Tourism and history are inextricably linked in Spain, where visitors will encounter a landscape replete with fortifications, royal residences and appropriated places of worship. Valued also for their architecture, a significant number of Spain's age-old landmarks have earned World Heritage Site designation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO.

Castles and Palaces

The most visited attraction in Spain, says Fodor's, is the Alhambra (, a medieval Arab palace complex in Granada. Other Arab-style castles include the Alcazar of Segovia (, where monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella were wed in the 15th century. Take the spiral staircase to the roof of the battlement tower for an incomparable view of city. Ferdinand and Isabella once ruled from Cordoba's Alcazar of the Catholic Monarchs (, the nerve center of the Inquisition, where you can stroll through a garden that features statues of kings and queens. The Royal Alcazar in Seville ( with its two courtyards is also worth a visit. In the capital, Madrid, you can explore the 18th-century Royal Palace (no website; Calle Bailén s/n, 28001 Madrid; +34 914548800). Frommer's also recommends the 14th-century Royal Palace in Aranjuez (no website; Avenida del Palacio s/n, 28300 Aranjuez; +34 918910740), which has a room lined with porcelain.


The region of Castile-Leon is home to 11 cathedrals, including some of the country's finest Gothic prototypes. Among these is the Burgos Cathedral (, begun in 1221 and finished in 1567. The Cathedral of Leon ( is best known for its stained glass windows. Seville's Gothic cathedral (, the largest in Europe, houses the remains of Christopher Columbus. Also noteworthy is the cathedral of Toledo (, where the main altarpiece features life-sized statues that depict scenes from the New Testament in color. Segovia's cathedral ( was the last in Spain built in the Gothic style. In Salamanca, the top attraction is a pair of conjoined cathedrals ( The older of the two was was constructed in the 12th century in the Romanesque style. The newer cathedral has late Gothic, Baroque and Plateresque elements.


El Escorial (, the most famous monastery in Spain, dates to the 16th century and is designed to recall an inverted griddle, the instrument with which St. Lawrence -- the figure the site is dedicated to -- was martyred. On you visit, note the architectural style that UNESCO describes as "austere." The region of Aragon is home to approximately 20 monasteries, including three Cistercian monasteries that have been converted into hotels. The remains of many kings of Catalonia and Aragon rest in the Poblet Monastary ( in Vimbodi. The medieval Huelgas Reales Monastery (no website; Calle Huelgas 19, 47005 Valladolid; +34 983217823) served as a pantheon for monarchs from Castile. Note that the interior is not open to visitors.

Roman Monuments

Vestiges of the Roman empire can be found throughout Spain and include the stone aqueduct in Segovia (, which dates to the late 1st century. UNESCO deems the 3rd-century Roman walls that surround the city of Lugo ( in northwestern Spain "the finest example of late Roman fortifications in western Europe." The walls are intact and afford spectacular views of the city. In the city of La Coruna, you can ascend the Tower of Hercules (, the only Roman lighthouse in the world that is still functional.

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