Iberian Peninsula: From Spain to Portugal

Opened in 1916 as a market hall, the cast-iron building was converted into Madrid's first culinary market in 2009. In the mean­time a fantastic gastro­nomic range has been estab­lished there. With over 10 million visitors, it is regarded as the culinary temple and modern quintessence of Spanish cuisine. Every­thing is avai­l­able; Iberian ham, fresh seafood, Mediterranean rice dishes or special cheeses from Castile, Asturias or the Basque Country. Over 30 fixed and mobile stalls guar­antee a wide selec­tion.

Italian archi­tects were to bring the splendor of Versailles to Madrid for the Spanish king, Philip V, in the middle of the 18th century – it never­the­less became a very Spanish building: austere, square and powerful, lush and baroque, but above all gigantic. The Palacio offered the king and his court seven floors and 100,000 square meters of space. Today, 50 of the 280 royal apart­ments are open to the public. The visit resem­bles a some­what rushed short trip through a fairy­tale world full of precious paint­ings, tapestries, ceiling frescoes, stucco orna­ments, chan­de­liers, furni­ture, clocks, crockery, swords, rifles, armor, maps, books – and finally through the Royal Pharmacy. Even if there is hardly time for detail, one gets an impres­sion of the immeasur­able splendor that the Bourbons allowed them­selves, while most of their subjects lived on a little bread and lamb.

More than 200 years ago, in 1781, Charles III had the Botan­ical Gardens built next to the Prado. And more than 200 years old are also the oldest of the approx­i­mately 30,000 trees, bushes and flowers from all over the world, among which visitors wander as if in a large garden. They came from the Spanish colonies in America and the Phil­ippines. Since 2005, the Jardín Botánico has also housed the bonsai collec­tion of former Prime Minister Felipe González.

The Windmill battle of Don Quixote took place in Consuegra. Twelve windmills dating back to the 16th century are still preserved. These may also be viewed from the inside. In some the old grinding mech­a­nism can be seen, others host art and craft exhi­bi­tions.

The only pass over the Sierra Morena leads through the picturesque gorge of Despeñaperros. The mountain scenery around the river of the same name is now a nature park where lynxes, wolves, deer and eagles again live in the cork oak forests. Not always has the pass been as peaceful as it is today. In 1212  a Chris­tian army conquered the strategic pass in a bloody battle which eventu­ally led to the downfall of Moorish Andalusia.

The tradi­tional Andalu­sian manor house has twelve snug court­yards, which is why it is also called Museo de los Patios. The patios are richly deco­rated and adorned with plants and already worth a visit on their own. But also the palace itself offers a collec­tion of remark­able objects: Among other things, hand­guns, histor­ical furnish­ings and paint­ings can be seen. In May, the Palace Museum grants free access during the annual Patio Festival.

This former Jewish quarter in Córdoba is now the city's old town. It dates back to the 10th century when a large number of Jews moved into the tolerant caliphate and settled down near the Mezquita. This period of multi-reli­gious flour­ishing came to an end in 1492 when the Spanish Catholic kings took over. The Sephardic (Spanish) Jews were driven out along with the Moors. Today, Judería is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. White­washed houses with court­yards exuding the smell of flowers line the narrow alleyways. The Calleja de las Flores, where the resi­dents have adorned their houses with flowers, is espe­cially beau­tiful. The last surviving syna­gogue in Andalusia is also worth a visit.

Covering an area of over 23,000 square meters, the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is one of the largest sacred build­ings on earth. Ever since the Reconquista, it has served as the city's cathedral. Its name, “Mezquita” is related to the English word for “mosque,” and points to the building's Muslim origins. The Mosque was built on the site of a former church. After taking more than 200 years to complete, it rivaled even the most beau­tiful mosques of its day in Mecca, Damascus, Cairo or Istanbul. Upon entering, visitors are overwhelmed by the sight of a forest of columns and arches together with a supernat­u­rally beau­tiful play of colors. The inner court­yard with its Almanzor fountain is also defi­nitely worth a look.  

Hermits built settle­ments here in the heights of the Sierra Cordoba during the early Chris­tian period. Even today, it is still a place of mystical quietude, even though only a handful of monks from the Barefoot Carmelite order still live here. The obser­va­tion deck provides a lovely view of Cordoba. Those who are in good phys­ical shape can reach the hermitage by foot. The trail from El Brillante in northern Cordoba is three kilome­ters in length and is quite steep.

