Archive for 'Architectural Gems in Spain'

Santuari de Lluc is a monastery and pilgrimage site located in north-west Mallorca, ringed by mountains, in a lush green and heavily forested plain. A stunning collection of buildings in the most scenic and peaceful of locations, it is a must-see gem. If you have found a vacation rental on the Balearic Islands and are exploring Mallorca, it is certainly worth a visit.

The Santuari de Lluc was founded in the 13th century when a Moorish shepherd named Lluc found a statue of the Virgin Mary amongst rocks in a stream on the site that would ultimately become home to the monastery. It was then taken to the nearby Church of Sant Pere d’Escorca but then was discovered to have disappeared and mysteriously found back in the stream where it was discovered the very next day. This mysterious and miraculous event gave locals pause to build a chapel on the site and the it is now considered to be the most important pilgrimage site on the island. Thousands visit each year and it has become an integral part of Mallorcan history and culture.

The Turia Gardens in Valencia is a beautiful park that is one of the largest urban areas of parkland in all of Spain. It takes up nine kilometres of greenery and is comprised of foot paths, cycling routes and leisure, sport and play areas, making it the perfect place to relax, have fun with your family or get in some exercise in a scenic setting.

The route of the park passes along the city's main museums and monuments and is formed of a unique itinerary of palm trees and orange trees, fountains and pine woods, aromatic plants and ponds, sports facilities and rose beds.

For anyone who has found a vacation rental in Valencia and is looking for somewhere to wander and truly live in the moment and enjoy their holiday, it is a great spot to spend some time!

An Egyptian Temple standing in Madrid, Spain: not what you might expect, right? Yet, that is exactly what you will find. It's the Temple of Debod and it is a genuine, reconstructed Ancient Egyptian Temple that stands, stone for stone, as it once did in Egypt!

If you are fond of oddities and strange attractions, this is a must see. In fact, we imagine most people would find such a bizarre sight and interesting background tale to be of interest. Just find a vacation rental in Madrid and see it for yourself. I mean, there are plenty of other reasons to visit the city anyway, this is merely the very odd cherry on top.

Salvador Dalí was one of the most famous artists of the 20th century and a beloved son of Catalonia. He is remembered for his bizarre, wonderful and, sometimes, frightening surrealist paintings and sculptures, his beautiful jewellery and his larger than life personality.

An eccentric dresser and an attention-seeking character fond of stunts that attracted public notice, his life was just as colourful as his work. In fact, even his death was dramatic, as he was laid to rest in a crypt below a stage in a theatre and museum that is dedicated to him in home town of Figueres, in Catalonia, Spain.

The museum in question, Figueres' Dalí Museum, was the town's historic theatre that he knew growing up and where one of the first public exhibitions of young Dalí's art was shown. It was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and rebuilt in the 1960s as a museum dedicated to the city's most famous son. It was then reopened as a museum in the 70s and expanded in the 80s.

The mountain of Montserrat, located around 45km northwest of Barcelona, in the region of Catalonia, is around 1,200m high and topped by the beautiful Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat. From a distance, it is a magical sight: stone buildings seeming to spring from the cliff-face and lush green surroundings. However, from up close, from the top, it offers the best views in the area, with a sweeping vista across almost the entirety of Catalonia. Rich in artistic and cultural heritage, surrounded by natural beauty and decidedly charming, the whole place is an incredible attraction and the perfect spot for anyone who has found a vacation rental in Catalonia.

The highest point of Montserrat is Sant Jeroni, which can only be reached by a footpath from the top station of the Funicular de Sant Joan.