LA SAGRADA FAMILIA Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

In 1883, Antonio Gaudi accepted the commission to continue the construction of the Church Of The Poor, La Sagrada Familia.Located to the north of Barcelona, this unusual building brought about a return to the teachings of Catholicism and Gaudi devoted the last 40 years of his life to the building that remains, even to this day, unfinished.

Completed by Gaudi, the eastern facade is often referred to as the most ingenious sculpture of the century and all four of its facades have been designed to depict the life of the Son of God.The building surprises everyone with its originality yet the main interior is still an enormous building site.

The ceiling of the main church is composed of individual sections.The decorative elements contained in the many towers unite to take on the shape of flowers and fruit with subtle screw-shaped columns supporting the ceiling that creates an image of woodland.

It is only when comparison is made between Antonio Gaudis original plans and sketches and present day progress that it becomes apparent how each design element is today being painstakingly realized.

Rather than false beautification, and in order to achieve realism, each of the statues and figures derives from photographs and plaster models posed for ordinary people from the streets of Barcelona.

Terra Mystica ALHAMBRA Spain

ALHAMBRA

Built during the 13th and 14th centuries, the Alhambra is a group of buildings that overlook Granada. The finest example of Moorish architecture, it was a magnificent citadel for the Moorish kings of Spain. When the Moors were expelled from Spain the citadel was mutilated but in the 19th century it was restored to its former glory. Close by is the Palacio Del Generalife, the summer residence of the Moorish rulers the grounds of which contain fabulous gardens.

The Moors were a nomadic North African people consisting mainly of Arabs and Berbers. They invaded Spain in the 8th century and were expelled from it in the early 17th century, prior to which most had been exterminated during the Spanish Inquisition. Yet their contribution to Spain in terms of medicine, art, architecture and science, was immeasurable.

A people of commerce, learning, imagination and panache who, like so many of their kind throughout history, were eventually persecuted to near extinction.

Global Treasures ALHAMBRA Granada Andalucia, Spain

In southern Spain, majestically, yet mysteriously, the legendary Alhambra proudly rises above Granada's atmospheric old town.

After Córdoba, former centre of power of the caliphs, had fallen into the hands of the Christians in 1238, Granada became the country's new capital city. Mohammed The First ordered the construction of the Alhambra's massive walls and twenty-four watch towers above the remains of a comparatively modest fortress.

King Charles The Fifth deliberately built his palace at this location as it had once been the last bastion of Muslim power in Spain. It thus symbolised the triumph of the Christian world.

In addition to the external splendour of the Christian palace the full beauty of its Moorish architecture is only fully revealed by exploring its glorious interior.

Thus the despair of the last Nasrides ruler strikes a poignant chord today for, according to legend, when he was forced to abandon his palace to the Christian armies without a fight, his eyed filled with tears as he glanced back at his beloved Alhambra.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Vista Point GRANADA Spain

GRANADA

Since the 7th century B.C., Iberians, Romans and West Goths settled in Granada but it was during Arab rule that the city first gained prominence. Sixty thousand Muslims once lived in the old Moorish city complex on the hill above the ancient district of Albaicin.1

Granada has a truly unique and captivating atmosphere, one that has inspired poets, musicians and countless travellers from all over the world. A lively and contemporary university city and at the same time the guardian of an historic past that draws in a multitude of tourists keen to experience its special charm.

In the narrow valleys between the Alhambra and Albaicin Hills the gentle River Darro makes its age-old journey toward the city centre and the houses along the riverside have been restored to a high standard with typical wooden balconies, decorated façades and barred windows. The Banos Arabes are ancient Arab baths that date back to the 11th century.

The mighty La Alcazaba Fortress rises up from the top of a hill and is separated from the rest of the Alhambra by huge walls. The city extends to the plains below and in the background are the snow-covered mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The huge Torre De La Vela Watchtower is the highest point of the complex and was the first building of the Nasrides Dynasty.

The Alhambra served as a military headquarters, administrative centre and royal residence until the expulsion of the Moors by Christian militia. The interior of the Alhambra is like a hidden treasure that lies expectantly beyond plain red walls, waiting to be discovered. The most famous of the courtyards is the Lion Yard of which the well and ornate arcades took several years to complete.

