UNESCO’s World Heritage sites in Spain

Burgos Cathedral, Castilla y León

The World Heritage Committee has added the Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic Menorca to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. 

The decision brings the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain to 50. 

The Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic Menorca The Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic Menorca are located in agropastoral landscapes and display a diversity of ancient settlements and burials. 

The constructions are unique to Menorca and include funerary naves, circular houses, and monuments such as taulas and talayots which UNESCO consider to be exceptional examples of Cyclopean architecture’s evolution over fifteen hundred years. 

The sites act as an important source of knowledge about the life of the Talayotic people, the culture that existed on the Balearic Islands during the Iron Age.

Spain’s Oldest UNESCO World Heritage Sites The oldest five World Heritage Sites in Spain, which are all approaching their 40th anniversary, having been designated in 1984 are : 

• Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada. This is one of the most visited sites in Andalucía and currently stands as the only preserved palatine city from the Islamic period. The site was expanded in 1994 by UNESCO to include the nearby Albayzin quarter. www.spain.info/en/discover-spain/alhambra-granadarecommendations/ 
• Burgos Cathedral, Castilla y León. Construction of the Burgos Cathedral began in 1221 and was officially finished in 1567. A collection of works and arts is housed inside the building’s l gothic architecture. www.spain.info/en/destination/burgos/ 
• Monastery and Site of the Escorial, Madrid. Monastery and Site of the Escorial was built at the end of the 16th Century in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama near Madrid as a retreat for King Philip II. The royal site encloses the Escorial Monastery, a monument to the artistic expression of the Spanish Catholic Monarchy during the Golden Age. www.spain.info/en/route/san-lorenzo-escorial-trip/ 
• The Historic Centre of Córdoba The Historic Centre of Córdoba was founded in the 2nd Century BC by the Romans and reached its peak in the 8th century following the Moorish conquest. The great Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is surrounded by religious sites and ancient defence structures, making the old-town of Córdoba one of the most unique city-centres in the world. www.spain.info/en/top/cordoba-world-heritage-visits-destination/ 
• Works of Antoni Gaudí The Works of Antoni Gaudí is a collection of seven buildings by the architect in and around Barcelona, including the Crypt of La Sagrada Familia, Parque Güell, and Casa Mila. Gaudí is known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism with his highly individualised style. www.spain.info/en/top/barcelona-art-nouveau-gaudi/ 

* www.spain.info 

* Leo Thomson at leo@wearelotus.co.uk