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Caceres

Caceres is the capital city of the province of the same name in Spain. This is one of the most beautiful regions in Spain with many historical sites, rural towns and beautiful nature. City of Caceres came under the protection of UNESCO in 1986. This is the place where many famous historic battles took place and people who lived there left a lot of their heritage. All around the city the Roman, Islamic and Gothic remains are still visible. The first evidence of human settlement in this region is from the Paleolithic era. When the Romans occupied the city in 25 BC, Caceres became an important strategic city in the Roman Empire. Before the Arabs conquered the city in the 7th century, Barbarians and Visigoths demolished it. In the 13th century, Caceres became a Christian city again, and at that time it had a significant population of Jews. After the Discovery of America, many families from Caceres gained fortune in the New World. The city, famous for its wealth, became the capital of the Extremadura province.

Caceres has many historical quarters where visitors can see old buildings, palaces, churches and towers. At the entrance of the city is a magnificent gate - Arco de la Estrella. The gate was built in the 18th century in order to replace the previous one from the medieval period. Passing the entrance, people can see the Plaza de Santa Maria - a medieval square surrounded with beautiful palaces. Built between the 15th and 16th centuries, the Carvajal palace is one of the most magnificent in the city. It has a lovely courtyard with a thousand-year-old tree. The biggest palace in the city is the Mayoralgo Palace. Built in the 16th century, it has a big courtyard and the Episcopal Palace. A Gothic cathedral - Santa Maria Pro is situated nearby. This three naves building has many things to show: beautiful main altar, many sculptures and tombstones. Here is a famous image of "Black Christ". The story says that all those who looked at the picture died. If you "survive" the Black Christ image, visit the San Mateo church from the 15th century, Church of Santiago, city walls and other numerous palaces.

Caceres is famous for its domestic sweets and pastries. Also, tasty red wine and ham are well known products of this region. They still make cheese by traditional methods. Do not miss trying pork or lamb in Caceres or some of the liquors such as cherry, chestnut or blackberry liquor. Many of these products are officially recognized by the Spanish government and are exported abroad.

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Aragon

Aragon is a Spanish region situated in the northeastern part of Spain. The capital city of Aragon is Saragossa. Aragon has a population of over 1 million citizens. Citizens speak Spanish, but this is only the official language in Aragon, so they also speak their own language - Aragonese.

Aragon has an impressive historical heritage. Cave paintings from prehistoric times show that this area was settled many centuries ago. Later Romans left their strong mark, still visible today on many town defensive walls, bridges and beautiful mausoleums. The footprints of Islam are also visible in Aragon. One of them is the magnificent Palace of Saragossa - Aljaferia.

Aragon became a kingdom in the beginning of the 11th century. In the end of the 15th century, Isabella of Castile married Ferdinand II of Aragon, so Castile now was attached to Aragon as well. In the Middle Ages, many monasteries were built. The most popular from that period is the Monastery of San Juan de la Pena. Later, many castles and urban city areas were built as well.

Saragossa is the most visited part of Aragon. This town is full of ancient and medieval monuments. The most popular are Cathedral of San Salvador, defensive walls from the Roman period, Aljaferia - an Arab palace and many other churches. You can also visit two other big cities in Aragon - Huesca and Teruel. However, many visitors like the activities that Aragon can provide them outdoors. Aragon has magnificent landscapes. Situated in the middle of Pyrenees, it has beautiful mountains with rivers, lakes and glaciers. It also has wide valleys. Many tourists visit Aragon for hiking. It has a wide range of all kinds of hiking paths. Some of them are very long. There is a custom of marking long paths with white and red colors and short paths with white and yellow. Aragon has several spas, hidden on its mountains next to the lakes and rivers. The most visited are on Javalambre and Iberian mountains. All around them are springs with medicinal waters, so these spas are perfect places for rest. Aragon's rivers are also used for rafting and driving canoes - very popular sports here. During winters some of them are used for skating outdoors. Winter is also a perfect time to visit Aragon. People from all over the world come here to ski, drive snowboard, do cross-country skiing, cruise rackets and ski touring. Summers are perfect for water-skiing, riding bus-bob, kayaking and sailing.