This castle was extremely important to the provin­cial capital of Córdoba on account of its proximity to the Guadalquivir river. It was built by the Arabs in the 8th century and was restored by the Chris­tians in the 13th century. It includes a total of nine towers, of which the two most promi­nent ones on the southern and northern sides can be climbed. These offer the best pano­ramic view of the plain. The castle's armory, cisterns and walls replete with battle­ments are still largely intact. Guided tours are also possible.

Écija, the city of towers, lies on the Genil River between the two Andalu­sian metropol­itan cities of Córdoba and Seville in a sun-drenched plain, also referred to – with little charm – as the frying pan of Andalusia. But it is also consid­ered one of the most important art centers in Andalusia, where the aristoc­racy competed in the 18th century. In the central square, the Paza de España, stand the most important build­ings: the Town Hall, the Roman Baths and the Church of San Francisco.

The city is strate­g­ically located on the Alcores, a mountain range in the central plain of Andalusia. From there you can see all the way to the Sierra Morena in the north and to the summit of San Cristobal in the south. Carmona is one of the oldest places in Andalusia and has been cont­in­u­ously inhabited since prehistoric times. Iber­ians, Catha­g­ians, Romans, Moors: all have left their traces in the city. Partic­u­larly striking is the citadel of Peter the Cruel, in which a Parador has found its place today. From Córdoba one enters the city through the Moorish city gate, which in turn is built on a Roman construc­tion.

This cable-stayed bridge over the Guadalquivir was built for the Expo ‘92 and was the world’s first cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge without backstays. Twenty-six steel cables are attached to a spar reaching a height of 142 meters and which is slanted at a 58 degree angle, causing this elegant and expen­sive struc­ture to resemble a harp.

This urban palace from the early 15th century became the prototyp­ical Andalu­sian aristo­cratic palace. Its elegance nearly exceeds that of the Alcazar and combines Gothic, Renais­sance and Mudéjar archi­tectural elements to create a symbiosis of Moorish and Chris­tian art. The “casa” owes its name to the fact that its owner allegedly saw the palace of Pontius Pilate while trav­elling in Pales­tine and recon­structed it in Seville. Today, the building houses a museum surrounding a unique court­yard. On display are paint­ings, furni­ture and antiques. The court­yard was used in 1999 for a scene in the movie “Mission: Impos­sible II,” where the flamenco dancer Sara Baras has a performance.

The 17th-century Abbey of Merced Calzada now houses one of Spain's most signif­icant art collec­tions. Works dating from the Gothic period all the way to the 20th century are on exhibit here. The collec­tion arose over the course of decades mainly through the secu­lariza­tion of church prop­erty, private gifts and acqui­si­tions on the open market. Master­pieces by El Greco, Pacheco, Velázquez and Alonso Cano are among the works on display. Of partic­ular interest are the reli­gious paint­ings of Zurbarán as well as the room dedicated to Murillo and the so-called “Seville School” of the 17th century.

This walk begins at the Alcázar and will take you to the city's major sights. It ends in the popular quarter of Santa Cruz, where you will find numerous bars, bodegas and restau­rants. (3 hrs, 7 km, eleva­tion change: 30 m)

The lagoon islands known as the IIha de Tavira are located south of Tavira and can be reached via a ferry. The low dunes and the several kilome­ters of sandy beaches are ideal for a day in the water. There is also a pede­s­trian bridge to the island further to the west.  

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This interna­tional sand sculp­ture festival is the largest of its kind in the world. The exhibit covers an area of 15,000 square meters and has a different theme every year. Artists from a number of countries work for months to construct a city using 35,000 tons of sand. You can admire the sculp­tures during the day and then enjoy an evening program of live music, theater and dance. There is also an area where anyone can try their hand at making a sand sculp­ture.

This town in the western part of the Algarve region features a lovely old town at the base of the ruins of a 10th-century Moorish castle. The sweeping view of the Serra de Monchique is reason enough to come for a visit. Aljezur is divided into two districts. The older one consists of build­ings typical of the region and is built into the hill of the castle. The more modern district of Igreja Nova was added after the earth­quake in 1755. Nearby beaches include the Praia da Amor­eira with its wonderful dunes, as well as Monte Clerigo and Arrifana.