The fiery south of Spain is a fantasy world situated between Europe and Africa. A land of passion and ancient culture: Granada is its shining pearl set amid the evocative landscape of Andalusia.

Vista Point BARCELONA Spain

BARCELONA

Barcelona is one of the most lively harbour cities on the Mediterranean and after Madrid, Spain's second largest city and the capital of Catalonia. Intimate squares, small palaces and tangled alleys provide a good insight into its history as Iberians, Greeks and Romans once had trading posts there.

La Rambla is a wide and shady boulevard that travels through the old town to the harbour and is where life goes on both night and day. It's also where street artists perform, shoeblacks work diligently and portrait painters tout for trade among the passing tourists.

The Museu Maritim Drassanes is situated in the royal dockyards that were built when the city was at its zenith. Its buildings are unique examples of Gothic architecture and the vast dimensions of the dockyard allowed thirty ships to be built simultaneously in the name of the Catalonian-Aragon crown.

Few parks are as famous as the Park Güell. With this, Antoni Gaudi created a new design concept in this fabulous garden city. At its entrance Gaudi placed a colourful lizard as a symbol of the water that is collected in subterranean cisterns and is used for the distribution of water in the park. The city itself also featured in Gaudi's magnificent fantasies. The Palau Güell was treated to an ostentatious roof with a great array of air shafts and chimneys. But the sight that captures the imagination of most who see it is the amazing façade of the Casa Mila, a unique apartment block without equal. Not a single wall is straight, glass and plaster were used for its façade and colourful ornamental ceramics complete the work.

Barcelona is a melting pot that ranges from Gothic to Modernism, a veritable explosion of joie de vivre and creativity.

Global Treasures TOLEDO Spain

Toledo is one of the oldest and proudest cities in Spain and during Roman times a large settlement was established there. Later, the Visi Goths recognized the strategic value of this city on the Rio Tajo and it became the capital of their empire.

Elevated on a mighty rock foundation the Toledo's unique location served a useful purpose for its eventual defense as the city was the scene of many a bloody battle.

In 712 A.D. the capital of the Visi Goths was violently integrated with the Muslim Empire of Al-Andalus. Throughout the centuries Toledo has been regarded as a cultural centre of medieval Spain and was known as a 'City of Three Cultures' as it was here that Arabs, Jews and Christians lived together in peace until the time when the catholic church grew intolerant of other religions.

In 1229, construction work on the monumental Toledo Cathedral began and in 1493 the Gothic masterpiece was completed. The proportions of this enormous cathedral make it one of the most spectacular in Spain.

The mighty fortress of Alcázar is a world apart from the cathedral and served as the model for the later building of El Escorial. Since its construction in the 16th century, the city's landmark was rebuilt and restored following numerous wars and hostilities.

The massive Bisagra Gate embodies yet another symbol of the fusion between Arabic Moorish and Spanish Castilian architecture.

Swathed in colourful and dramatic history Toledo enjoys a unique place among all of Spain's old and fascinating cities.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Vista Point MADRID Spain

MADRID

Madrid is Europe's most elevated metropolis, a royal capital of history, outstanding buildings and cultural treasures.

Most of Spain's royal palaces are in Madrid, the capital of Spain since the 17th century. Including the Palacio Real that even today serves as a royal castle. The colossal building of grey granite and limestone owes its impressive appearance to its length of five hundred metres and strategic elevated location.

On the southern side of the castle is Madrid's most recent cathedral, La Almudena. It boasts a combination of styles between New Gothic and Classical and was two hundred years in construction.

Madrid also has a boulevard that has transformed it into a major metropolis, the Gran Via, that compares in both flair and dimensions with the exquisite streets of Paris and New York, with splendid noble buildings along with the contemporary.

What the Gran Via a hundred years ago the Paseo De La Castellana achieved comparable renown at the end of the last millennium: a replica of Manhattan, the Zona Azca. A modern city district with spectacular skyscrapers and spacious streets where chrome, glass and concrete dominate the futuristic skyline.

