Spain has about 47 million inhabitants. It is the largest country in Southern Europe and the second largest in the European Union. It is the only European country that shares a physical border with the African country of Morocco, and its official language is — Spanish — is the second most spoken mother tongue in the world.
It is an early member of the Schengen Area and the European Union, and a member of NATO and the United Nations.
With numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites and over 8,000 kilometers of beaches accessible most of the year, Spain has long earned a reputation as one of the most famous tourist attractions in the EU. But not only because of cultural heritage sites and beaches!
Bewitching nature, a mixture of different styles in architecture, Roman ruins, crazy festivals, vibrant nightlife, delicious food and very friendly locals make every visitor fall in love with themselves .
Spain — one of the most photographed countries in the world, it has everything you could ever want to see.
The architecture in Spain is amazing: the breathtaking Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao — it looks like it was built by superhumans, a masterpiece called the Basilica of Santa Maria la Real de Covadonga in Asturias, Plaza Mayor in Madrid, the old town of Ronda and much, much more.
Spanish nature unlike any in Europe. You can go to the island of Gaztelugath in the Bay of Biscay, which is connected to the mainland by an artificial bridge and on top of which there is a small church.
Or visit the natural park of Lagunas de Ruidera with 15 small lakes, the beach of As Catedrais with its natural arches and caves that open only at low tide, or the historic gold mining site of Las Medulas.
Spain has two extremes: wild noisy nightlife in big cities and quiet, peaceful atmosphere of Spanish villages, in the mountains or near the sea.
In addition, Spain has a lot of different museums, theaters and performances.
< p>No matter what time of year you are in Spain, you can always get to at least one festival. Spaniards love to celebrate, party, dance and dress up. Tourists can visit any festival and even become a part of it.
La Tomatina — festival of tomatoes, where 20 thousand people gather and throw tomatoes at each other. This original and fun tradition dates back 70 years ago and many tourists come to Spain specifically on these dates.
Semana Santa — Holy Week in Spain takes place during Easter. The festival lasts a whole week and consists of religious ceremonies that are worth visiting no matter what religion you follow. Men and women fill the streets, lighting thousands of candles in anticipation of parades of various churches and brotherhoods.
Carnival in Cadiz. With the help of humor, sarcasm, ridicule and irony, the carnival in Cadiz is able to “fix” the most pressing problems of Spain and the world. People in fancy dress fill the streets with pained faces, singing and dancing.
Wine battle at Haro. Spaniards love to throw food at each other. Wine Battle in Haro — this is when people literally pour wine on each other. The white-clad villagers enter the battle only to be left completely red.
The Boloencierro in Mataelpino. Join the Boloencierro in Mataelpino in Madrid, where hundreds of people are running from the giant 160 kg ball that rolls behind them.
Travel without having tasted the food of the country you are visiting, — this is not a journey. Spain is famous for being home to the oldest restaurant in the world that is still open today. What's more, restaurants in Spain often top the list of “The 50 Best Restaurants in the World” and many world-famous chefs are Spanish by nationality.
Dishes you must try in Spain, — these are tapas, paella, squid with freshly squeezed lemon, Spanish tortilla de Patatas, spicy chorizo and churros in chocolate — fried sugar sticks with hot chocolate sauce.
All travel bloggers who have visited Spain note in their blogs that people in Spain are very friendly. Unlike people in other Western European countries, which can be a little colder, the people of Spain are hospitable and always welcome tourists.
If you need to ask something, you can just stop someone on the street and ask a question. In big cities, most people speak English, so it's very easy to communicate. However, in smaller towns it is more difficult to find native English speakers, but sign language comes to the rescue.
Home of two of Europe's greatest football teams, Real Madrid. and “Barcelona”, Spain annually gathers millions of football fans. In particular, if you happen to be in Spain during a Champions League or Copa del Rey match, you will see crowds of football fans singing, shouting and celebrating after the match.
You can join them if you sympathize with their team. This moment will become an unforgettable memory.