Sightseeing in Spain: 30 Best Places to Visit

It's no wonder that Spain is one of the most attractive places in Europe: mild climate, gorgeous coasts, and rich culture, where the Arab heritage meets the European Renaissance. This is just the mainland, and Spain also has islands: the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

We put together a list of the top 30 must-see spots during your trip to Spain.

➤ La Sagrada Familia

Antoni Gaudi's most ambitious and famous architectural creation can be found in the center of Barcelona. Building the Sagrada Familia cathedral isn't complete yet, the facades were built based on the architect's drawings after he died, and final completion of the towers is planned for 2030. You can access the tower of the Facade of the Nativity by spiral staircase or elevator. The line to enter the Sagrada is always long.

➤ Hill Tibidabo

Barcelona's highest point, Tibidabo, offers lovely views of the city and the sea. The top of the temple is dominated by three major landmarks: the Temple of the Sacred Heart, shaped like a castle, visible from most places in the city. Across the street is a big Ferris wheel - a symbol of the amusement park that's been here for 100 years. From a distance, there's also the TV Tower, designed by Norman Foster.

➤ Park Güell

Another masterpiece from Antonio Gaudi, one of Europe's best architects. He was commissioned to design the park by his friend, the industrial investor of Catalonia, Eusebi Güell. Although the park was a failure when it opened because it didn't meet its goals. It was Guell's idea to build a garden city with 60 cottages immersed in the beauty of nature. But the land sold poorly, Güell died in 1914, World War I broke out, and the park never got finished.

➤ Gothic Quarter

It's a picture-perfect and atmospheric neighborhood, one of the oldest in Barcelona. In its center is the Gothic Cathedral, and there are lots of narrow streets with old houses around it. You can learn a lot about Catalan culture by walking here, especially if you took a sightseeing tour. This isn't a pleasant place to live because of the old buildings, the lack of heating, the crowds of tourists, and the petty theft in the streets.

➤ Camp Nou

The home stadium of FC Barcelona was inaugurated in 1957, and it's the biggest in Europe. There are big concerts and shows here now, as well as matches and training sessions.

➤ PortAventura World

Amusement park in Salou, 100 km from Barcelona. Salou has a lot of hotels and a pretty good infrastructure, so it's a good idea to stay there for a while. Two days at the park will cost you 70 euros per adult, rides for all tastes and ages run until the evening, and there's a stage for spectacular shows right by the lake.

➤ Dalí Theatre-Museum

Catalan city Figueres is home to the world's largest and most visited surrealist architectural site. Salvador Dali designed the building and converted an old abandoned theater into a theater-museum that displays Dali's works in chronological order - allowing viewers to trace Dali's development from Impressionism to Surrealism.

➤ City of Arts and Sciences

Valencia has a cluster of modern science and art as well as beautiful streets filled with madarina trees. You can visit one of the biggest oceanariums, take part in interactive shows, or listen to opera. The City of Arts and Sciences, with its gardens and observation deck, integrates beautifully into the natural and cultural landscape.

➤ Montserrat

Just an hour from Barcelona is a place of power and beauty - Mount Monserrat. There are several ways to get to 1,230 meters above sea level: cable car, mountain train or walking. The mountain is topped by a monastery that was built in the XI century. It was later destroyed by Napoleon's troops and rebuilt. Monserrat has modest monastery hotels for pilgrims where you can stay at night, watch the sunrise, go to the morning service and then check out the museum.

➤ Royal Palace of Madrid

It's the largest royal palace in Europe and the official residence of the Spanish kings. King Felipe VI doesn't live in the palace; it's used for ceremonial events. It was built in the 18th century for King Charles III. Additionally, the building serves as a museum, with free admission to the gardens and a ticket for 10 euros to the palace.

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More tours

➤ Alhambra

An impressive complex of buildings with a fascinating history can be found in Granada, in the south of Spain. Alhambra is an example of old Muslim architecture in Europe and was built by conquering emirs. The towers, fountains, and gardens are all stunning in their beauty and thoughtfulness. Nowadays the palace complex serves as a museum of Islamic art and culture. Alhambra is a huge area, and you'll need more than three hours to see everything.

➤ Almudena Cathedral

The main cathedral of Madrid is next to the Royal Palace, it's pretty modern. It was built in the late eighteenth century, but opened in 1993. You can donate to the cathedral, but it's free to enter.

➤ Santa Bárbara Fortress

In the middle of Alicante, there's a medieval fortress built to keep enemy raiders out of the valley. Today, it's one of the most picturesque viewpoints in Costa Blanca. You can walk there, drive there, or take the elevator.

