Things to do in Spain

Madrid, the capital, holds the Prado and other great art museums, a royal palace and tapas bars that buzz past midnight. Barcelona, on the Mediterranean, is the city of Gaudí, with the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter and a beach within walking distance of the centre.

In the south, Andalusia shows the legacy of Al-Andalus. Seville has the Real Alcázar, a vast cathedral and flamenco in Triana, and Málaga, on the Costa del Sol, pairs a Moorish fortress and the Picasso Museum with city beaches. Granada's Alhambra, Córdoba's Mezquita and the white villages of the hills are within reach, while the Basque Country, Galicia and the islands offer still more.

Spanish food ranges from jamón and tapas to paella, gazpacho and Basque pintxos, with meals eaten late and with relish. March brings Valencia's Fallas, with its giant burning sculptures, spring the Holy Week processions of Andalusia, and summer heat inland sends Spaniards to the coasts, while winter stays mild in the south. High-speed trains connect the major cities.