Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and has a population of 4.9 million. It is an industrial and commercial hub and is also an important Mediterranean hub. The Barri Gótic or the Gothic quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona with many buildings dating back to the medieval times of 14th and 15th century. Some of the buildings which are of interest are the Plaça del Rei, the Episcopal Palace, the Seu (old cathedral), and the Palau de la Generalitat. The Museo Picasso mostly focuses on the artist's initial years, but also includes works from his Blue Period (1900-1904) and his Rose Period (1904 to 1906).

Las Ramblas is Barcelona's main road and is a busy street in Central Barcelona. It is 1.2 kilometres in length and is located in the Barri Gotic site and extends from the Plaça de Catalunya to the Port Vell. The road is lined with flower and bird markets, bookstalls, cafes and there are street artists every where.

Beyond Plaça Catalunya, the Eixample (Extension) shows off a wealth of Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture. The church of the Sagrada Familia or the Holy Family is still incomplete and is quite a masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí, the great 20th-century Spanish architect. His other works include the Casa Mila, Casa Batlló, and Parc Güell.

There are numerous beaches along the Costa del Sol, which is located in South Spain. The other regions which boast of equally good beaches are Costa Blanca. Costa Brava has beautiful resorts such as Benidorm and Lloret de Mar. At Tarifa, the beaches are wild and also windy, but are beautiful. At Mundaka, which is located in the province of Biscay, the beaches are gorgeous and are popular for surfing activities.

Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous region located south of Madrid. Toledo is the ancient capital of this region. The city rises above the plains and the gorge Rio Tajo. The city has an extensive cultural and monumental heritage and for this it was also declared as a World Heritage Site. Especially beautiful are the magnificent cathedrals. The Alcazar of Toledo is also very impressive and is a stone fortification located in the highest region of the city. It was used as a military academy in the 19th and 20th century.

The streets of Toledo seem painfully narrow and many compare them with the thinness of the steel blades which the city manufactures. Toledo is extremely proud that one of the greatest painters of his times, El Greco lived here in the latter part of his life. His most renowned painting ‘The Burial of the Count of Orgaz' is preserved in the Santo Tome Church.

This region is situated on a plain surrounded by the Sierra de Gredos. Avila is its capital. Located 1117 meters (3665 feet) above sea level, it is the highest provincial capital in the country. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is well known for the 11th century city walls that were constructed of brown granite and are well preserved even today. Walking on the ramparts of the walls is quite an attraction with the visitors. Avila is also the birthplace of the 16th century mystic called St. Teresa. There is a 17th century convent which is named after her and this also houses a small museum which exhibits some of her personal items. St. Teresa initially served at the Convento de la Encarnacion as a nun. Later in 1562, she founded the Convento de San Jose.

Catalonia is a province located in the north-east region of Spain and borders France and Andorra to the north. Most of the Catalonian inhabitants speak Catalan, a Romance language which has largely been influenced by medieval French. Catalonia is also the centre of Spain's commercial and industrial activity. At the same time agriculture has also been given importance and it produces a lot of wine and olive oil. Almonds and a variety of fruits are also grown here. Catalonia also has a good tourism sector and the sea-side resorts, Costa Dorado and Costa Brava draw a lot of visitors.

Costa del Sol is a region in the south of Spain and is quite densely populated. It is endowed with picturesque towns and great beaches and is thus very popular with tourists. It extends from Almeria to Tarifa, along the Andalusian part of the Mediterranean coastline. This is also the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, one of greatest painters of the 20th century. The Pablo Picasso Museum is located in Palacio de los Condes de Buenavista, in Malaga in the Costa del Sol region and houses some of his best works.

Granada was the last city to fall to the Christians in 1492. The city has an exceptional monument called the Alhambra- a palace fortress which was built by the Nasrid rulers in the 13th and 14th century. It is one of the most visited places in Spain and hence tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. The Alhambra is also known as the Palacios Nazaries and is a huge complex with various halls, courtyards and loggias which are embellished with delicate filigree and enamel tiles, stalactite vaulting, marble sculptures and stucco ornaments. The fortified hill-top was originally a series of brick towers which formed the Alcazaba or fortress and was built in the 11th century by King Alhamar, the first of the Nasrid rulers. From the Alcazar, you can walk to the El Generalife, the Alhambra's glorious gardens.

