Spain Travel Guide
Spain has evidence of human history stretching back over a million years to the time of the earliest Europeans. From Altamira to the Alhambra, from the Palaeolithic to the Medieval Moorish Muslims, with the Iberians, Celts, Romans and Vandals in between, this country has an extraordinarily rich and diverse cultural heritage.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Reasons to Visit Spain
Prehistoric Art,
Roman Ruins,
Islamic Forts & Palaces,
… and Hikers & Pilgrims.
Interesting Things to Know About Spain
Spain’s most important prehistoric site is probably Atapuerca in Burgos, where the remains of various hominin species have been discovered. The oldest of these is represented by a jawbone, dated to around 1.1 to 1.2 million years ago, that may come from an individual of the Homo heidelbergensis species. Atapuerca is now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Like its neighbour Portugal, Spain encompasses land that was once part of the Roman Empire. After the empire collapsed in the 5th century, this land was later conquered by the Islamic Moors before they were pushed back to North Africa. Today, both Roman and Moorish influences can be seen at many of Spain’sheritage sites, such as the Old Town of Cáceres.
A status now recognised by the Guinness Book of Records, Spain lays claim to having the world’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, BotÃn in Madrid. Active since 1725, it specialises in pork and lamb dishes. Reflecting its fame, the restaurant has also made appearances in novels by writers like Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spain’s maritime prowess allowed it to become a dominant world power. It was the Spanish monarch that financed Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the Americas, ultimately facilitating the rise of a Spanish Empire across much of the New World. It is for this reason that Spanish is now the main language of much of Latin America and the world’s second-most spoken native tongue after Mandarin Chinese.
Spain currently boasts the fourth largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, although previously held the third spot – before being relegated by Germany. These sites range from examples of Palaeolithic cave art through to the medieval cathedrals of Burgos and Santiago de Compostela, and onward to Barcelona’s modern artistic masterworks designed by Antoni GaudÃ.