The only hot springs in the Algarve region are located in a lush, hilly landscape six kilome­ters south of the scenic village of Caldas de Monchique. The Romans were the first to attest to the cura­tive prop­er­ties of the water, which has a temper­a­ture of 32 degrees Celsius. A resort town with elegant build­ings was built here during the 19th century. The main square is well-shaded and borders a park with centuries-old acacias and camellias. The cease­less murmur of the water as it glis­tens in the sun creates a peaceful and relaxing atmo­sphere.

This very long, sandy beach is popular among surfers on account of its large waves. Lagos has several surfing schools where even advanced surfers can receive instruc­tion, but there are also classes for novices. Equip­ment can be rented locally. Even if you do not want to go surfing, it can still be exciting watching the surfers perform their dare­devil feats. The terraces and scenic over­looks offer a spectac­ular view of the rugged landscape further inland.

This small town surrounded by cork forests is located in the sparsely popu­lated Baixo Altenjo region and not far from Ourique, where the deci­sive battle between the Moors and the army of King Alfonso is thought to have taken place. The Royal Basilica of Castro Verde was built as a monu­ment to this historic victory. Scenes from the battle can still be seen depicted on the painted tiles (Azulejos) lining the church's inte­rior.

This town near the scenic Serra de Grândola belongs to Alentejo, which was home to many farm workers during the 19th and 20th centuries. The region was known for its choral songs, which were often sung by the workers while in the fields. The singer Zeca Afonso composed his song “Grândola, Vila Morena” in this style and had it broad­cast during the night of April 25, 1974. This was the secret starting signal for the Carna­tion Revo­lu­tion, which made the city famous throughout the world. Franz Joseph Degenhard later trans­lated the text into German. When entering the town from the direc­tion of Lisbon, you can still see a monu­ment displaying the song's lyrics.

The Parque Natural da Serra da Arrábida is a mountain wilder­ness with a rich diver­sity of plant life, including wild olive trees, holm oaks and myrtles. The best place to start when exploring the park is in the vicinity of Port­inho. From there, you can cont­inue on to the Convento de Novo da Arrábida, a 16th-century monastery, and then on to the 500-meter-high Alto do Formons­inho with its magnif­i­cent scenic over­look.

This elevator joins two parts of Lisbon with each other: Baixa and Chiado, which is higher up. This dist­inc­tive steel struc­ture was built in 1902. It was orig­inally powered by a steam engine, but this was replaced with an electric motor in 1907. The impres­sive struc­ture is 45 meters high. Its two cabins are adorned with wood paneling and brass fixtures and have room for 24 people each. If you take the elevator one level higher than the upper exit, you will get to see two orig­inal elevator machines in action. The next level up opens to a café with a spectac­ular view over­looking Baixa, Chiado and Castelo de São Jorge.

The Lisboa Story Center takes you on a journey into the past of Lisbon. Each epoch from the beginning to the present is accompa­nied by an audio and video guide – also avai­l­able in English and for chil­dren. The center­piece of the inter­ac­tive exhi­bi­tion is the earth­quake of 1755, which can even be relived. The exhi­bi­tion informs about the appear­ance of the city before and the recon­struc­tion. The tour lasts one hour.

The Praça de Dom Pedro IV, as this square in downtown Lisbon is called, is a popular gathering place. This is partic­u­larly due to the two tram lines that meet here and the trains heading to Sintra. At the center of the square stands a 23-meter-high marble column and a bronze statue of King Pedro IV. He is depicted with four women at his feet repre­senting justice, wisdom, strength and temper­ance, which were virtues attributed to the king. The square is lined with lovely street cafés where you can sit and observe the vibrant city life.

This 10th-century Muslim palace used to be known as the “alcázar” and, with its promi­nent conical chimneys, is the most dist­inc­tive landmark in Sintra. From the 14th century until the 20th century, it served as the royal summer resi­dence. It features a conglom­erate of different archi­tectural styles. Arabic influ­ence can be seen in the carved wood ceil­ings and in the elab­o­rate 15th and 16th century ceramic tiles, or “azulejos,” covering the walls. The palace's current appear­ance dates back to the time of Manuel I during 15th and early 16th centuries, which saw the devel­op­ment of a pecu­liar mixture of Gothic and Moorish orna­menta­tion known as the Portuguese late Gothic style.

