The Far de Formentor or Faro de Formentor is a lighthouse on the Cap de Formentor of the same name, the northeasternmost point of the peninsula and the northernmost point of the island of Mallorca. The lighthouse is a sight and tourist attraction of the island. It is also one of 13 lighthouses in Mallorca that are in operation. The identifier is a group of four white flashes every 20 seconds. read more…
Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright who spent most of his adult life in France. Regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, he is known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, the co-invention of collage, and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore. Among his most famous works are the proto-CubistLes Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), and Guernica (1937), a dramatic portrayal of the bombing of Guernica by the German and Italian airforces during the Spanish Civil War. read more…
In the 8th century, the Iberian Peninsula saw the arrival of Arabs and Berbers who mixed with the Roman-Visigoth inhabitants, engendering what was known as Al-Andalus. This successful medieval Muslim civilisation extended, at its peak, to most of what is today Spain and Portugal, until its downfall in the late 15th century. read more…
The European Route of Historic Thermal Cities is a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. The route is supported by the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA), founded in 2011, a nonprofit organization with currently 26 members in 11 European countries (including Turkey). In the spring of 2013 EHTTA was awarded the “Cultural Route of Europe” by the “European Institute of Cultural Routes”. The Press Office of the City of Baden-Baden calls the European Route of Historic Thermal Baths the European Bathing Route. read more…
The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award is a Prize given biennially by the European Union and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona, “to acknowledge and reward quality architectural production in Europe”. read more…
The Costa Brava (“Wild Coast” or “Rough Coast”) is a coastal region of Catalonia in northeastern Spain, consisting of the comarques (counties) of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and Selva in the province of Girona. Costa Brava stretches from the town of Blanes, 60 km (37 mi) northeast of Barcelona, to the French border. In the 1950s, the Costa Brava was identified by the Spanish government and local entrepreneurs as being suitable for substantial development as a holiday destination, mainly for package holiday tourists from France and Northern Europe. The combination of a very good summer climate, nature, excellent beaches and a favourable foreign exchange rate, which made Costa Brava a relatively inexpensive tourist destination, was exploited by the construction of large numbers of hotels and apartments in such seaside resorts as Blanes, Tossa de Mar and Lloret de Mar. Tourism rapidly took over from fishing as the principal business of the area. Between beaches and hidden coves surrounded by vegetation, are 199 locations in the coastal regions of Costa Brava. read more…
The Alcázar of Segovia (literally, “Segovia Fortress”) is a castle, located in Segovia in Castile and León, a World Heritage Site. Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of two rivers near the Guadarrama mountains, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape – like the bow of a ship. The Alcázar was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then. It is currently used as a museum and a military archives building. read more…
Ibiza (Catalan: Eivissa), also known as Ibiza Town, is a city and municipality located on the southeast coast of the island of Ibiza. The city, which has a population of 50,000, is the capital and most populous settlement of the island. read more…
