudejar style. The castle complex has a couple of courtyards and two towers: “del Homenaje” and “de Juan II”. In addition, the Alcazar in Segovia has a lot of underground rooms and secret passages, some of which go to the river, others to other palaces of the city. Even today, scientists continue to study the secrets of the Alcazar Castle. Now there are a military archive and the Artillery Museum - “museo del Real Colegio de Artilleria”.

– a huge building was erected in the sixteenth century in the Gothic style, with some elements of Renaissance architecture. Temple complex consists of a cathedral, a covered gallery adjacent to it, and a bell tower - one of the highest in Spain.

Of course, in Segovia, tourists will be able to see a lot of other interesting attractions: the ruins of the ancient fortress wall, the Monastery of St. Mary del Parral, the Church of St. Stephen, the Church of Vera Cruz, the Church of St. Millena, the “House of the Peak”, stroll through local gardens and parks: Garden of La Merced , Alcazar Gardens, Huertos Gardens.

- a settlement, high in the mountains, was founded in the fifth century AD by the Veton tribe. Today this city of Spain is under the protection of UNESCO, and its main attractions are the Avila Cathedral, fortress walls, churches and monasteries.

- the construction of which began in the twelfth century in the Romanesque style, was completed in the fourteenth - already in the Gothic style. Today it is the oldest Spanish Gothic cathedral. It has an unusual structure: it was built as part of defensive city structures, and one of the apses of the building is built directly into the fortress city wall. The cathedral was erected in honor of Saint Salvador. Inside the temple is the tombstone of the famous Bishop Alonso de Madrigal. At the cathedral there is a Cathedral Museum, which has a rich collection of exhibits: sculptures, books, silver items, paintings, silver monstrances for processions.

Or “Las Murallas de Avila” - the main symbol of the city, a medieval wall that surrounded the old part of the city of Avila, two and a half kilometers long. This ancient fortification is one of the best examples of Spanish military engineering. The wall, three meters thick and twelve meters high, is equipped with nine city gates, there are eighty-eight towers and two and a half thousand small shelter towers. This structure is in excellent condition to this day and is under the protection of UNESCO.

Or “Convento Santa Teresa” - was erected in the seventeenth century, after Teresa’s canonization, on the site of the house where she was born. Today it is a working convent, and most of it is closed to tourists, but pilgrims have the opportunity to enter the church chapel, decorated with scenes of the saint levitating. In the Hall of Relics there is part of the relics of Saint Teresa - the finger of her right hand, the sole of her sandal, her rosary. But the rest of the relics of Saint Teresa are in the Carmelite monastery of Alba de Tormes, where she died.

Or "Basilica de San Vicente" - a Romanesque style temple, is the second largest in Avila, second only to the Cathedral. It is a "monument national heritage Spain." It began to be built in the twelfth century on the burial site of Catholic saints: deacon Vincent de Huesca, who died in 304, his sister Sabina and sister Cristeta. It is clear why the main relic of this basilica is the “Cenotaph of Saints Vincent, Sabina and Cristeta” - “Cenotafio de los santos Vicente, Sabina y Cristeta” - a stunning tomb monument built in the twelfth century.

Or “Real Monasterio de Santo Tomas” - was built in 1493, where the main Spanish “Catholic Kings” planned to build their palace, but the death of their son Juan forced them to reconsider their plans, and he was buried there. And later, the “Grand Inquisitor” of Spain himself, Thomas de Torquemada, was buried.

- this ancient Celtic settlement, at one time, was under the rule of the Romans, Moors, Arabs, then became a Spanish city, small, but with a lot of interesting historical attractions and medieval monuments different cultures: the Cathedral, the Moorish watchtower, the Church of San Miguel, with Arabic and Gothic features.

Or “Catedral de Santa María y San Julián de Cuenca” - the main city cathedral, where the diocese of Cuenca, which belongs to the Archbishopric of Toledo, is located. This cathedral was built in the twelfth century in the Norman Gothic style.

Or "Convento de la Merced" - was erected between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Today it houses the Theological Seminary of St. Julian and the Society of Nuns Slaves of Holy Communion and Immaculate Virgin» In 2003, the monastery received the title of “National Monument of History and Culture of Spain”.

