The Kingdom of Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula and has major borders with Portugal and France, as well as coastlines along the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. A member of the European Union, Spain is located both in the Eurozone and the Schengen Area, meaning that it uses the Euro, the common currency of most of continental Europe, and allows borderless travel with other nations in the Schengen Area.
Spanish tourism centers around several major cities scattered across the nation. In the capital city of Madrid, tourists can visit the world-famous El Prado museum, which showcases the works of Old Masters such as El Greco. Another popular Madrid attraction is bullfighting demonstrations. Spain is one of the few nations where this ancient art is still practiced for public crowds. The main Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Madrid is called Las Ventas and dates from 1929. It can seat nearly 25,000 tourists. Visitors staying in Spain holiday vacation homes who wish to see courageous matadors battling with huge bulls are advised to book their vacations between March and October, which is bullfighting season.
Further to the north, tourists can visit Barcelona and dine on a wide variety of fish and shellfish, including the national dish of paella, which is composed of a layer of seafood served on saffron-infused rice. Also in Barcelona is La Sagrada Familia, a world-renowned church designed by architect Antonio Gaudí, who also designed many of the parks in Barcelona. Gaudí’s signature style includes blobs of cement work that look freeform and organic, making La Sagrada Familia one of the most unusual-looking churches in the world.