Traveling through the most popular cities of Spain and knowing what to see and when to see it on escorted Spain tours is imperative when visiting one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in the world... This is what we will be discussing today, so if you are on the verge of planning for a trip to Spain, keep reading. On the subject of diversity, the cultural diversity in Spain is a dominant force that's been in existence for centuries! Each of Spain's seventeen regions has its own flavor, personality & customs, which you can see What's distressing is the fact that it wasn't until after 1975 that all seventeen regions were given full freedom to be themselves. This bring us to the most popular cities of Spain and what to see while on escorted Spain tours...

Barcelona

Barcelona is possibly the most out of place city in all of Spain... Why? Because it's so modern! Would you believe that Barcelona has been modern since before the 20th century? One name should spring to mind and it's Gaudi, Antoni Gaudi born on June 25th, 1852 in Reus Spain. Not only was Gaudi a genius in the realm of Catalan Modernism, he was the best! Masters of the movement like Ramon Casas, Santiago Rusinol, Joaquin Mir Trinxet and Alexandre de Riquer didn't have what Gaudi had... Gaudi was like the Jay Z of Catalan Modernism in that he was able to direct without ever touching blueprints! Like Jay Z can record an entire album without writing a single lyric on paper, Gaudi could erect a masterpiece straight out of his mind without ever putting it on blueprints. A trip to Spain isn't complete without visiting Barcelona. The best part about Barcelona is that it's a major port city, which means Mediterranean began as well as end there! Therefore, if you're unable to go on a tour of Spain (iot would be a shame!), you can always take a cruise out of there and tack on some pre or post nights to experience Barcelona. The main sites to see are Las Ramblas, which is a long pedestrian street that's lined up with markets, cafes, and street buskers performing. La Sagrada Familia Basilica is the second most visited basilica in all of Europe following St. Peter's Basilica in Rome... Less than a year after construction began on the Sagrada Familia,Antoni Gaudi took over as lead architect on the project in 1883. In 1926, Antoni Gaudi was struck by a bus and died shortly after arriving at the hospital, leaving the project unfinished without any trace of blueprints or drawings providing instructions on how to go on. This was in 1926... Construction is still ongoing today!! Gaudi Park is another site to see while in Barcelona. The park itself looks almost like a Salvatore Dali picture in that it does not have a single straight line, with exception to some of the columns and even then they're constructed with curves.

Granada

In addition to being the southern-most city in Spain, Granada was mostly occupied by the Moors or Muslims during the Middle Ages. The Moorish fortress/palace famously known as Alhambra, was in the possession of the Moors for a short while after Roman rule (1333) up until Spain took the region back in 1492. The palace became home to Ferdinand and Isabella who gave Christopher Columbus their royal endorsement for his expedition at that same palace! In addition to the Alhambras, their is also Sierra Nevada National Park, Moroccan Tea Cafes and Arab bathhouses.

Madrid

Serving as the capital of Spain, Madrid is by far the most populated city in Spain and third largest city in all of Europe... While not as modern as Barcelona, Madrid has kept up with preserving its streets and infrastructure throughout. Some of the sites to see are the city's three major museums (Prado Museum, Reina Sofia Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum). There's also the Golden Triangle of Art located along the Paseo del Prado, one of Madrid's major boulevards. Another great and popular attraction is the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home to the Real Madrid Soccer Team. And if you're interested in city squares, one of the busiest is "Puerta del Sol". As for dining, one of the seven oldest restaurants in the entire world is located in Madrid: Sobrino de Boutin, was established or first opened in 1725! It is still one of the best restaurants in all of Madrid!

Seville

Although Flamenco can be experienced throughout Spain, Seville is the birthplace of this fantastic and alluring art-form... Some say Flamenco predates Roman occupation, others also say the word itself derives from the Hispano-Arabic word "Fellah Mengu" meaning expelled peasant, while others say the word derives from the Spanish word meaning Fire or Flame. I tend to believe it's definitely somewhere in the middle because the fiery strums of the guitar and wild stomps of the shoes seem almost as a passionate demonstration of something that has both dancers and guitarists inflamed about something. Some of the sites to see in Seville are Christopher Columbus' tomb, the $102 million Metro Parasol project aka "Las Setas" aka "The Mushrooms", which is a structure started in 2004 and completed in 2011 to re-energize the Plaza de la Encarnacion.

Valencia

In addition to being the third largest city in Spain following Madrid and Barcelona, Valencia is also the home of the popular seafood dish served throughout Spain and the world, Paella... If you're big on sports, Valencia hosts some of the most renowned sporting events anywhere, beginning with Soccer or Futbol, American Football, Rugby and motorsports. Did you know that Valencia hosted the European Formula One Grand Prix from 2008 to 2012 before permanently switching to DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters).

Once again, Spain is one of the most beautifully diverse countries in Europe and it's very much worth you visiting... Aside from the many fascinating cultures that sprout throughout each of Spain's 17 regions, The Pyrenees, Picos de Europa and snow-capped Sierra Nevada are worth seeing and experiencing. As for culinary delights alone, Spain has it all in terms of Tapas, Wine, Paella, one of the oldest restaurants in the world... Spain is synonymous with all the above (Spanish cuisine, Flamenco, different cultures, art, sports...) and so much more!