Country guide
Spain covers 506,030 square kilometres and counts close to 50 million people, and it reads less as one country than as a set of regions that do not resemble eac...
Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Spain covers 506,030 square kilometres and counts close to 50 million people, and it reads less as one country than as a set of regions that do not resemble each other. Madrid sits high and dry in the middle of the peninsula with the national collections in it; Barcelona is Mediterranean and Catalan-speaking. Andalusia in the south carries the Moorish architecture of Granada, Córdoba and Seville along with the heat that comes with it, while the green north coast from Bilbao to Galicia is wet Atlantic country most visitors never reach. The Canary Islands lie off Africa, and Ceuta and Melilla are on the African mainland itself.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Dmitry Dzhus from London · CC BY 2.0
Photograph · dronepicr · CC BY 2.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
49 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Museo de América
The Museum of the Americas is a Madrid museum devoted to the art, archaeology, and ethnography of the American continents. In Ciudad Universitaria, near Moncloa, it brings together objects connected with societies from North, Central, and South America.
CaixaForum Barcelona is a cultural centre on Montjuïc, housed in a former modernist factory designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
Museo de Historia de Madrid
Madrid History Museum, also known as Museo de Historia de Madrid, is Madrid’s municipal museum devoted to the capital itself.
Palacio de Liria
Liria Palace, known locally as Palacio de Liria, stands as a historic palace in Madrid. It serves as the principal residence of the House of Alba, one of Spain's most prominent noble families.
Museo Lázaro Galdiano
The Lázaro Galdiano Museum, known locally as Museo Lázaro Galdiano, is a museum in Madrid. It houses the art collection assembled by José Lázaro Galdiano, a Spanish financier, publisher and collector.
Real Fábrica de Tapices
The Royal Tapestry Factory, or Real Fábrica de Tapices, is a historic Madrid manufactory with centuries of royal connections. Its distinctive appeal is the survival of hand-woven tapestry production as a living craft.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo is a contemporary art museum in Madrid. Its role is to present and preserve modern and contemporary artistic work, placing it within the capital’s broad cultural landscape.
CaixaForum Madrid is a cultural and social centre operated by the La Caixa Foundation. It occupies a distinctive building in central Madrid, notable for its brick industrial architecture with a prominent vertical garden on one exterior wall.
Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas
The National Museum of Decorative Arts, or Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas, is a Madrid museum devoted to applied and decorative arts. It occupies a historic building and belongs to Spain’s national museum network.
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales
The National Museum of Natural Sciences, known locally as Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, is a prominent institution in Madrid. It operates under the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
Museo Naval de Madrid
Museo Naval is a maritime museum in Madrid, Spain. It is dedicated to Spanish naval history and heritage. The institution preserves and exhibits collections related to Spain's seafaring traditions, naval warfare, and exploration.
Museo del Traje is Madrid’s museum of clothing, fashion and textile heritage. It belongs to Spain’s state museum network and follows the development of dress through historical periods and contemporary design.
Museo del Romanticismo
The Museum of Romanticism, or Museo del Romanticismo, explores the artistic and social world of nineteenth-century Spain. It occupies a historic palace in central Madrid, where paintings, furniture, decorative arts and personal belongings create a close view of Romantic-era life.
Fundació Joan Miró
The Fundació Joan Miró is a museum of modern art on Montjuïc hill in Barcelona. Established by the Catalan artist Joan Miró, it houses one of the world's most comprehensive collections of his work.
Museo de Cera
Madrid Wax Museum, or Museo de Cera, is a walk-through attraction devoted to lifelike wax figures. It gives visitors an alternative to Madrid’s art museums by presenting historical figures, public personalities, cultural icons, and fictional characters in staged scenes.
Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid
The Railway Museum of Madrid, known locally as Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid, is a museum dedicated to the history of rail transport in Spain.
La Casa Encendida is a multidisciplinary cultural and social centre in Madrid. Its programme connects contemporary art, education, performances, music, film, workshops, and community activity.
Planetario de Madrid
Madrid Planetarium is a science and cultural venue devoted to astronomical education and public outreach. Its central experience is the presentation of celestial phenomena through projected displays and educational programming.
Museo ABC is a museum located in Madrid, Spain. It is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of works related to drawing and illustration.
Museo de San Isidro is a Madrid museum in the La Latina district, a historic part of the city associated with San Isidro Labrador. The museum focuses on Madrid’s history and heritage, with particular attention to the city’s patron saint.
The Museo de Bomberos de Madrid is a museum dedicated to the history of firefighting in Spain's capital city. Located within Madrid's municipal boundaries, it preserves and displays equipment, vehicles, and memorabilia associated with the city's fire service.
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando is a working academy on Calle de Alcalá that happens to keep one of the best picture collections in Spain on its upper floors.
Palacio Real de Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid stands on the ridge above the Manzanares where the medieval Alcazar stood until fire destroyed it on Christmas Eve 1734.
Museo Tiflológico
The Museo Tiflológico is a museum in Madrid dedicated to the experience of blindness and visual impairment. Its name derives from typhlology, the study of blindness.
Ten to fourteen days allows three or four days in Madrid and four in Barcelona, plus selected rail day trips. Andalusia or either island group deserves a separate route instead of being compressed into the same mainland circuit.
Spain follows Schengen rules, but the traveller's nationality and route determine the required documents or visa. Confirm the current requirement through Spain's official consular information before departure.
High-speed rail makes Madrid-Barcelona and several mainland city pairs practical, while regional buses cover gaps. Island travel needs flights or ferries, and urban ticketing remains local to each city.
April to June and September to October are broad choices for Madrid and Barcelona. Andalusia, the Atlantic north, Balearics, and Canaries follow different heat and weather patterns, so a regional extension should control the final dates.
Spain uses the euro (EUR). Cards are common in cities, but a small euro reserve is useful for individual businesses; always check the billed currency and amount before approving a terminal transaction.
Spain's emergency contact is 112. Electrical outlets accept Type C and F plugs on a 230 V supply. Because this record contains no tap-water finding, use advice from the municipality serving each overnight stop.
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