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Spain is the country in the World with the largest number of cities holding UNESCO World Heritage Cities' prestigious title. Thirteen monumental centers –Alcalá de Henares, Ávila, Cáceres, Córdoba, Cuenca, Ibiza, Mérida, Salamanca, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santiago de Compostela, Segovia, Tarragona, and Toledo- share this distinction.

Castile – Leon possesses three of these jewels. In addition, this region holds another three properties inscribed on the World Heritage list: the archaeological site at Atapuerca in the province of Burgos, the untouched work of the Roman gold engineers in Las Médulas (León), and one of the roads of greatest interest to the tourist, the Camino de Santiago. They are a legacy for the international community.

United Nation’s UNESCO organization regards all those cities as “an exceptional universal value from an artistic, historical, or scientific point of view”. They constitute a unique artistic achievement, they illustrate a representative period of history and they are associated with events, ideas or beliefs of an exceptional universal importance. The term “World Heritage Cities” is officially defined this way. Impressive, isn’t it?

This is what Spain has to offer as a cultural destination. Exploring Spain’s World Cultural Cities is the best way to discover Spain’s, Europe’s and the West’s rich history.

Outline your own route, and be it Renaissance, Baroque, Plateresque, Neoclassic, Romantic, cathedrals, palaces, cloisters, convents, literary, picaresque, theatre, pictorial, gastronomic, nocturnal, sport... You will see that each of these worlds is present and conjugated in the following cities. You will easily understand why UNESCO has made them part of the world patrimony.



Alcalá de Henares – University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares
It is situated just 18.64 miles from Madrid. This is the birthplace of Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. Founded by Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros in the early 16th century, Alcalá de Henares was the world's first planned university city. It was the original model for the Civitas Dei (City of God), the ideal urban community which Spanish missionaries brought to the Americas. It also served as a model for universities in Europe and elsewhere.

Ávila – Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches
Founded in the 11th century to protect the Spanish territories from the Moors, this 'City of Saints and Stones', the birthplace of St Teresa de Jesús and the burial place of the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada, has kept its medieval austerity. This purity of form can still be seen in the Gothic cathedral and the fortifications which, with their 82 semicircular towers and nine gates, are the most complete in Spain. (See picture above)

Cáceres – Old Town of Caceres
The city's history of battles between Moors and Christians is reflected in its architecture, which is a blend of Roman, Islamic, Northern Gothic and Italian Renaissance styles. Of the 30 or so towers from the Muslim period, the Torre del Bujaco is the most famous.

Córdoba – Historic Centre of Córdoba
Cordoba's period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when some 300 mosques and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built to rival the splendours of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected.

Cuenca – Historic Walled Town of Cuenca
Built by the Moors in a defensive position at the heart of the Caliphate of Cordoba, Cuenca is an unusually well-preserved medieval fortified city. Conquered by the Castilians in the 12th century, it became a royal town and bishopric endowed with important buildings, such as its Gothic Cathedral which is considered to be the first Gothic Cathedral built in Spain, and the famous casas colgadas (hanging houses), suspended from sheer cliffs overlooking the Huécar river. Taking full advantage of its location, the city towers above the magnificent countryside.

Ibiza - Biodiversity and Culture
This island provides an excellent example of the interaction between the marine and coastal ecosystems. The dense prairies of oceanic Posidonia (seagrass), an important endemic species found only in the Mediterranean basin, contain and support a diversity of marine life. Ibiza preserves considerable evidence of its long history. The archaeological sites at Sa Caleta (settlement) and Puig des Molins (necropolis) testify to the important role played by the island in the Mediterranean economy in protohistory, particularly during the Phoenician-Carthaginian period. The fortified Upper Town (Alta Vila) is an outstanding example of Renaissance military architecture; it had a profound influence on the development of fortifications in the Spanish settlements of the New World.

Mérida – Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida
The colony of Augusta Emerita, which became present-day Mérida in Extremadura, was founded in 25 B.C. at the end of the Spanish Campaign and was the capital of Lusitania. The well-preserved remains of the old city include, in particular, a large bridge over the Guadiana, an amphitheatre, a theatre, a vast circus and an exceptional water-supply system. It is an excellent example of a provincial Roman capital during the empire and in the years afterwards.



Salamanca – Old City of Salamanca
This ancient university town north-west of Madrid was first conquered by the Carthaginians in the 3rd century B.C. It then became a Roman settlement before being ruled by the Moors until the 11th century. The university, one of the oldest in Europe, reached its high point during Salamanca's golden age. The city's historic centre has important Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque monuments. The Plaza Mayor, with its galleries and arcades, is particularly impressive. (On the picture)

San Cristóbal de la Laguna
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, in the Canary Islands, has two town centers: the original, unplanned Upper Town; and the Lower Town, the first ideal 'city-territory' laid out according to philosophical principles. Its wide streets and open spaces have a number of fine churches and public and private buildings dating from the 16th to the 18th century.