The Quinta from 1904 is a unique interplay of house and garden in Italian style. Sculptors, stonemasons, landscape gardeners and craftsmen have created an enchanted and at the same time royal summer resi­dence for the family of António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. Winding paths lead past fountains, viewing points and small grot­toes. At the very top you come to a well shaft, the depth of which can only be guessed at first. A spiral staircase leads to the under­ground complex. After a descent of 27 meters you have reached the bottom. Several under­ground passages lead back into the open from below.

The castle whose ruins lie in the forest outside of Sintra was built by the Moors during the 8th and 9th centuries. In the year 1147, the Portuguese king Alfons I. captured the castle and had a Chris­tian chapel built on the site. The Portuguese rarely used the building complex, whereby the castle fell into disre­pair in the course of the following centuries. The remaining walls were exten­sively reno­vated during the Romantic Era around the year 1860. Today, the orig­inal castle is mostly a ruin.

This town is famous for its enor­mous monastery palace. Construc­tion of the Palácio Nacional de Mafra began in 1711. It features a total area of 40,000 square meters and over 1,200 rooms. Its monu­mental archi­tec­ture attests to the Baroque exces­sive­ness of Portugals abso­lutist rulers. Their seem­ingly endless finan­cial resources came from their owner­ship of gold mines in Brazil. The basilica is open to visitors.

Obidos, Portugal's answer to Rotheburg in Germany, is surrounded by a 13 m high and 1.5 km long forti­fied wall. Visitors can walk completely around the town along the top of the wall, which has been preserved unchanged since the 16th century. The Old Town in the shadow of a medieval castle contains numerous patri­cian villas along the narrow streets and quaint squares. Many galleries and shops display the works of local artists. Like most places in Spain, Obidos was conquered by the Moors in 711 and only won back for the Portuguese crown 400 years later. The church of Santa Maria dates from this period and stands oppo­site the old pile of shame. The section of coast­line west of Obidos is as idyllic as it is inac­ces­sible. The best route is via Foz do Arelho, where Obidos Lagune flows into the ocean.

This lagoon on Portugal's west coast is 1.8 kilome­ters across at its widest point and reaches 5 kilome­ters inland from Foz do Arelho. During the middle ages, the lagoon went as far as inland as Obidos. Many people in Portugal come here for their beach vaca­tion. If you take a stroll along the beach or walk further inland, you may be rewarded with the sight of waterfowl and migratory birds, including flamingos.

During the Colo­nial Period, Portuguese seamen brought back a wide variety of plants with them from their voyages. Many of these were planted in the fertile mountains of Buçaco, so that a fairy-tale forest with 300 exotic and 400 indige­nous types of trees grew up here over the centuries. The forest enjoyed special protec­tion from the nearby Carmelite monks, who threat­ened to excommu­nicate anyone who cut down even just one of its trees. Toward the end of the 19th century, King Carlos built a neo-Gothic summer palace here that has since been converted into a luxury Hotel. There are several trails leading through this magical forest and some of them will take you up to the highest mountain in the area and its scenic over­look, the Miradouro da Cruz Alta.

The Serra do Caramulo is known for its healthy air and clear water – people drink the Agua do Caramulo everywhere in Portugal. Then there is also the beauty of the rugged mountains. The town of Caramulo is located at an eleva­tion of 800 meters and is surrounded by hills. In the old village, the Roma­nesque church and the pillory in front of it are worth a visit. The town is also the starting point for several hiking trails into the beau­tiful surrounding area.

The city of 20,000 inhab­i­tants is located in the famous wine-growing region of the Dão. In the 16th century it was one of the most important schools of painting in Portugal. In the old town there are still many palaces and houses from the Renais­sance. Cobble­stone streets lead to idyllic squares and churches, of which the Roma­nesque-Baroque cathedral from the 12th century is the most impres­sive.

This city was founded as early as the 6th century BC by the Celtibe­r­ians. A wild boar made of granite and dating back to this era can still be seen here today. During the reign of Caesar Augustus, the Romans came and named the town Augustóbriga. The Suebi and the Visigoths later lay waste to the region during the Migra­tion Period, and the town was refounded in the 12th century by its name­sake, Count Rodrigo. The city enjoyed its brief heyday during the Romantic era, after which it sank back into being a sleepy border town. Cuidad Rodrigo is still surrounded by its old walls, which measure two kilome­ters in length and include seven gates. Thanks to its centuries-old build­ings, the town was declared a historic site, or “Conjunto histórico-artís­tico.”