Or “Palacio Episcopal de Cuenca y Museo Diocesano” - a single building was built in 1250 from several Muslim houses, here you can still see Arabic inscriptions, a portal with Arabic patterns. From the end of the fifteenth century until 1530, the “Court of the Inquisition” worked here. Today it houses the “Diocesan Cathedral Museum” - “Museo Diocesano Catedralicio”, with a huge collection of provincial religious art: tapestries, jewelry, objects of art, painting, sculpture.

Or "Casas Colgadas" - the symbol of the city of Cuenca. “Hanging houses”, built over a river cliff, were previously a typical element of the city’s architecture, but only three such structures have survived to this day: “House of the Sirena” - “Casa de la Sirena”, Royal houses - “Casas de Rey”, decorated with wooden balconies. They housed: a restaurant, the “Museum of Abstract Art of Spain”.
Besides these interesting places In the city you can visit the Church of St. Michael, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Church of St. Andrew, the Tower of Mangana, the Consistory of Cuenca - thanks to their presence, the Spanish city of Cuenca is under the protection of UNESCO.

– located on the island of Tenerife. The city was founded in 1496, and it was the capital Canary Islands, up to 1723. Since its founding, La Laguna has become the religious center of Tenerife, the episcopal residence was located here, and numerous churches and monasteries arose. In the historical center of the city there is a unique colonial atmosphere; ancient quarters and streets, as well as aristocratic mansions, have been preserved almost unchanged. In 1999, this Spanish city was protected by UNESCO.

Or “Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Laguna” - the temple where the episcopate of Tenerife is located, built in 1511 on the site of an ancient monastery. But the building acquired its modern neoclassical appearance in 1825. Its founding father, Alonso Fernandez Lugo, is buried in the cathedral.

Or "Parroquia Matriz de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción" - the very first church of the island of Tenerife, built in the fifteenth century. The building features a noticeable mixture of several architectural styles. It was in this temple that the indigenous local inhabitants of the island of Tenerife - the Guanches - were baptized.

Or “Real Santuario de Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna” - this Catholic Franciscan cathedral began to be built in 1506, and the temple received the title “Royal” from Spanish king Alfonso the Twelfth in 1906. Outwardly, this is a very modest church, but it is incredibly popular among believers: pilgrims flock here even from mainland Spain. Inside the temple, on the main altar stands the miraculous crucifix of Cristo de La Laguna - this is the real symbol of the city of San Cristobal de La Laguna. Thousands of believers come here in September to venerate the Holy Cross, an ebony crucifix brought in by Governor de Lugo in 1520 and renowned for its ability to heal the sick and perform other miracles.

- was founded in the twenty-ninth year of our era, but experienced its heyday under the rule of the Moors. To this day, the city retains the charm of the Middle Ages, amazing tourists with combinations of Roman, Islamic, and Gothic architecture. The historical center of Caceres with its attractions is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main attractions of Caceres are: the Co-Cathedral of St. Mary, Main square, St. Paul's Monastery, St. John the Baptist Church, St. Matthew's Church, Arch of the Star, Bujako Tower, Stork Palace.

Or "Concatedral de Santa Maria de Caceres" is the main Christian temple of Caceres. Its construction began in the thirteenth century, but it was completed only by the sixteenth century. The cathedral has a transitional Romanesque-Gothic style. In 1931, it was included in the “List of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Spain”; in 1957, it was made the center of the diocese of Coria-Caceres.

Or “Iglesia de Santiago” - an ancient knightly Christian temple, built in the thirteenth century and completely rebuilt in the sixteenth century. It has Roman-Gothic features and is located near the fortress wall. The main temple relic is a statue of Jesus Christ, the work of Tomas de la Huerta, as well as a retablo, with illustrations of the life of Christ and his saints.

Or “Iglesia de San Mateo” - a very significant religious building of the city, since 1982, included in the “List of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Spain”. The church began to be built in the sixteenth century on the site of a mosque, which was erected on the foundation of another, earlier Christian temple. Notable residents of Caceres are buried in the chapels. In the Chapel of St. John you can see the painting “Christ de la Encina”, which talks about a miracle that happened in America.