Santiago de Compostela – Old Town
This famous pilgrimage site in north-west Spain became a symbol in the Spanish Christians' struggle against Islam. Destroyed by the Muslims at the end of the 10th century, it was completely rebuilt in the following century. With its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, the Old Town of Santiago is one of the world's most beautiful urban areas. The oldest monuments are grouped around the tomb of St James and the cathedral, which contains the remarkable Pórtico de la Gloria. Santiago de Compostela is the final destination for thousands of pilgrims who do the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) every year. It is said that the remains of the apostle St. James are inside the cathedral.



Segovia – Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct 
The Roman aqueduct of Segovia, probably built c. A.D. 50, is remarkably well preserved (on the picture). This impressive construction, with its two tiers of arches, forms part of the setting of the magnificent historic city of Segovia. Other important monuments include the Alcázar, begun around the 11th century, and the 16th-century Gothic cathedral.

At lunchtime one thing is for sure: you simply must sample the famous roast suckling pig.

Tarragona – Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco
Tárraco (modern-day Tarragona) was a major administrative and mercantile city in Roman Spain and the centre of the Imperial cult for all the Iberian provinces. It was endowed with many fine buildings, and parts of these have been revealed in a series of exceptional excavations. Although most of the remains are fragmentary, many preserved beneath more recent buildings, they present a vivid picture of the grandeur of this Roman provincial capital.

Toledo – Historic City of Toledo
Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in the 16th century, the temporary seat of supreme power under Charles V, Toledo is the repository of more than 2,000 years of history. Its masterpieces are the product of heterogeneous civilizations in an environment where the existence of three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – was a major factor.

All these places are perfect destinations for a cultural holiday. In addition, you must know that there are 41 Spanish properties inscribed on the World Heritage list: 36 cultural, 3 natural, and 2 mixed. Here is the address to check them out.

And when selecting spots to visit, there is a privileged region that gathers art, history, countryside and gastronomy: Castile-Leon. We mentioned three unique towns, as well as Atapuerca, Las Médulas, and the road of the Way of St. James, which goes through Burgos, Palencia and León.

Let us stop briefly first in the archaeological site of Atapuerca.

9.3 miles from Burgos, in the area surrounding the Camino de Santiago (pilgrimage to Santiago), the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca contain a rich fossil record of the earliest human beings in Europe, from nearly one million years ago and extending up to the Common Era. They represent an exceptional reserve of data, the scientific study of which provides priceless information about the appearance and the way of life of these remote human ancestors. UNESCO declared it a piece of world heritage on November 2000.

For knowing Las Médulas, the best thing is to take a walk and enjoy its amazing landscape, the world’s largest surface gold mine dating from the time of the Roman Empire.

Castile-Leon - Magnificent, unique monuments



Castile-Leon (Castilla y León) is Spain’s, as well as the European Union’s largest subnational political division. It was formed when two ancient kingdoms united: Old Castile (Ávila, Burgos, Segovia and Soria) and the Kingdom of León (León, Zamora, Salamanca, Palencia and Valladolid), which were separated and reunited several times in the Middle Ages.

Centuries of history are reflected in a priceless cultural inheritance. Magnificent, unique monuments, streets that carry you back in time, cathedrals, castles, royal monuments, monasteries... (See Video)

Cathedrals are the reflection of the most colossal art, considered the skyscrapers of the Middle Ages, they are  monumental and historic references. All the capitals of Castile-Leon (except Soria, whose cathedral is in Burgo de Osma), plus Astorga and Ciudad Rodrigo, have one. One of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the world is located in Burgos. This architectural gem was built over the course of 500 years. The second essential Gothic cathedral is in León.

There are almost 300 castles in Castile-Leon. They are monuments of military architecture, and they are the most glorious remains of the region’s historical past.

In terms of Royal Monuments, take note of the following names: El Real Sitio de la Granja, and the Real Palacio de Riofrío, in Segovia. The Real Monasterio de Santa Clara, in Tordesillas, a Mujedar palace of immeasurable worth with the best-preserved Arab bath in Spain. In addition, the Real Monasterio de las Huelgas, in Burgos.

Monasteries' sacred temples were religious and economic predominance spots in the Middle Ages, and they are regenerated today, becoming attractive tourist landmarks of the region, due to their monumentaly and superb location next to other historical enclaves and beautiful natural environments.


Regarding natural landscapes, in Castile-Leon you will find more than 40 protected natural areas including eight Nature Reserves and eight Biosphere Reserves, including the region’s side of the Picos de Europa National Park, where you can see some of Spain’s finest Atlantic forest. In short, the diversity of its landscape is overwhelming.

Related to outdoor sports, you will find the widest offering: horse-riding, potholing, climbing, water-skiing, paragliding, ballooning and canoeing in addition to the innumerable list of sports of land, equestrian, snow, water, and air-type, among other activities.

One final note: when visiting these places with stunning cultural and natural heritage, you can sleep in fantasy settings by staying at Parador Hotels in Spain's World Heritage Cities. It is a unique form of accommodation that will awaken all your senses. Imposing castles, quiet convents, elegant palaces, typical houses, modern buildings... all have been converted into comfortable hotels. (See Video)

Visiting Castile-Leon and Spain’s World Heritage Cities will allow to relate Spain’s prime urban contribution to universal culture. History, art, architecture and nature have come together in Spain.