Spanien

Toledo is truly one of Spain's most magnificent cities. Dramatically sited atop a gorge overlooking the Río Tajo, it was known as the ‘city of three cultures’ in the Middle Ages, a place where – legend has it – Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities peacefully coexisted. Unsurprisingly, rediscovering the vestiges of this unique cultural synthesis remains modern Toledo’s most compelling attraction. Horseshoe-arched mosques, Sephardic synagogues and one of Spain’s finest Gothic cathedrals cram into its dense historical core. But the layers go much deeper. Further sleuthing will reveal Visigothic and Roman roots. Toledo’s other forte is art, in particular the haunting canvases of El Greco, the influential, impossible-to-classify painter with whom the city is synonymous. Though it's justifiably popular with day trippers, try to stay overnight to really appreciate the city in all its haunting glory.

Several Spains intersect in Navarra (Nafarroa in Basque). The soft greens and bracing climate of the Navarran Pyrenees lie like a cool compress across the sun-struck brow of the south, which is all stark plains, cereal crops and vineyards, sliced by high sierras with cockscombs of raw limestone. Navarra is also pilgrim territory: for centuries the faithful have used the pass at Roncesvalles to cross from France on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

The Murcia region offers a tantalising choice of landscapes and sights, ranging from the chill-out beaches and captivating coves of the Costa Cálida to the medieval magic of its towns. The ancient port of Cartagena has a magnificent array of Roman and Carthaginian ruins, while Murcia is a buzzy regional capital with pleasant parks and a cracking eating scene. Earthquake-damaged Lorca has bounced right back and its lovely old town is looking superb again. To appreciate fully the unspoiled hinterland, you will need your own wheels.

Letar du efter tips på restauranger, hotell och aktiviteter på Mallorca? Här är de hållbara alternativen som kommer göra resan riktigt schysst.

Seville seduces you. Flamenco clubs keep the intense intimacy of this centuries-old tradition alive whilst aristocratic mansions recall the city's past as a Moorish capital.

Han säger sig ha resandet och den ständiga jakten på nästa matupplevelse i sitt DNA. Han har ätit sig igenom fler än 70 länder. Streetfood eller Michelinkrogar – det spelar mindre roll. Enligt Zvonko Sokcic vet man aldrig var nästa gastronomiska lyckorus väntar.

Medelhavsklimat och storslagna vyer – det är inte svårt att förstå varför Mallorca blivit ett vandringsparadis. Förutom sol och bad bjuder ön på läckra bergmassiv och söta byar. Med hjälp av Mallorcas turistbyrå tipsar vi om några av öns vackraste vandringsleder.

The ethereal image of the multi-domed Basílica del Pilar reflected in the Río Ebro is a potent symbol of Zaragoza, one of Spain’s most underrated regional capitals. There's plenty more fine architecture here too, including a turreted castle with an interior like a mini-Alhambra, and some very creatively displayed underground Roman remains, but Zaragoza's appeal goes well beyond its monuments. Spain’s fifth-largest city (and home to more than half of Aragón's 1.3 million residents), it has one the best tapas and bar scenes in the country and is well stocked with the epoch-defining art of local lad Francisco de Goya, the genius painter who was born a short horse ride away in 1746.

Den minsta och hemligaste av de sju Kanarieöarna är trots sina vassa klippor vänlig och välkomnande. El Hierro bjuder på storslagna vandringar i omväxlande natur.

Storslagna slott, romantiska palats eller isolerade hotell i naturen. Checka in i någon av Spaniens läckra paradorer – budgetvänliga och drömmiga!