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Spain: A Tale of Two Cities 

Madrid Accommodation - Barcelona Accommodation  -  Return to Travel Articles
Spain has long been the top tourist destination for European travellers as it offers the widest variety of cultural city options as well as plenty of coastal resorts perfect for summer holidays. If we concentrate on the beautiful and historic cities in Spain then the first two most of us are likely to mention, regardless of the order, are Madrid and Barcelona. These two cities are iconic for their history to some travellers, but these days their notoriety comes from sporting reasons.

While these two cities are the top options if you are looking explore Spain a little bit deeper rather than on the coast, history is available in other parts of the nation too. Toledo and Valladolid enjoyed brief spells as Spain’s capital city in the 15th and 17th century while Valencia was named capital from 1936 to 1939 during the Spanish civil war. This implies that there is plenty of history to be explored in those cities, but much of that history now lies within the museums of Madrid and Barcelona.

In Madrid you can visit the popular area known as ‘Museum Triangle’ where most of the Spain’s most renowned art is on show. Consider visiting these venues:

Traffic at Night, Gran Via, Madrid, Spain
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  • Museo del Prado
  • Naval Museum
  • Caixa Forum
  • Reina Sofia – National Museum and Art Center
  • Thyssen-Bornemisza – Museum of Art
La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi Cathedral, Barcelona, Catalonia (Cataluna) (Catalunya), Spain, Europe
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If you are looking to explore and experience as much of the Spanish culture as possible during your trip, then the above places will go a long way to opening your eyes. If you consider Madrid to have plenty of culture then after you soak it all up why not head over to Barcelona to understand some of Spain’s colourful history. Barcelona is home to many historic landmarks such as:
  • Sagrada Familia
  • Cathedral of St Eulalia
  • Columbus Monument
  • Arc de Triomf
  • Palau de la Musica Catalana
Any pocket tour guide worth the paper it’s printed on will have these attractions listed somewhere. If you would really like to explore Spain rather than simply just visit, then heading to the two marquee cities is certainly one way to go about things. Will it be expensive?

 It can be if you book the first option for accommodation you come across. Nowadays flights in and around Europe can be very cheap if booked at the right time. Just make sure that you think wisely about accommodation when it comes to cities such as Spain’s capital and select from the many quality hostels in Madrid. Likewise there are many fine youth hostels in Barcelona where you can enjoy luxuries such as a buffet breakfast and en suite facilities that will suit the modern traveller.

Madrid Accommodation - Barcelona Accommodation  -  Return to Travel Articles

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