The royal splendour of former times has managed to successfully combine with the contemporary, and today Madrid is no less flamboyant - a city of historic joie de vivre!

7 Days ESPAÑA Spain

We begin our journey in the Spanish province of Galicia. The Romans conquered San Diago de Compostela, a harbour city that has always been associated with the sea and since the Middle Ages it was, apart from Jerusalem and Rome, the most important pilgrimage destination in Christendom. Some centuries ago each of the large villages of the Rias Baixas prospered due to fishing as did Pontevedra whose old town has been well-preserved with cobbled streets, intimate squares and the residential palaces of the city`s former elite. Vigo is reminiscent of Liverpool in the United Kingdom and is the largest city in Galicia. In 1529 the city began to trade with South America and this brought with it a new wave of prosperity. Then followed the Industrial Revolution which gave rise to a modern commercial city with a huge fishing industry. Madrid is Europe's most geographically elevated metropolis, a royal capital of history, outstanding buildings and cultural treasures. Madrid has a boulevard that has transformed it into a major metropolis, the Gran Via, which compares in both design and dimensions with the exquisite streets of Paris and New York. Toledo is one of the oldest and proudest cities in Spain where during Roman times one of the greatest settlements was established, not surprising as it is located on a mighty rock foundation which served a useful purpose for its eventual defence. Barcelona is one of the most lively harbour cities on the Mediterranean and, after Madrid, Spain's second largest city and the capital of Catalonia. On the wide and shady boulevard of La Rambla that passes through the old town to the harbour, life goes on both day and night. The Costa Del Sol is the name of the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain. In former times a variety of bumpy roads connected this region's sandy bays and remote fishing villages where once the Phoenicians and Romans settled long before the arrival of the Moors. Malaga, Seville, Cordoba and finally Granada, the conclusion of our journey through a world of rocky coastlines and sandy beaches, magnificent cities and Moorish castles, an atmospheric land steeped in a wealth of history.

Global Treasures - EL ESCORIAL - Spain

El Escorial

Around 50 kilometres northwest of Madrid, the austere yet opulent residence of El Escorial extends up the southern slope of the Sierra De Guadarrama. It was built during the rule of King Phillip II after his father Karl V ordered him to build a magnificent church in which he would eventually be buried. The Escorial was to be a pantheon for the Spanish aristocracy and also served as the countrys new centre of authority.

In rooms such as the Pudridero the significance of El Escorial as a burial place is evident.King Phillip II required that the exterior of the building should be plain and simple in contrast to the interior with its unusual works of art and priceless treasures.

The impressive art museum contains an exclusive collection by important artist such as Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens, Van Dyck, Hieronymus Bosch, Velázquez and El Greco.

In the royal pantheon, the Panteón De Reyes, lie the coffins of eleven Spanish monarchs. The splendid marble coffins with their golden inscriptions add both dignity and elegance to this burial place.

Philipp II was not only a larger-than-life tyrant, he was also an educated man who supported science and the arts.El Escorial was his most significant bequest to Spain.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Global Treasures CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO OF COMPOSTELA Spain

The beautiful main facade of the Cathedral Santiago De Compostela rises proudly into the sky, the final destination of a legendary medieval pilgrimage route. For more than twelve hundred years the marvellous buildings of the old town, as well as the striking cathedral, have attracted visitors from all over the world. During the Middle Ages the town enjoyed great prominence. In addition to Jerusalem and Rome, Santiago De Compostela was the third most important Christian pilgrimage destination.

Its beautiful main facade combines various decorative and architectural elements that are to be found along the pilgrims' way, the Camino de Santiago. In addition to the imposing cathedral there are further treasures hidden within the historical centre of the town such as the 16th century Colegio De Fonseca.

Under the rule of Bishop Diego Xelmírez both the town and its Catholic church enjoyed much prosperity and the diocese became an archbishopric. Unlike the architectural transformation of its external façade most of the cathedral's interior has retained its original form. The church's main nave and altar, with its precious and exquisite decoration, are a remarkable religious work of art.

Santiago De Compostela: even today the town has retained all of its magic, its cultural appeal and deep religious significance.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments