Guest Author - Rachel L Webb
Spain overflows with an incredible array of monuments from its chequered past.
I’ve put together a list of
Eight mustn’t miss sights of Spain.
1. The Alhambra Palace - Granada
The Alhambra is stunning from the moment you see it at a distance, it is a wonder, though not voted one of the new seven wonders of the world, but a close runner up.
This is a large complex with a variety of monuments and gardens that needs a whole day to enjoy it. Then at night you need to go up to the Mirador de San Nicolas and see the Alhambra lit, some say it was built to be seen at night.
2. The Mezquita - Cordoba
The Mezquita is incredible, it began life as a mosque, which can be seen on the outside and The Christians built a cathedral within it, which is still in use today.
In 2007 the building was floodlight so night visits are now possible and much more atmospheric.
3. The Alcazar – Sevilla
The Alcazar was built in 913 for the governors of Sevilla, and today is more like a palace. Over the centuries its been added to, to create a beautiful mix of baths, monuments and gardens. A visit to the cathedral, Spain’s largest should also be added while here.
4. La Sagrada Familia – Barcelona
All of Gaudi’s works should be seen, but if you’ve only time for one then it has to be La Sagrada Familia. It’s a work in progress that may never be finished, after one hundred years and it’s not even half way there. It is really a building site, but well worth the visit.
5. Cathedral de Apostol – Santiago de Compostela
The Cathedral has an incredibly ornate frontage that will stop you in your stride. Intricate life-like stone figures adorn the outside. Built between 1075 ad 1211, a lot of the exterior decorations were added later.
6. Roman Ruins of Merida
Merida was the largest Roman city in Spain, founded in 25 BC. It grew in wealth and importance which we can see today in the Roman remains like the Theatre, Anti-theatre, Aqueduct and Roman bridge.
7. Cathedral de Burgos
This is an enormous French Gothic style cathedral on which work began in 1221 and was nearing completion only 40 years later. Two 84 metre, very ornate towers were added in the 15th century. The tomb of El Cid lies under a star-vaulted dome, and there’s a 13th century leather covered Christ Cristo de Burgos, that has moving parts.
8. Alcazar de Segovia
This is a castle of legends and fairy-tales, so ornate that Walt Disney copied it in California. The original Alcazar burned down in 1862 and was rebuilt as an over exaggeration of the original.
This list is in no particular order and there are of course so many interesting and worthy monuments to see in every town and city.
