There are tons of reasons to visit Spain. For starters, it’s nature that makes Spain so special. The Iberian Peninsula is perfect both for those who love the mountains, thanks to its plateaus and mountains in the east, but also for those who love the sea, being the country with the largest number of blue flag beaches in the world ! There is no shortage of more classic places such as those on the island of Gran Canaria, but there are also less traveled beaches such as those of the Costa de la Luz in Andalusia.
For nature lovers, instead, a stop in Tenerife is mandatory, where one of the most impressive volcanic structures in the world is present. This particular geological feature has given birth to a very harsh flora and fauna and really features.
In any good trip it is also essential to be able to appreciate the culinary culture of the place you visit. Spain will not disappoint even the most demanding palates! In any area and in any city you can find both very tasty characteristic food, as well as innovative dishes with vibrant and contrasting flavors . Paella, fish stew, chorizo, pork dishes, soups and the famous tapas, in short the territory has a vastness of tastes that can really satisfy anyone.
The history of Spain has determined its culture and its deep multi-ethnic soul.
Dominated first by the Arabs and then by the Catholic monarchies, Spain has over time developed a very inclusive character which bears the marks of both cultures, especially on an artistic level.
In fact, there are many cities that with their architecture keep the testimony of Arab domination still alive. This inclusive attitude has also been maintained in the present: wherever you go you will be able to see artistic and cultural events that arise from the encounter of so many stories, so many values, beliefs and customs.
On a cultural level then highly respected personalities were born and raised in Spain: it is impossible not to mention Diego Velázquez, one of the most illustrious Spanish painters of the Golden Age. He has painted many historically and culturally significant scenes and portraits of the Spanish royal family. Francisco Goya was very influenced by him. He was born near Zaragoza in 1746 and died in 1828 and is one of the most significant artists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was primarily a portraitist and painted many portraits of the Spanish royal family and the aristocracy. However, Pablo Picasso is at the top of the list of the most famous Spanish characters. He is one of the most influential artists of all time and was the pioneer of the avant-garde Cubist movement. He was born in Malaga in 1881. He is best known for his paintings of him, but he was also a sculptor, poet, playwright, printer and ceramist. Among the most famous Picassos we remember Guernica and Girl in front of the mirror.
In the architectural field we mention Antoni Gaudí. He was a Spanish architect born in Barcelona in 1852. Many of his famous buildings can be seen in Barcelona such as Casa Batlló, Casa Milà and of course La Basílica de la Sagrada Familia. Finally, even now, Spanish culture continues to leave an important mark in the fashion sector: Paco Rabanne is a stylist from País Vasco in northern Spain. He is now 86 and known around the world for his he perfumes and fashion designs.
The emblem of Spanish history and culture is the city of Madrid! Plaza Mayor, Gran Via, Puerta del Sol are just some of the mythical places in Madrid.
The Gran Via is probably the best known shopping street in Madrid: here you will find shops, restaurants, cinemas and theaters housed in some of the most emblematic buildings in the city. The Puerta del Sol is the most famous square in Spain, where thousands of people meet every day. Finally, Plaza Mayor is the best example of the architecture of the Siglo de Oro. In this rectangular square, completely surrounded by elegant three-storey buildings, it is impossible not to stop and have something on one of the many terraces that animate it.
But the tradition of Madrid is also very important from the point of view of the numerous museums found in the city. The Museo del Prado in Madrid is one of the museums that must be seen at least once in a lifetime. This place is a paradise for art lovers, one of the best known art galleries in the world.
But in Madrid there is not only the Prado, to complete the triad of my most famous Madrid museums there are the Reina Sofia Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. The former is famous for hosting the controversial canvas of Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, but among the works on display there are also beautiful masterpieces by Salvador Dalì, Joan Mirò and an incredible heritage of contemporary art. The second, on the other hand, is a manifesto of impressionist and post-impressionist art. Here the masterpieces of artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Gauguin and Cezanne are at home. Madrid finally remains a reference city from a commercial point of view. Its business vocation is well evidenced by the presence of IFEMA MADRID, a reference point in Europe and in the world for the trade fair sector, with hundreds of fairs and events organized every year that attract thousands of visitors and professionals to the city.
Why visit Spain and Madrid: where history blends with the opportunities of the present!