Visiting Spain to discover more of what this fascinating country has to offer? Interested in learning more about Spanish history or its natural wonders? Why not start with some of its outstanding heritage sites?
Worldwide, only three countries can boast more UNESCO World Heritage sites than Spain. Forty-nine sites across the country have been deemed of “outstanding universal value”. The list includes cultural, natural and mixed heritage sites.
You can preview the sites from the comfort of your home using the overview below. On the list you’ll find treasures such as the Alhambra, beautiful churches and cathedrals that include the Romanesque church of Vall de Boí in the Pyrenees, and stunning landscapes such as those of the Serra de Tramuntana on the island of Mallorca and the Doñana National Park in Andalusia. Or perhaps a visit to the medieval walled town of Cuenca, the old town of Santiago de Compostela, or the unique buildings designed by artist Antoni Gaudí is more to your liking?
Many of these treasures are easily accessible. Most of the sites are located on the mainland, from Asturias and the Basque Country in the north to Andalusia in the south. But you will also find protected heritage sites in the Canary and the Balearic Islands.
Cultural (43)
•Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada (1984,1994) •Antequera Dolmens Site (2016) •Aranjuez Cultural Landscape (2001) •Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida (1993) •Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco (2000) •Archaeological Site of Atapuerca (2000) •Burgos Cathedral (1984) •Caliphate City of Medina Azahara (2018) •Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí (2000) •Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville (1987) •Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain (1985,2008) •Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana (2011) •Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija (2012) •Historic Centre of Cordoba (1984,1994) •Historic City of Toledo (1986) •Historic Walled Town of Cuenca (1996) •La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia (1996) •Las Médulas (1997) •Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid (1984) •Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias (1985,1998) •Mudejar Architecture of Aragon (1986,2001) •Old City of Salamanca (1988)
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•Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches (1985) •Old Town of Cáceres (1986) •Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct (1985) •Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona (1997) •Palmeral of Elche (2000) •Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences (2021) •Poblet Monastery (1991) •Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde (1998,2010) •Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza (2003) •Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape (2019) •Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula (1998) •Roman Walls of Lugo (2000) •Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain (1993,2015) •Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe (1993) •San Cristóbal de La Laguna (1999) •San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries (1997) •Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) (1985) •Tower of Hercules (2009) •University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares (1998) •Vizcaya Bridge (2006) •Works of Antoni Gaudí (1984,2005)
Here is link to the page that lists all of the 49 Spanish sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List: https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/es/.
Maintaining a protected UNESCO heritage status is quite expensive and not all sites are able to stay protected. But that is the subject for a future post.
Find Your Spain!
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