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Spain - O Grove

O Grove is a municipality situated in Galicia, Spain. Examination of the old sea maps shows that O Grove was an island in the past. However thanks to the strong winds that gathered sand into the isthmus, O Grove is today connected to the mainland at the beach Lanzada. Inhabitants live from fishing and farming oysters and scallops. These sea products are often on menus of the local restaurants. Near O Grove is the well-known spa, Illa dela Toxa, specialized for skin and respiratory diseases.

You can travel by plane, car, bus or train to O Grove. Vigo is the airport 65 km away from the city center and the international airport Santiago de Compostela is 80 km away. From the airport, you can take a taxi to the bus or rail station. From these stations, there are direct buses and trains to O Grove.

Monastery of Santa Maria in Armenteira was built in the 11th century by the Cistercian order. This order was found at the beginning of the 11th century by the knight Ero de Armenteira. After the sale of church lands in the 19th century, the monastery was abandoned, but today it has been rebuilt. The monastery's tower, the cloister and the kitchen are made in Baroque style. San Juan Monastery was built in the 7th century in Renaissance style. During the 19th century it was abandoned, but today monks from the Order of La Merced ("order of mercy") live there. Basilica Santa Maria la Mayor built in the 16th century is a jewel of the Gothic architecture in Spain. This magnificent church has a sculpture of Christ that lies next to the south doorway. Museum of Contemporary Art has works in different disciplines: architecture, video, fashion and design. This is the place where many conferences are held and the place that displays national and international exhibits. Also, there is a tendency of encouraging the research of avant-garde Galician authors.

O Grove has magnificent beaches. If you get off the road that leads to La Toja Island, you reach the Vilamarin, a very big, sandy beach. Raeiros Grove, also known as Manoco is a beach with turquoise blue water. Perfect beach for fishing and bathing is Playa de Lobaquera. Located in the town, it has parking facilities and the shipyard is close to the beach. For those who are looking for a peaceful place for fishing, Pateiro beach is the perfect match. Situated next to the Celtic necropolis excavations, this beach is surrounded by rocks. Mexilloeira is divided into two parts. One part of the beach is straight and another is shell-shaped. This lovely beach is surrounded by sand dunes. Near the San Vicente sailing club, there is a quiet beach called Espino, perfect for a family vacation

with small children.

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Spain - Gijon

Gijon is an industrial city situated on the coast of Asturias in Spain. The town itself has a long history. The oldest material remains are in the form of human settlements that go back to pre-history. As the Roman Empire spread, the town became a part of it. In the 7th century it was attacked by the Visigoth tribes and later on by the Arabs. Apart from southern and central Spain, Gijon kept its independence and remained free. During the 11th century, many monasteries and churches were built as a result of the strong Christian influence in the town. In the 14th century Gijon was the scene of a battle. Rebellions against the crown were under a siege lasting several months, when most parts of the town were destroyed and many locals lost their lives. Gijon disappeared from history. In the 17th century building of the fortification around the city started. At that time the first monumental buildings were also built in the town. In the 18th century, the town started to trade with South America. After the industrial revolution in the 19th century, the golden age for Gijon started.

Gijon has lot of buildings and museums worth visiting. Universidad Laboral is a building built in the 20th century situated few kilometers from the city center. It was designed to be an orphanage. This enormous building has eight and a half thousand square meters of space and a theatre for fifteen hundred people. From its 117 meter high balcony tower, visitors can see a magnificent view of the town. Campo Valdes Roman Baths is another attraction of Gijon. Because of its huge popularity, it is not surprising to see queues outside. This is a museum that displays models and films of the Roman baths. Campa Torres Archaeological Park is an area where the visitors can see the remains of a pre Roman fortification. In the park there is also an exhibition of the ancient pottery excavated near the fortification.

Gijon has two big city beaches. Near the first smaller beach is situated the city marina. It has its own parking places and a railway museum nearby. The second city beach is known as the Beach of San Lorenzo. This is a very large, sandy beach with a path. It offers a number of facilities for the tourists: car parking places, a tourist office and the beautiful gardens around. The city has a large park on the hill above it - the Cerro de Santa Catalina. From this park, tourists can have a great view of the city and the nearby marina. It also has a sculpture called the “Elogio del Horizonte” and the remains of the old city walls in it. Jardin Botanico Atlantico occupies twenty five hectares and has more than 30 000 plants from all over the world. The oldest parts of this garden are from the 19th century. It also has many cultivated trees and flowers. For those who like walking, rural walks are the right thing to do. Take Nora or La Camocha to walk and enjoy the nature.