La Rioja is a province in northern Spain. Its capital Logroño is located in the centre of the province. This region also has an interesting historical past and has been ruled by tribes, and then by Muslims and in the 10th century, it was under Sancho I Garces' rule.

This province is also famous for its vineyards. On the cultural side, the beautiful poetry in Castilian language also originated in these regions. This region is also visited by pilgrims who want to reach to the ‘Road to Santiago' or Santiago de Compostella.

Madrid, the capital of Spain is a vibrant city. While the city may not have as many monuments as other Spanish cities, it scores over others as far as cultural sights are concerned. There are three outstanding art museums. The Prado is one of them and has one of the most extraordinary art collections in the world. It houses works done by great European and Spanish masters from Renaissance onwards. The other museum is the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which is dedicated to 20th century Spanish art and houses art by Salvador Dali, Juan Gris, Miro and also Cubists such as Picasso.

Madrid's Royal Palace was built in the middle part of the 18th century. The palace has opened up more than 20 rooms for the public. Each room has priceless exhibits such as tapestries, carpets, paintings, furniture, porcelain, silver ware and clocks. The palace armoury has one of the most priceless collections in Europe, largely from the 16th century.

The Plaza Mayor is Madrid's historic square. The square is surrounded by shops, cafes and bars under its porticoes. The Plaza Mayor was completed in 1617 during the reign of Phillip III.

The Puerta del Sol is another popular square and is in the centre of Madrid. It is the main shopping area and is also the centre of Madrid's night life. Madrid has its share of green spaces but the most accessible amongst them is the Retiro Park. This was formerly a royal retreat and also has a lake where boating is permitted. It is also famous for the summer concerts it hosts. Just a short walk from the Prado is the Botanical Gardens, which is worth a visit.

To the west of the city centre is the Casa de Campo, which is vast open space. This area is equipped with a swimming pool, a jogging track, tennis courts and also a zoo and an aquarium. On the fringe of Caso de Campo is the Parque de Atracciones, which is a large amusement park. In the southeast part of the city is a new and unusual theme park on bio-diversity called Parque Biológico. Here you will find several pavilions which recreate different ecosystems. Another place worth visiting in Madrid is the 250 hectare Warner Brother's Theme Park located in San Martin de la Vega. Visitors to the city also take the opportunity to see their favourite and one of the most successful football clubs- Real Madrid playing at the Bernabeu Stadium.

Seville is the regional capital of the province of Sevilla. It is also one of the largest cities in Spain. It was occupied by the Moors for 500 years and evidence of it is apparent all over the city. Seville is also considered the cultural capital of Spain. It is also a romantic city and was home to Carmen and Don Juan.

The cathedral in the city is the largest Gothic building in the world and has an unmatched collection of period stonework and art. It is interesting to note that the famous explorer Christopher Columbus is buried here. The cathedral bell tower is known as Giralda. The tower was originally an ancient minaret and an observatory from the Almohad mosque of Seville and has a statue representing Faith. The statue was originally called the ‘Giralda' or weather vane since it twists with the wind.

A building of great importance is the palace-fortress of the Arab kings called Alcazar. It is a shining example of the Mudéjar or Moorish architecture and dates to the period of the Christian re-conquest (AD 711-1492).

The upland area of Sierra Nevada is located south of Granada and is a mere 40km (25 miles) from the coast. This is a mountain range running from the east to west and has the highest peaks in Iberia. One of them is the Pico de Veleta which is over 3400m (11,115feet) and can be reached by road and coach trips.

Santiago de Compostella is the location of the cathedral of St. James who is the patron saint of Spain. This place is as important for the Christian world as Rome and Jerusalem. Thousands of pilgrims from all over Europe converge here to visit his shrine. The route leading to the shrine is known as the ‘Way of St. James' and is dotted with religious houses, chapels, monasteries and hospices to serve the pilgrims.