➤ Ibiza

One of Europe's most popular resorts, Ibiza combines endless fun of festivals and parties with the solitude of nature. Island is quite large, so there is room for everyone: pensioners swimming in the sea early in the morning, young people staying up late on the dance floor, and families walking in the shade.

➤ Castell de Bellver

Mallorca is one of the best Balearic islands. There's a Gothic castle in Palma, the capital of the island, that's visible from anywhere on the island. With its beauty and authenticity, it attracts tourists from around the world. It was the residence of the Colles, then a prison, and now it's a tourist attraction. A museum of the island's history is inside and from the observation deck you can see the azure bay.

➤ Costa del Sol

Spain's southernmost resort, on the coast of Andalusia. You'll find here:

• stunning beaches,
• little coves,
• cozy villages,
• Malaga, birthplace of Pablo Picasso.

There are lots of national parks and friendly people in this part of the world.

➤ The Alcázar of Seville

Seville has a Moorish-style castle. It was built under Arab rule, and finished under Spanish rule. This is a complex of palaces with very rich decorations made by the best Muslim craftsmen. Give this place a whole day: ponds, fountains, chapels, and palaces - to see it all, you need a lot of time.

➤ Costa Daurada

Gold Coast, or the southern coast of Catalonia. It's got sand beaches and a long, gentle beach entrance. The ancient city of Tarragona, on the coast, is another must-see. There's a Roman amphitheater and the city wall, built in the 3rd century BC. In addition to historical monuments, Tarragona has a fun, lively city center with cafes, restaurants, and shops.

➤ Burgos Cathedral

Burgos, capital of Castile, has a majestic Gothic cathedral. There are fifteen chapels around the cathedral, each with its own paintings, towers, and stained-glass windows by different artists.

➤ Canary Islands

It's an autonomous province of Spain made up of seven islands. The biggest ones are:

• Gran Canaria,
• La Palma,
• Tenerife,
• Fuerteventura.

Most of the time, the water and air temperature on the islands are quite comfortable, but the wind and precipitation can be very severe in winter. The nature of the islands isn't very diverse, mostly dunes, volcanoes, and rare reserves.

➤ Picasso Museum

Pablo Picasso left a huge legacy in Spain: there's a museum in Barcelona, one in La Corua and a collection in Madrid. But the most famous are the Picasso Museum and Picasso House in Malaga - where the master was born. Besides more than two hundred works, the museum has Picasso's house, which tells about the early phases of his work, even preserving the authentic rooms from his childhood.

➤ Alcázar of Segovia

From a royal residence to a prison and military school, the fortress on a mountain has undergone many changes. After it burned down, it got rebuilt and now houses a museum and a military archive.

➤ Salamanca

One of the oldest universities in Europe was founded in Salamanca, one of the oldest cities in Spain and the capital of the Salamanca region. Aside from the university and student vibe, Salamanca has two cathedrals worth seeing, the New and the Old. Madrid and Barcelona are the best ways to get there.

➤ Monastery of El Escorial

An hour's drive from Madrid, this monastery has two museums, a giant historical library, and 300 monks' cells. A lot of Spanish kings are buried here too.

➤ Museo Nacional del Prado

Madrid's huge museum with an impressive collection of Spanish paintings and sculptures is a must-see for any tourist. There are 2,000 paintings in the museum's permanent collection, including 30 originals by Francisco Goya. It takes a long time to get there, but it's worth it.

➤ Royal Palace of Aranjuez

As an answer to Versailles, the royal palace complex in Madrid was built in the 17th century; it's just as magnificent, with an intricate garden and park ensemble and fascinating interiors. It'll cost you five euros to go into the palace, which is now a museum.

➤ Mesquita (Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba)

The cathedral mosque in Cordoba is the main attraction of Andalusia. It used to be a temple, but it was rebuilt into a mosque in the 8th century, and it was expanded and rebuilt again and again. Now it's one of the most beautiful Muslim shrines in the world.

➤ Parque de María Luisa

Located in sunny Seville, the park also doubles as a botanical garden. There are Mediterranean plants, but there are also trees and shrubs from all over. There's no admission fee, so it's great on a hot summer day to walk along the winding paths surrounded by fountains and sculptures.

➤ Aqueduct of Segovia

The Segovia Aqueduct is impressive in its thoughtfulness and engineering technology; it was built in the first century AD and served as the city's only source of water, and has now become a symbol.

➤ Teide National Park

There's a nature reserve on top of the volcano Teide on the island of Tenerife. 3700 meters above sea level is the highest point in the park. There are fossilized lava flows and caves here, as well as the landscape, vegetation, and views.