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Asturias and Cantabria

Asturias and Cantabria are the Spanish regions located in the North of Spain. More than half of the territory of these regions is mountains, so they are often called - 'Green Spain'. Apart from mountains, this area has coastal towns and fishing villages with breathtaking sandy beaches and important historical heritage. One of the greatest tourist attractions of the region is the Picos de Europa. This mountain range, which is covered with lovely green forests and located between Asturias and Cantabria, has the remains of prehistoric settlements.

Asturias became the Kingdom in the 8th century. The Kingdom was well known for its resistance to the Roman, Visigoth and Muslim invasions. Today, it is the best place in the world to see the buildings from the medieval period. The capital city of this province is Oviedo.

Cantabria has important artistic legacy as well. The main sights in this region are: the caves of Altamira, Romanesque cathedrals and beautiful towns like Santillana del Mar. The capital of Cantabria is Santander.

Places to visit in Asturias and Cantabria are countless. One of the most popular tourist attractions are the Alatamira Caves situated in Cantabria. These caves have a hidden treasure - the paintings of our prehistoric ancestors. It was at the end of the 19th century when these paintings were discovered for the first time. Some doubted if they were originals, but after confirmation of their authenticity, tourists started to visit the site. The paintings display the images of bisons and rarely of other animals (horses and deers) and they are painted mostly in red and black color. The original caves were closed to visitors in 1977 in order to preserve the paintings. A replica of the caves has been made and today only few visitors have the opportunity to visit the real caves.

Near Santander is a small town called Comillas. This town is another lovely place to visit in the region. Situated at the coast, the town has narrow streets, sandy beaches and several wide squares. Many Spanish citizens who went to America came back and settled here, bringing Modernism to Spain. The most famous building in the town is the El Capricho, originally designed by Gaudi. Today, this building is a restaurant with a lovely garden. Also worth a visit is the Pontifical University, a large building, a mix of different styles. Another interesting port town in this area is Gijon. Once a village, this town is a big industrial center today. But it still holds its authenticity from the 17th and 18th centuries. In Gijon, visit Revillagigedo - magnificent palace from the 18th century. Also, visit the cathedral of San Juan Bautista and the University in Gijon.

One of the most beautiful villages is Mogrovejo, situated on the Picos de Europa. This lovely village has historical remains from the 16th century.

There are many other places that should be seen in Asturias and Cantabria. Some of the sites are under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage.

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Castile and León

Castile and León is also called Castilla y León in Spanish language. It was built in 1978 binding the Old Castile and León and it was also a pre-autonomous region. Then later, in 1983 it evolved to an autonomous community. It covers approximately 95 thousand square kilometers of Spain and has a population of 2.5 million people.

Most of the Castile and León region is covered by mountains. Furthermore, it is elevated at 800m above sea level. The region consists of hilly peaks covered in portions of clay soil.

This region also has several rivers. Douro is the longest and it runs about 900 kilometers from its headwaters located near Picos de Urbión to the Portuguese city called Oporto. This river flows through a canyon in the famous Natural Park Arribes del Duero where it forms a geographical border with Portugal continuing to flow north.

Besides rivers, this area consists of reservoirs, lakes and lagoons. The famous lagoon is Laguna Negra near the Picos de Urbión and there is Laguna Grande in Gredos. Despite very little rainfall, this area has the largest amount of water in reserve in the whole country. The climate in Castile and León is continental Mediterranean. As interesting as this is, it varies from region to region within the area. Therefore the whole area around Castile and León experiences specific climate from Atlantic Ocean. On one side, the central region has typical Mediterranean temperatures and mild winds whereas the northeast and east sections have Mediterranean mountain climate that has a lot of rain and hot summers with harsh winters.

It is very important to say that Castile and León has 9 territories: Burgos, Avila, Zamora, León, Salamanca, Palencia, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid. Every territory has got its name from its own capital. Besides the fact that it has its own autonomy, it does not have any capital, therefore its capital is Valladolid. This city is the social and economical center of the region. The jurisdiction center is located in Burgos, although some other important government bodies can be found in Zamora as well.

Moreover, Junta de Castilla which is roughly translated as "Council" presents the executive center of Castille and Leon.

The area of Castile and León is very famous for its cuisine, national parks and decorative habitudes. From wonderful landscapes to Rocky Mountains, this might be your choice of vacation.

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