- a settlement in the western part of Spain, which was in the possession of the Romans and Arabs, but was conquered by Hannibal. The richest city in the Spanish region of Castile and Leon in cultural and historical terms, it is famous for its many attractions. The historical center of the city has been under UNESCO protection since 1988.

Or “Plaza Mayor” - in the Baroque style, considered one of the most beautiful in Spain, it was designed in the eighteenth century by architects Alberto and Nicolas Churriguera by order of King Philip the Fifth, in gratitude local residents for their support as a pretender to the throne during the War of the Spanish Succession. The square is surrounded by amazing buildings decorated with arcades. Twenty thousand people can fit here. Previously, bullfights were held on the square, but now there are concerts.

Old Cathedral or “La Vieja Catedral de Salamanca” - the cathedral was founded in the twelfth century in the Romanesque style, but was completed in the fourteenth century, already in the Gothic style. In the sixteenth century, there was no longer room for the numerous students of the University of Salamanca and a new cathedral began to be built nearby. Today, in the covered gallery of this cathedral, built in 1526, there is the Cathedral Museum, with a rich collection of paintings. Another very interesting attraction in the cathedral building is the ancient organ, dating back to the fourteenth century.

University or "La Universidad" - a beautiful building in the Plateresque style, there is an ancient university library, which contains one hundred and sixty thousand volumes of literary works. The University of Salamanca acquired its current luxurious appearance in 1534, since then it has been considered an unsurpassed masterpiece of Spain in this style.

In Salamanca, tourists should visit a lot of other interesting attractions: the Jesuit College of Cleresia, the Duenia Monastery, the Church and Monastery of San Esteban, the Monterey Palace, the Salina Palace, the Urusulina Monastery, the Roman Bridge, the Cave of Salamanca - the place where the Devil taught.

- the settlement appeared on a consecrated site, a century after the execution of two children, which happened here by order of Emperor Diocletian in 306. And at a time when Madrid was a small village, the city of Alcala de Henares was considered the religious center of Spain. Since ancient times, there have been monasteries, castles, churches here, and in 1998 the city was included in the “List of Cities of World Cultural Heritage.”

Or “Palacio de Laredo” - the most beautiful landmark of the city, an eclectic building built at the end of the nineteenth century by the artist, architect, designer Manuel José de Laredo. In his brainchild, he combined elements of several architectural styles: neo-Gothic, neo-Mudejar, neo-Moorish.

University- the building is real business card city, it was created by the architect Rodrigo Gil. It is possible to get inside the university only as part of excursion group. Today there are twelve humanities faculties in the following specialties: pharmacy, biology, chemistry, history, economics, philosophy, literature, library science, Spanish philology, English philology, history, architecture, sports, tourism and so on.

The city has a lot of attractions: the Cervantes House Museum, the Town Hall, the “Gate of the Martyrs”, the Cathedral of the Holy Children, the Monastery of Madrede Dios - and they are protected by UNESCO.

- a famous pilgrimage site located in northwestern Spain. The city is included in the UNESCO list.

Or “Catedral de Santiago de Compostela” - located in Platerias Square, and is notable for the fact that the relics of the Apostle James rest here, which made the city the main center of European pilgrimage along the “Way of St. James”. Thousands of believers still follow this path today. The grave containing the remains of Saint James was discovered in the ninth century by Bishop Theodomir. It is located in the main altar of the presbytery of the cathedral. And in the “Ark” chapel, built in the sixteenth century, the relics are kept royalty. The museum at the cathedral has a rich collection of Spanish art from the ninth to the nineteenth centuries, including tapestries based on sketches by Rubens and Goya.

Or the “Universidad de Santiago de Compostela” - the oldest in Europe, founded in 1495 as the “School of Grammar” by Lope Gómez de Marcóa.

Other, no less worthy of exploring, monuments and attractions of Santiago de Compostela: Cappela Animas, Rajoy Palace, Monastery of St. Martin Pinario, also amaze with the beauty of their architecture and interesting history.

We talked about eight stunningly beautiful small Spanish cities that are protected by UNESCO and are famous throughout the world for their magnificent architecture. And it’s no wonder that more than fifty million tourists from different parts of the world come to Spain every year.

