The Iberian Peninsula, the southwestern tip of Europe, is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. Its area is 582 thousand km2.
The Iberian Peninsula is the westernmost and southernmost of the three peninsulas of Europe. Four states are located on its territory - Spain, Andorra, Portugal and Gibraltar. The largest of them, occupying the bulk of the territory, is Spain.
The peninsula was discovered by the Phoenicians almost a thousand years BC. It is possible that the name of the main country is of Phoenician origin. “Coast of the rabbits,” as they called their Pyrenean colony, in Phoenician sounds “And shit.” Perhaps the roots of the word “Spain” come from here.
In the III century BC, the powerful army of Carthage supplanted the Phoenicians, but the Romans captured the Iberian Peninsula in the II century BC and founded here the provinces of their empire - Lusitania and Iberia.
In the 1st century BC these provinces were ruled by Guy Julius Caesar. This warrior, like Alexander the Great, left a brief but reliable description of the conquered countries. We can say that he discovered the Iberian Peninsula for Europeans.
The rich history of the Iberian Peninsula, on the land of which many peoples passed, leaving traces of their culture here, has led to the fact that almost all of Spain is one huge historical open-air museum. And given that this "museum" is surrounded by a ring of the best resort areas in Europe and the beautiful sea coasts, it becomes clear the desire of millions of tourists to travel to Spain.
Here merged corrida and flamenco, sherry and malaga, ancient centuries-old traditions and modern cities merged into one explosive mixture. To understand the spirit of the country, forcing people to often do unexpected things, you need to go here.
The small provincial Madrid, which one morning turned 156 by the wave of the hand of King Philip II into the capital of a powerful state, was instantly filled with proud Spanish nobility, artists, officials, musicians, artisans, monks and poets. Kings built magnificent squares and palaces, decorated them with their own statues and fountains. So Madrid gradually became the Madrid that we know, and thousands of tourists come to get acquainted with.
Business prim city with the onset of twilight is transformed. Millions of night light bulbs snatch the ghostly silhouettes of ancient cathedrals, fountains and palaces from the dark. Madrid is filled with carelessness and fun. Thousands of people, tourists and locals go on a traditional Spanish evening walk - the Paseo.
And in the old capital with the sonorous name of Toledo, time seemed to stop. In this city, the 16th century still reigns. Remained the same old narrow streets, buildings and cathedrals, and even the fortress walls. And the same masters in the numerous workshops that make armor, crossbows and cold steel right in front of you from the famous Toledo steel. Foreigners eagerly posing in front of cameras in helmets and halberds at the ready, brandishing swords or daggers, trying on armor. But in the end, it all ends with the purchase of small folding knives with the signature “Toledo”.