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
Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
176 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
Sant Pau Recinte Modernista is the hospital Barcelona built when its medieval one gave out, and it is now visited as architecture rather than used as a ward.
Casa Batlló is a remodelled apartment block at Passeig de Gràcia 43, and the remodelling is the reason to go. The building was put up in 1877 by Emili Sala Cortés, one of Gaudí's own architecture professors.
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya occupies the Palau Nacional, the domed building that stands at the head of Montjuïc above Plaça Espanya. The palace was not built as a museum.
The Palau de la Música Catalana is a working concert hall in the Sant Pere quarter, a few streets east of Plaça de Catalunya, and it is the only Art Nouveau concert venue on the UNESCO World Heritage List, inscribed…
Casa Vicens is a historic house in Barcelona, recognized as one of the earliest major works of architect Antoni Gaudí.
Pavelló Mies van der Rohe
The German Pavilion, or Pavelló Mies van der Rohe, was created as Germany’s national pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.
Palau Güell is a mansion designed by Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was built between 1886 and 1890 for Eusebi Güell, a wealthy industrialist and Gaudí's most important patron.
The Arc de Triomf is a triumphal arch in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was built as the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair.
Monument a Colom
The Columbus Monument, or Monument a Colom, rises at the lower end of La Rambla where Barcelona’s historic centre meets the waterfront.
Font Màgica de Montjuïc
The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, known locally as Font Màgica de Montjuïc, stands as a prominent ornamental fountain in Barcelona, Spain.
Parc de la Ciutadella
Parc de la Ciutadella is a historic public park in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona. It occupies land formerly held by a military citadel built after the War of the Spanish Succession in the early eighteenth century.
Castell de Montjuïc
Montjuïc Castle, known locally as Castell de Montjuïc, is a historic fortress situated atop Montjuïc hill overlooking Barcelona and its port. The military structure occupies a strategic position that has been fortified since the 17th century.
Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona
MACBA is the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, a major museum dedicated to contemporary art in the El Raval district. It occupies a striking white building designed by American architect Richard Meier, opened in 1995.
Torre de Comunicacions de Montjuïc
Torre de Comunicacions de Montjuïc is a telecommunications tower located on Montjuïc hill in Barcelona, Spain. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava and completed for the 1992 Summer Olympics, it serves as a television and radio transmission tower.
Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia is the Gothic cathedral of Barcelona, seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona. Dedicated to the city's co-patron saint Eulalia, a young martyr, it stands in the historic Barri Gòtic district.
Plaça Reial
Royal Square, or Plaça Reial, is a nineteenth-century public square just off La Rambla in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter.
Palau Nacional is a monumental building located on Montjuïc hill in Barcelona, Spain. It was constructed for the 1929 International Exposition and now serves as the main building of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC).
Pavellons Güell
The Güell Pavilions are a small Modernista complex in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí for Eusebi Güell. Built between 1884 and 1887, they served as the entrance and gatehouses to the Güell estate in the Les Corts district.
The Prado is Spain's national painting museum, and the building it occupies was never meant to hold pictures. Juan de Villanueva designed it in 1785 for a Natural History Cabinet, on the orders of Charles III.
Poble Espanyol de Barcelona
Poble Espanyol is an open-air architectural museum in Barcelona. Built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, it occupies a prominent position on Montjuïc hill. The complex contains 117 full-scale buildings representing architectural styles from across Spain's regions.
Observatori Fabra
Fabra Observatory, or Observatori Fabra, is a historic astronomical observatory on a hill above Barcelona. Its elevated setting combines scientific heritage with broad views over the city and surrounding landscape.
Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya serves as the seat of the Government of Catalonia. This historic palace stands in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter as one of the few medieval government buildings in Europe still used for its original purpose.
Casa Lleó Morera is a Modernista building on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona's Eixample district. Lluís Domènech i Montaner designed it, and construction took place between 1902 and 1906.
Torre Bellesguard
Bellesguard, known locally as Torre Bellesguard, is a modernist building in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudí. Constructed between 1900 and 1909, it stands on the site of a medieval castle once belonging to the Crown of Aragon.
Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar
The Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar stands in Barcelona's Ribera district as a Catalan Gothic church built between 1329 and 1383. Constructed by the local maritime community, it represents pure Catalan Gothic style without later decorative additions.
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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