Spain, a country on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, includes 17 autonomous regions with diverse geography and cultures. Capital city Madrid is home to the Royal Palace and Prado museum, housing works by European masters. Segovia has a medieval castle (the Alcázar) and an intact Roman aqueduct. Catalonia’s capital, Barcelona, is defined by Antoni Gaudí’s whimsical modernist landmarks like the Sagrada Família church.

In Northern Spain, Basque Country is known for a rich culinary culture and Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Santiago de Compostela is a holy pilgrimage city. Navarra’s capital, Pamplona, is famed for its annual running of the bulls. Eastern Spain’s Valencia is celebrated for its paella (a rice dish). In the south, Andalusia is known as Picasso's birthplace (Málaga), for bullfighting and flamenco (Seville), and for Moorish landmarks including Córdoba’s Mezquita mosque-cathedral and Granada’s Alhambra palace. Spanish beach destinations include the Mediterranean Balearic Islands, including Ibiza, and the Canaries, off Africa.