Lonely Planet - Lonely Planet Experience Spain (Travel Guide)

Spain is Europes most passionate
country. It is also one of Europes most
beautiful.

This is a country full of soul-stirring
landscapes arresting mountain ranges
that rise like the ramparts of natural
fortresses across the country, a coastline
of unrivalled variety, backed by charming
seaside villages, vast horizons and glo
rious beaches. Spains natural beauty is
sweeping and exceptional but its not just
for looking at. The options for exploring
the natural realm are endless, from hiking
the high country to snorkelling the Med
with so much more in between.

Theres no finer introduction to the
Spanish soul than through its food. Food
and wine are national obsessions here
with good reason. The touchstones of
Spanish cooking are deceptively simple:
incalculable variety, strong traditions
of recipes handed down through the
generations, and an innate willingness to
experiment and see what comes out of
the kitchen-laboratory. You may experi
ence the best dining ever over tapas in an
earthy bar where everyones shouting, or
over a meal prepared by a celebrity chef in
the refined surrounds of a Michelin
starred restaurant. Either way, the
breadth of gastronomic experience that
awaits you is superb.

Poignantly windswept Roman ruins,
castles and cathedrals of rare power, and
incomparable jewels of Islamic architec
ture also speak of a country where the
great civilisations of history have always

risen, fallen and left behind their indelible
mark. More recently, what other country
could produce such rebellious and relent
lessly creative spirits as Salvador Dal,
Pablo Picasso and Antoni Gaud and place
them front and centre in public life?

For all such talk, this is a country that
lives very much in the present. This book
is, therefore, not broken up into sights or
hotels or restaurants, or primarily into re
gions, but into five chapters that take you
to the very epicentre of Spanish life:

Tradition & Passion: Flamenco, Food
& Family

The Good Things in Life: Living la
Buena Vida

Living History: Monuments of Art &
Architecture

Modernity: Design, Style & Innovation
in Spanish Life

Adventure: Exploring Wild Spain

Spain rewards those who visit in the spirit
of full immersion and this book takes you
into the heart of the Spanish experience.
Perhaps youll sense it along a crowded
post-midnight street when all the world
has come out to play. Or maybe that mo
ment will come when a flamenco perform
er touches something deep in your soul.
Whenever it occurs, youll find yourself
nodding in recognition: this is a place
where anything can happen.

...and with that,

welcome to Spain

Left Plaa dEspanya , Barcelona

Legend & Luxury:
Stay in a Parador

The Mountains of
Picos de Europa

Chasing Cheese
& Cider in Asturias

Alhambra: The
Jewel of Granada

Montserrats Mountain
Monastery

Castles & Cathedrals
Through the Ages

On the Trail: Horse
Riding in Andaluca

Cantabrias
Prehistoric Cave Art

Nerves of Steel: The
Swords of Toledo

Underwater Treasures:
Museo Atlntico

Pintxos Route in the
Basque Country

Kalimotxo: An Iconic
Summer Cocktail

Bucking Tradition:
The Bullfighting Debate

Cycling the Railways
of Andaluca

El Caminito del Rey:
The Path of the King

The Inland Beach:
Playa de Gulpiyuri

Epic Rail Journeys:
El Transcantbrico

Sierra Nevada:
Hiking Las Alpujarras

The Unspoilt Mediterranean:
Cabo de Gata

Dance of the Devils:
Festes de la Merc

The Holiday Season
in Barcelona

Madrid through the
Eyes of an Artist

Sunday Afternoon: