Iberian Peninsula: From Spain to Portugal

The rela­tively unim­portant city was chosen as the capital by the Spanish kings because of its central loca­tion on the Iberian Peninsula. Madrid did not actu­ally become an economic and cultural center of Spain until the 19th and 20th centuries. Consequently, the city's medieval archi­tectural landscape is far outdone by such ancient cities as Toledo, Seville and Granada. No city can compete with Madrid, however, when it comes to nightlife: the multi­tude of bars, bodegas and restau­rants are impos­sible to over­look.

Its mete­oric rise from a Vandal settle­ment began in 756, when the first Emir ascended the throne and made Córdoba the capital of the Caliphate. He introduced new irriga­tion methods and previ­ously unknown crops. Science and archi­tec­ture expe­r­i­enced a climax. At the turn of the first millennium there was street lighting for an esti­mated 300,000 inhab­i­tants. The Jewish commu­nity was a stronghold for Chris­tian-Muslim dialogue. After the conquest and recathol­iza­tion in 1236, Cordoba fell into oblivion – a stroke of luck to which the preser­va­tion of the Moorish building fabric is owed. With Granada and Sevilla, Cordoba belongs to the three big cities of Andalusia, but it is some­what quieter than its sisters. Major attrac­tions include the Juderia, the Jewish-Moorish district and the Mesquita, once one of the largest and most beau­tiful mosques in the world and now a Roman Catholic cathedral. Those wishing to escape the throngs of tourists should go just a few streets further into areas frequented by locals.

Don Juan's home­town is an espe­cially exciting place during the Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week) and Seville Fair festivals, which involve week-long, lively cele­bra­tions. Although Seville has less Moorish archi­tec­ture than either Cordoba or Granada, the townscape is consid­ered partic­u­larly “Andalu­sian.” Many major and minor sights can be seen along the route from the Real Alcázar, the Royal Palace, to the Barrio de Santa Cruz, a picturesque district with an abun­dance of small squares and court­yards deco­rated with flowers. Outside its histor­ical center Seville has many modern suburbs created by the recent economic boom: new neighbor­hoods have sprung up practically overnight, resulting in a traffic grid­lock that is not limited to the rush hours.

Two mountain ranges cover the sparsely inhabited northern regions of Portugal's south­ernmost province. Between these mountains and the sea lie rolling hills of fertile land that produces up to four harvests a year. This area is hemmed in by a narrow coastal strip in the far south. While the mountai­nous West Algarve is incred­ibly scenic, most beaches and resorts are found in the east. The temper­a­ture rarely falls below 10° C in the winter, and the summer heat is tempered by a fresh breeze from the Atlantic Ocean.

With the great discov­eries of the 15th century, Lisbon became one of the richest cities in Europe. The heyday of the city was abruptly ended by a terrible earth­quake in 1755, which killed over 90,000 people. Although it was gener­ously rebuilt, Portugal's capital never regained its former importance and did not become a modern metropolis until the late 20th century.
The cityscape is char­ac­terised by great differ­ences in alti­tude with magnif­i­cent vantage points, often with terraces. Oldest district is the picturesque Alfama east of the cathedral with narrow stairways, hidden back­yards and idyllic squares.

Sintra served as the summer resi­dence of Portugese kings for 800 years. The National Palace now contains a museum that is open to the public (closed on Wednesday). The mild climate and scenic landscapes attracted wealthy resi­dents from other parts of Europe who tried to outdo each other in the construc­tion of lavish villas. The result was a curious ensemble of castles and mansions that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The archi­tectural attrac­tions of Sintra are enhanced by the natural beauty of the surrounding country­side as it slopes down to the sandy beaches and coves along the coast. The beaches can be crowded on week­ends.

College students still make up one-fifth of the popu­la­tion. The scenic old town features a wealth of historic build­ings. The old univer­sity library has the most beau­tiful Baroque hall in the country and houses over 30,000 volumes, including 2,000 price­less manuscripts. The Kathedrale Sé Velha resem­bles a fortress, and the Augus­ti­nian Monastery of Santa Cruz houses the final resting place of the Portuguese king Afonso Henriques. Here, you can examine the the Manue­line archi­tec­ture, which was an ornate style introduced during the reign of King Manuel (1495 to 1521) and which repre­sents a curious mixture of Gothic orna­ment and nautical motifs from the early Colo­nial Period.

Never­the­less, the 2,000-year-old city on the Rio Tormes remains one of the most popular tourist destina­tions in Spain, due in no small part to the histor­ical univer­sity which has shaped the local history and produced a large number of renowned scho­lars. It was thus here that Columbus presented his ambi­tious plan to reach the West via India to a group of skeptical professors. Today Salamanca is home to over 40,000 students, which explains the city's cosmopol­itan flair and vibrant night life. The entire Old Town with its numerous regis­tered landmarks from the 16th century is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.