Among the country's many cultural and historical attractions, there are even entire islands included in the World Heritage Site. Thus, Spanish Ibiza is almost entirely included in this list. All thanks amazing nature and unique architectural monuments. Rare marine organisms live off the coast of the island. They feed on posidonia. This is a species of algae considered endemic, that is, very rare. But not only this fact makes him famous throughout the world. Posidonia is the longest type of algae, reaching up to 8 m. In addition, Mediterranean pine grows on the island. Like olive bushes, these trees have formed the landscape of Ibiza for seven thousand years.

As for the architectural attractions that constitute the UNESCO heritage in Spain, among them it is worth noting the Cathedral in the city of Burgos. This is one of the oldest Catholic sanctuaries in the country, built in the Gothic style. Its history goes back over eight hundred years. Not only the exterior, but also the interior of the cathedral is an object of admiration. Inside you can see a gilded staircase, sculptures and altars, as well as relief images of gospel scenes. In addition, the cathedral is decorated with beautiful stained glass windows.

A real miracle of engineering, protected by UNESCO in Spain, is the Biscay Transport Bridge. It was built at the end of the 19th century. The bridge was the first such structure in the world. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it allows cargo to be transported across the river, which does not become an obstacle for ships passing along it.

Talking about natural heritage Spain, it is worth mentioning the Garajonay National Park on the island of La Gomera. There are virgin forests with laurel trees. In addition to them, you can find over five hundred various types plants and trees. There are many sources of water in the park, which gives rise to lush vegetation. This ecosystem is truly unique, which determined the inclusion of this reserve in the World Heritage Site.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites are a great guide when planning your route. Preparing for the trip northern Spain, we took the list of UNESCO cultural heritage sites and chose places to see both nature and cultural sites look. (List at the end of the article).

Once upon a time we were racking our brains: how to build a route around the country, if there is so much of everything and everything is so tasty, and we want not to miss out on the important things, and at the same time not to go along well-trodden tourist paths.

In the end, we came to the following conclusions:
If you want to see the country, choose UNESCO World Heritage Sites - you won’t go wrong. UNESCO's goal is to make known and protect objects that are unique in their kind. We decided not to look for a street or a cute cafe - there are many of these in any city, but there are unique cultural or natural objects that have already been compiled into a list and are known. These are the ones that are worth spending time on in preparation.

Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. Sagrada Familia


In addition, such UNESCO-protected sites can be viewed in Google Street View maps. By “walking” through the objects without leaving home, you can immediately decide: do you want to visit there, see with your own eyes a cathedral, square, palace, monastery, cave, or find something more interesting.

Park Guella in Barcelona


Of course, sites included in the UNESCO list are crowded places. There are a lot of tourists. But, in our opinion, it’s worth it!

Cathedral of Burgos

In addition to cultural monuments, natural sites are also under UNESCO protection. Here tourists disperse (there are no crowds in a river valley, canyon or national park) and you can calmly enjoy the beauty, silence, and outlandish wonders of nature.

Alfajeria Palace. Representative of Mudejar architecture


In ours, we included natural UNESCO sites and World Cultural Heritage sites so that you can walk around the cities and relax in nature.

Spain ranks third in Europe - there are 44 sites under UNESCO protection. Holds first place. In Italy there are 48 such sites. UNESCO is constantly expanding the list and introducing new unique places.

Despite the fact that we traveled for 26 days and traveled 1800 km by car, we were able to see only 7 (?) World Cultural Heritage sites included in the UNESCO list for Spain.

For the trip we chose northern part Spain, but couldn’t miss Madrid and Toledo. So the photographs are not only of the northern part of Spain.

List of cultural and natural objects World Heritage Site protected by UNESCO. Spain:

The original list in Spanish can be viewed on the UNESCO website: http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/es

Spain has a huge number of sites recognized as World Heritage Sites. There are a total of 42 monuments located in Spain - how natural phenomena, and entire cities - were included in the list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The first to appear on the list in 1984 were the Alhambra (la Alhambra) and the Burgos Cathedral (la catedral de Burgos) and since then it has only been replenished. Such recognition provides these sites with international protection. In addition, such monuments are a favorite place of pilgrimage for tourists, many of whom go on trips with their children. To prevent the kids from getting bored on the way, it’s worth taking some toys with you: a Bratz doll for a girl and a construction set for a boy.

