Seville is the largest town in the famous Southern province of Andalusia, best known for the impressive Cathedral with its Giralda tower, as well as the Alcazar, which also serves as a visiting residence for the Spanish Royal family. A visitor's route should also include the Town Hall, the Archive of the Indies (hosting the documents related to the discovery of America), the Fine Arts Museum (the second largest picture gallery in Spain), as well as its numerous convents, parish churches and palaces.

Granada is a jewel standing at the foot of Spain's highest mountains, the Sierra Nevada. Like many others, this city bears the marks of Roman, Moorish, and Jewish influences. The universally famed Alhambra, a complex of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty, overlooks the city. Notably, Isabel and Ferdinand lie buried inside the city's Cathedral. The famed "mudéjar" style of architecture can be spotted in the Monastery of La Cartuja and many other churches built by Moorish craftsmen.

Known as an industrial town, Bilbao is the largest port in Spain, as well as a major rail hub, serving as a departure point for most of Basque's country attractions. To international tourists, Bilbao is a place with great food and also home to the controversial $100 million Guggenheim Museum, which was designed by the famed American architect Frank Gehry. You should not allocate more than 2 days for visiting this city, as most of the sights can be viewed in less than 48 hours.

Barcelona - Spain's second city - is always on the biting edge of fashion, architecture, food, style, music and good times. Barcelona is one of the most dynamic and exciting cities on the western Mediterranean seaboard. Walk its narrow streets and wonderful plazas and discover its magic: stalls full of books, birds and flowers. Explore its new modern squares, designed by leading artists such as Miró and Barceló and every visitor will understand how Barcelona has been transformed into one of the most moderns and active cities in Europe.

Located in the heart of Galicia, Santiago de Compostela is the third-largest holy city of the Christian world. Medieval pilgrims, rich and poor alike, made this town famous by traveling from all over Europe to visit the shrine of apostle St James, whose remains are said to be buried in the city's cathedral. The city is a university town as well as a marketplace for Galician farmers. In addition, it is one of the most romantic and historic cities in Spain.

In the last few years, Madrid has gained the reputation of being one of Europe's most active and attractive cities for its nightlife and cultural activities. Capital of Spain since 1562, Madrid's museums host, among others, Dalís, Mirós and Picasso's Guernica. Madrid is a city of great contrasts: the Old City, the Madrid of the Hapsburgs, the Royal Palace, the Puerta de Alcala, the Retiro Park. At night, the city changes gears with its famous Madrid nightlife. The city's endless energy is hard to resist, and its sociable style invites you to jump right in.

Once the capital of the Spanish Empire, Toledo is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Designated Site, due to its essential historical and cultural statute. It hosted various cultures and religions, including Christians, Jewish and Muslims. That's why you cand find here a large variety of ecclesiastical monuments, among which the Cathedral definitely deserves a visit for its famous "El Transparente" altar and also the Church of Santo Tomé, host of the famous painting "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" of El Greco, born in Toledo.

Easygoing, liberal Amsterdam is "different." Its citizens, bubbling along happily in their multiracial melting pot, are not so easily poured into the restrictive molds of trade and industry. More important, you can enjoy Amsterdam, its culture, history, and beauty, without stretching the limits of your credit cards. Few skyscrapers mar the clarity of the sky and the populace mostly walks or bikes from place to place. The historic center recalls Amsterdam's Golden Age as the command post of a vast trading network and colonial empire, when wealthy merchants constructed gabled residences along neatly laid-out canals.

The greatest fortress city of Europe, Carcassone, is a fairyland, evoking bold knights, fair damsels, and troubadours. Time seems to stand still in this place filled with magic. It is separated into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Everybody comes for the Cité, the double-walled and turreted fortress that was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997.

Istanbul is one of the truly great romantic cities. Istanbul is home to a layering of civilization on civilization, of empire built on empire. A stroll through this historic city will reveal ancient Roman hippodromes, peristyles, and aqueducts, the greatest excesses of the Byzantine Empire and the mystique and power of the Ottoman Empire. In this sprawling, continent-spanning city you can tramp the streets where crusaders and janissaries once marched; admire mosques that are the most sublime architectural expressions of Islamic piety; peer into the sultan's harem; and hunt for bargains in the Kapali Çarsi.

Lisbon, a dazzling city stretching along Tagus river, makes an enchanting European capital. Its nucleus, an ancient fortress, is now circled by neighborhoods drenched with medieval charm. Handcrafts - from embroidery to leatherwork - are peddled right on the streets. At night, yellow electric tramcars continue to wind their way up and down the hills in the sound of traditional Fado songs. Ample opportunities exist for seeing popular celebrations, for shopping, and for enjoying the nightlife along the riverbank.

London just isn't what it used to be. It's better! A blend of old and new, pace and buzz alongside peace and tranquility, and an amazingly diverse cultural scene. The sounds of Brit-pop and techno pour out of Victorian pubs; experimental theater is popping up on stages built for Shakespeare's plays; and Brits are even running the couture houses of Dior and Givenchy. In food, fashion, film, music, the visual arts, and just about everything else, London stands at the cutting edge again, just as it did in the 1960s. But rest assured that traditional London survives.