Places of importance in Spain – Barcelona

Barcelona, the most precious jewel of Spain had the honor of hosting the Olympic Games and is braced in the race for holding one more Olympic Game. Barcelona is rich in natural beauty and has the pride of having many buildings of architectural excellence, churches and castles of historical importance and largest number of parks. To crown it all, it is an industrially advanced province. It is no surprise that a province with all these features is the first choice amongst tourists. Let us just go round this beautiful city:

La Rambla:

This is actually an avenue or road which connects the Monument of Columbus. Newspapers, flowers, birds, etc. are sold in this avenue. The famous Palau de la Virreina mansion which is said to have been built in the 18th century is located on La Rambla. The largest food market of Europe Boqueria is also located here. The famous Barcelona Opera House is also in La Rambla. However, tour operators advise the visitors to be cautious because pick pocketing is rampant here. There are also instances of bags being snatched from the visitors. They also advise the tourists that while shopping the rates should be checked thoroughly.  

Port Vell:

Located at the end of La Rambla, Port Vell is a very busy port. Interestingly this Port Vell also called as Port of Barcelona (its earlier name) is also considered as a ‘leisure zone’. One can enjoy boating. A boating excursion is also held where the visitors are taken around the harbor and also around the ‘port Olympic’. It was here that the sailing events were held during the 1992 Olympic Games. The port has many bars, hotels and restaurants where the visitor can rest and enjoy the mouth watering local dishes. The visitor can also enjoy water sports which are available at designated places.

Montjuïc:

This is a hill located on the southwestern side of Barcelona. It was an Olympic Stadium of the 1992 Olympic Games. One of the most popular museums called ‘Museu Nacional d'Art De Catalunya’ is also located on this hill. In the midst of the hill, as one starts to descend, there are many fountains which give a spectacular view. The largest fountain is called ‘La Font Magica’. As darkness descends, one can watch the unbelievably beautiful light and music display in these fountains. Normally no visitor misses this show of light and music. The visitor can also enjoy the spectacular view of the Barcelona city from the top of the hill.

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Madrid - Spain always keeps the tourist busy and entertained

Normally we prefer a holiday trip to a place where there is a lot to enjoy and relax. If it is a place where we get entertainment and are also kept busy visiting some historical places, such a place is all the more welcome. Madrid, a province in Spain is a place where we have a lot of places to enjoy in the midst of beautiful nature and also a lot of historical places like churches, castles, etc. These places are both entertaining and educative. Let us just go round some of these castles.

San Lorenzo de el Escorial:

This palace is believed to have been built in 1584. This beautiful palace also has a basilica church, monastery, library, spacious court hall, etc. The interior of the palace is beautifully decorated with works of sculpture, paintings of renowned artists like Velazquez, Tibaldi, Luca Giordano, Zuccaro and Cambiaso, etc. It is said that King Phillip II was a lover of Italian art. So he decorated the palace with Italian Renaissance art works.

Castle of Buitrago del Lozoya:

This castle is located just on the banks of the great river Lozoya and is about 70 kilometers from Madrid. It is now becoming popular amongst tourists. Those who visit this 15th century castle built in traditional Gothic style are mesmerized by the way the castle is maintained. The castle is maintained perfectly well. In the year 1949 this castle was declared as a historic monument by the government of Spain.

The Royal Palace of Aranjuez:  

Located at a distance of about 48 kilometers from Madrid, this palace is built in the town of Aranjuez in the midst of the marvelous surroundings of the great rivers Tagus and Jarama. It has great history behind it and is one of the most marvelous structures of Madrid. It has been declared as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO. History says that the construction of this palace was commenced under the orders of King Phillip II and completed during the time of King Ferdinand IV.  The palace has four wings with an inner courtyard and Royal Garden with walking paths, etc. The palace is beautifully decorated with ornaments of rococo. There is a red and white Baroque façade. There is a room with walls and even the articles in that room are made of porcelain.  This room has a great attraction for tourists. The palace is a standing example of the outstanding work of architects.  

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Castles in Madrid

Madrid is a wonderful place which is popular for places of natural beauty and buildings which exhibit architectural excellence. It is an industrial town and a heaven for tourists. Perhaps Madrid is one of the places in Spain which has largest castles which are of historical importance. Apart from castles, it also has many churches, parks, etc. which all attract tourists. Some of the castles in Madrid are introduced here because this information would be of benefit for the tourists:

Castle of Manzanares El Real:

This castle is located about 50 kilometers from Madrid. According to historians, the castle was built by one of the most powerful families of that time called the Mendozas. It is believed to have been built in the 15th century. It is a Gothic style castle having six floors. Each of the towers has smaller towers and the largest tower which is named as ‘Homage tower’ has six towers within it which are all in Octagonal shape. This marvel castle has enough space for storing armor. Apart from this, there is a courtyard, observatory stations, etc. Some of the portion of the building which was in dilapidated condition was renewed recently and its original splendor was retained and now this castle is one of the most sought after tourist places of Madrid.