According to UNESCO, the unique natural sites of Spain include: Garajonay National Park (el Parque Nacional de Garajonay) on the island of La Gomera (la Gomera) (1986); (Parque Nacional de Doñana) (1994); Mount Monte Perdido (el Monte Perdido) in Huesca (1997); coastal and marine ecosystems of Ibiza (1999); (el Palmeral de Elche) (2000); And National Park Teide (el Parque Nacional de Teide) (2007).

In all of these cases, both the unique natural characteristics of the objects and their connection with history were assessed. In Garajonay, even today you can find vegetation that survived the Ice Age. In addition to biological diversity, traces of the presence of the Tartessians can be found in Doñana, and in Ibiza - the Phoenicians and Carthaginians. The palm forest in Elche appeared thanks to the irrigation system created by the Romans, Phoenicians and Arabs.

Prehistoric Testament
Among other things, Spain's World Heritage Sites include prehistoric treasures preserved on the Iberian Peninsula, which have also received international recognition. First on the list was the Altamira Cave (la cueva de Altamira) in Cantabria and the Paleolithic rock art preserved here (1985). Especially worth noting are the cave vaults, with bison painted on them. After that, in 1998, the list was replenished rock paintings Mediterranean coast Spain. Traces of cave painting can be found in Andalucía, Aragón, Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluña, Murcia and Valenciana. In 2000, the Atapuerca Caves in Burgos were added to the list of World Heritage Sites. The last rock art to be included in the UNESCO list, in 2010, was the rock art of Siega Verde in Salamanca.

Memory of the Romans and Visigoths
400 years of Roman rule have left a huge number of architectural and artistic monuments in the territory where modern Spain is located. Six of them were included in the UNESCO list: the archaeological complex of Tarraco in Tarragona (2000); Emérita Augusta in modern Mérida (1993); the Las Médulas gold mines in León (1997); aqueduct in Segovia (1995); the fortress wall in Lugo (2000) and the Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hércules) (2009).
The construction of the monastery of San Millán de Suso in La Rioja, where the first texts in Castilian were written, dates back to the Visigothic period. A thousand years later, the monastery of San Millán de Yuso was added to this 5th-century building. In 1997, both monasteries were recognized as World Heritage Sites. The city of Toledo, which was the capital of Spain during the Gothic times, was also included in the UNESCO list in 1986. In the history of Toledo, the era of cohabitation of Jews, Christians and Muslims especially stands out.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of special cultural or natural significance. In total, there are 44 such sites in Spain, of which 39 are cultural, 3 are natural, and another 2 are mixed.

It is worth noting that only a few of them are described here, since there is simply not enough space to describe all such significant monuments. So let's look at some UNESCO heritage sites in Spain.

With my heart historical center Cordoba is the Cordoba Cathedral Mosque –
Catholic church built in the 7th century, converted into a mosque after the conquest of Cordoba by the Moors in the 8th century and converted back into a church in the 13th century after the Christians recaptured Cordoba. During Cordoba's Moorish rule, Cordoba had approximately 300 mosques and its architecture was compared to Constantinople, Baghdad and Damascus.

Cathedral of Burgos

This Gothic cathedral was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. The national hero of Spain is buried here, famous ale Sid.

Works by Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, ​​Catalonia

Gaudí's architectural style is usually described as "modernism", but it is a very distinctive modernism. Initially, Park Güell, Palau Güell and Casa Mila were included in the World Heritage List, and in 2005 Casa Vicens, one of the façades of the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlo and the Chapel of Colonia Güell were added to the list.

Altamira Cave and Paleolithic art in northern Spain

The Altamira Cave contains images from the Upper Paleolithic era from 35,000 to 11,000 BC. A total of seventeen caves are included in the list. The drawings are well preserved due to the isolation of the caves from climate change.

Old town of Segovia and its aqueduct

The Roman aqueduct in Segovia was built in the 1st century AD, the medieval Alcazar in the 11th century, and the cathedral in the 16th century.

Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of Asturias

The Kingdom of Asturias remained the only Christian region in Spain in the 9th century. A special style of pre-Romanesque architecture was formed here, in which churches and other historical buildings of that time were built. Initially, only Asturian churches were included in the world heritage list, but later others were also included historical monuments like, for example, La Foncalada - an ancient drinking water fountain.

Old town of Santiago de Compostela

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is considered the burial place of St. James, it is also the end point of the Way of St. James pilgrimage, which runs through northern Spain. The old city was destroyed by Muslims in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 11th century.

Old town of Avila, Castile and Leon

Defensive wall surrounding Old city was built in the 11th century. With its 82 semicircular towers and 9 gates, it is one of the best preserved defensive walls in Spain.

Architecture of Aragon in the Mudejar style

The list includes ten buildings built between the 12th and 17th centuries in the Mudejar style, a mixture of traditional Islamic and modern European architecture.

Historic center of Toledo

Toledo was founded by the Romans, was the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, was an important city in Islamic Spain and during the Reconquista, and at one time was even the capital of Spain. The city's architecture displays Christian, Islamic and Jewish influences.

Garajonay National Park, La Gomera, Canary Islands

Territory national park 70% covered by laurel forests - vegetation characteristic of the Tertiary period and disappeared in Europe due to climate change, although such forests once covered the entire territory of southern Europe.

Old town of Caceres, Extremadura

The architecture of the old city shows the influence of Roman, Muslim, Northern Gothic and Renaissance architecture. There are thirty well-preserved Moorish-style towers here.

Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, Granada, Andalusia

These three sites resulted from Muslim ownership of southern Spain.
The Alhambra Fortress and the Generalife Palace were built by the rulers of the Emirate of Granada. The Albayzin district of Granada contains outstanding examples of characteristic Moorish architecture.

Cathedral, Alcazar and Archive of the Indies, Seville, Spain

Alcazar is Royal Palace, built during the rule of Seville by the Moorish Almohad dynasty. The cathedral was built in the 15th century and is where Ferdinand III and Christopher Columbus are buried. The Archives contains documents detailing the colonization of America.

Old town of Salamanca

Salamanca has a reputation as a student city, as the local university was founded in 1218 and is the oldest in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe. The city was first conquered by the Carthaginians in the 3rd century and was later controlled by the Romans and Moors. The city center of Salamanca is a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

Monastery of Poblet, Vimbodi, Catalonia

The monastery was founded by the Cistercians in 1151 and is one of the oldest in Spain. It was the residence of many medieval royal families of Spain, especially the kings of Aragon. The monarchs of Aragon are buried here - Alfonso II, Joan I, Joan II, James I, Ferdinand I and Pere IV.

Archaeological Ensemble of Merida

Merida was founded in 25 BC and was the capital of the province of Lusitania. An aqueduct, a bridge, an amphitheater, a theatre, a circus and a forum remain from the Roman era.

Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe, Extremadura

The monastery houses a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, discovered in the 13th century after she was buried by Muslims in 714. The monastery and shrine served as an important symbol during the Reconquest, which ended in 1492. The shrine was also a symbol of the conversion of Indians to Christianity in America.

Way of Saint James

This pilgrimage route runs from the French-Spanish border to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where according to legend the Apostle James is buried.

Historic city of Cuenca

The Moors built a fortified city in the 8th century. In the 12th century it was captured by Christians. Cuenca Cathedral is the first Gothic cathedral throughout Spain. The city is also famous for houses that seem to hang from cliffs.

Silk Exchange of Valencia

The Silk Exchange is a group of Gothic buildings in the center of Valencia, highlighting its power and wealth during the Middle Ages.

Palace of Catalan Music and Sant Pau Hospital, Barcelona

Both buildings were built at the beginning of the 20th century by Lluis Domenech i Montaner in the Art Nouveau style that was very common in Barcelona at that time.

Monastery of Escorial, Autonomous Community of Madrid

El Escorial is one of the historical residences of the Spanish royal family. The palace was designed by King Felipe II and the architect Juan Bautista de Toledo. The main idea of ​​El Escorial is to indicate the central place of Spain in the Christian world.