Spain is a country of travelers and dreamers that evokes a special feeling of freedom, inspiration and happiness. This is the country where such geniuses as Antonio Gaudí, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Pedro Almodovar, Federico García Lorca and Diego Velazquez were born.
This is the place where the most incredible dreams come true. Spain is a country that you fall in love with at first sight and forever. One visit is not enough to discover the countless facets of this amazing country, which will appeal to all types of travellers.
Capital: Madrid
Population: 46,794,000
Language: Spanish
Currency: Euro
Best places to visit: Barcelona, Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Tenerife, Mallorca, Valencia, Málaga.
Best time to visit: All year round.
Spain has everything a traveller is looking for: excellent ethno-gastronomy, passionate flamenco and rhythmic sounds of castanets, traditions and magnificent holidays, tales of Don Quixote and amazing architecture, as well as fabulous beaches and majestic mountains.
On the night of January, 6th, the Three Magician Kings arrive in Spain from the East and bring gifts for all the children. On the afternoon of January, 5th, the Three Kings arrive in all cities and march through the streets with merry processions that children love so much.
Carnival is celebrated between February and March, but the dates change every year. During the Carnival the streets of cities and towns in Spain are flooded with costumed processions, comic performances, parodies and fun. Every place in Spain has its own tradition of this holiday.
This bright exciting holiday has been declared an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. From the 1st to the 19th of March, Valencia hosts the Fallas, a festivity that combines tradition, satire and art.
From Palm Sunday until Easter, thousands of people come to the cities to take part in the various processions that march through the streets of whole Spain. The unique atmosphere of this holiday is one of the hallmarks of the Easter week in Spain. It is created by the sounds of drums and trumpets, spectacular colorful costumes of participants, which depict various religious characters.
Lights, colors and a lot of joy reign in Seville every year for one week. April fairs are held in several cities in Spain, but the most famous, large-scale and vibrant fair takes place in Seville. This city miraculously reveals itself in all its charm and seduction power.
Saint George’s Day is one of the most original Catalan holidays, celebrated on April,23rd. It combines culture and romance and actually unites two holidays – the Book Day and Valentine’s Day. On this day, people traditionally exchange gifts: men receive books, and women receive roses.
San Juan is a holiday when Spain celebrates the arrival of Summer. Surrounded by music, colors and firecrackers, thousands of people go to the streets to participate in this fiery celebration.
Thousands of people come to Pamplona every year to experience the risk and emotions of the popular bull run, which was immortalized by Ernest Hemingway in his novel «Fiesta (The Sun Also Rises)». The participants wear typical white and red costumes and during 9 days in a row they surrender to the festive spirit of the race, which is in the air of the city streets.
Christmas is perhaps the world’s most traditional family holiday. In Spain it lasts until January, 6th. Visiting the country from mid-December to the beginning of the new year is always a chance to get a pleasant experience from the trip. A great way to enjoy the Christmas holidays in Spain is to stroll through the Christmas markets and enjoy evening nativity scenes with a cone of delicious roasted chestnuts in your hand.
It is a big tradition in Spain to eat 12 grapes for good luck on the night of December, 31st, New Year’s Eve. One should try and eat a grape with each stroke of the chime to mark the beginning of a new happy year.
Looking for inspiration? View our photo gallery of Spain!