Castle of Villaviciosa de Odon:

Of course, this castle is closed for the time being because of renovation work that is going on. But once it is opened for public, make it a point to visit this beautiful castle which was originally built in the 16th century. The Air force of Spain has an ‘air force museum’ in this Castle of Villaviciosa. This very well planned castle is in the town of Villaviciosa and is very close to Madrid. This castle in its original form was built in Gothic architecture.

Castle of Batres:

This castle is very close to Madrid and Toledo and is located in the town of Batres. There is no historical record to say who constructed this beautiful castle; but according to the available records, some influential people of Batres constructed it in the 15th and 16th century. It was actually used as their residence. According to history, the counts of Onate took control of the castle. The uniqueness of this castle is its flawless planning. It has a palace, enough fortifications, cathedral, etc. Places around the castle are beautifully landscaped and in 1980, it was declared by the Government of Spain as a historical monument.

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Carboneras - City Information & Guide

Overview

The town, Carboneras is in the province Almeria in Andalusia, Spain and is a municipality. Its population is about 7300.

It is located near the mouth of the river Albas that is in the south of Cabrera Sierra. This town is situated along the Almerian coast and is very beautiful. The mountains surrounding this town have no trees at present; however in the ancient times they were full of large leafy trees. Some people constructed ovens in this place to process coal and became economically prosperous; they made use of these trees for feeding their ovens. This town became an active port for fishing after they ran out of coal.

History

Felipe II, in 1559, gave the coast of Carboneras to the Marquis of Carpio.

A number of coal and wooden ovens were built near the coast and these were sold in the peninsula. Since this town was in an isolated location, Moors took advantage of it to connect with Africa when there was an uprising in 1568. This became an important port during this period.

Climate

The maximum and minimum average temperatures in this city are 30°C in July-August and 10 °C in January.

Art and Culture

The following monuments are popular in this town:

Tower of the Thunderbolt or lightning tower – was built in the year 1584 and is at present in ruins. This is a cultural monument.

Torre de Mesa Roldán – was built in the year 1776.

Parish Church de San Antonio de Padua – is the patron saint of Carboneras.

Labyrinth House – was designed in 1964 by Andre Bloc.

Town hall – has been built from the 19th Century Mansion House.

Plaza del Castillo – is a castle square.

San Andrés Castle – was built in the 16th century.

Cuisine

Fresh fish and seafood are mainly used in the restaurants and local bars. The most popular dish – galanes – is made from white fleshed fish and has a good flavor.

Sports and Entertainment

The beauty of Carboneras lies in its sandy beaches. Some of them are listed below:

Las Martinicas Beach – is a wide and beautiful beach located near the port.

Los Barquicos Beach – is an urban beach and is ideal for your stay and taking bath.

El Lancon Beach – is a large urban beach having good facilities.

La Galera Beach – is nearer to the town but has limited service facilities and parking.

El Algarrobico Beach – is a virgin beach with good environment and is ideal for shooting movies.

Shopping

There is a market held on every Thursday in the town centre and you can buy items such as fresh fish, handicrafts and ceramics.

Business

The economy of this town is dependent on cement, energy and tourism.

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Capileira - City Information & Guide
Overview

There are 3 villages in the gorge of the river Poqueira in the Granada province and Capileira is the highest of these three villages. It is located at a height of 1436 m above sea level. You can either walk in the gorge or walk up to the Sierra Nevada.

This village has become very popular among the tourists. It is the main centre from which the tourists go for walking and also for accessing the mountains, in particular the mountain Mulhacén, which is the tallest in Spain. It is a climb of two days with an overnight stop. Its population was about 590 in the year 2005.

History

Some people are of the opinion that the village Capileira originated at the time of the Godos; there are others who believe that it was much earlier than that. The meaning of the Latin word capilaris is “more elevated place” and Capileira is located at a higher level among the three villages. Its location is such that it was not easily conquerable and hence the Arabs and Romans conquered this place last.

Climate

The maximum and minimum average temperatures in this place are 30°C in July-August and 5 °C in January.

Art and Culture

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza – was a church constructed on the site where there was a mosque in the 16th century on orders from the Catholic Monarchs. In the 18th century this building was replaced by the current Mudéjar-style building.

Iglesia Parroquial de Santa María la Mayor – was built in the 18th century by replacing a mosque of 1502.

Museo Etnológico Pedro Antonio Alarcón is a village museum wherein local handicrafts and dresses are displayed.

Cuisine

Bread is the most important food item in this place and many people bake their bread at home. People in Capileira use Arab-style ovens for baking their bread. These ovens are constructed with brick or clay-lined and they are capable of holding the heat well.

Poor Man’s Potatoes – Patatas a lo Pobre – is a popular dish made using ingredients like potatoes, onions, green peppers and olive oil and fried until the dish becomes crispy. Fried eggs as well as chorizo or black pudding are also popular dishes in this place. Local diet always contains hunting meat. Other popular items are fennel stew and choto capilurrio. There are hotels where you can get vegetarian foods.

Sports and Entertainment

This place is relatively small but it still has nightclubs and a number of tapas bars. The nightclubs are small but have good dance tunes selection and dance floors.

Shopping

This village is popular for local craft items of good quality hand stitched by the locals; these are hand-woven rugs and leather goods – shoes, bags and belts.  

Business

The economy of this village is mainly dependent on tourism.
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