Madrid, Spain
El Oso y el Madroño (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree)
This sweet-toothed bear searching for snacks has been a symbol of Madrid for decades.
Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Madrid, Spain
This sweet-toothed bear searching for snacks has been a symbol of Madrid for decades.
Guadalajara, Spain
Originally used to sell brandy, the bull-shaped billboard became an iconic symbol of Spain.
Bilbao, Spain
Giant topiary dog once played a role in a terrorist bomb plot.
Córdoba, Spain
Spain's unique Mosque-Cathedral has been a place of worship for both Muslims and Christians throughout its history.
Cartagena, Spain
An ancient Roman theatre restored to its former glory in the Spanish city of Cartegena.
Barcelona, Spain
The oldest giants in Catalonia are now displayed in a 14th-century Gothic church.
A Coruña, Spain
The oldest Roman lighthouse still in use.
Antequera, Spain
Rare karst landscape eroded from a flat seabed.
Júzcar, Spain
This quaint Spanish village agreed to be painted blue as a marketing stunt but found that they preferred it that way.
Valencia, Spain
This massive fiberglass Gulliver turns every visitor into a Lilliputian.
Figueres, Spain
Giant eggs, walls of bread, and nightmare surreality mark the largest collection of works by Salvador Dalí.
Zugarramurdi, Spain
This Navarrese cave's history of witchcraft and pagan ritual is not just embraced, but recreated each year.
Estella, Spain
A landscape decorated with enormous skull sculptures.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Spain
Hundreds of stone stairs and a winding medieval bridge connect this haunting Spanish island to the mainland.
Zugarramurdi, Spain
A museum dedicated to the Spanish occult in a town that was terrorized by the Inquisition.
Ronda, Spain
Three bridges and one giant canyon make up this fantastic Spanish settlement.
Barcelona, Spain
Construction of Barcelona’s iconic (but controversial) church was finally completed in 2026—a century after the death of its architect.
Hendaye, France
The eclectic observatory castle of a 19th-century astronomer and explorer.
Colmar, France
A copy of the Statue of Liberty greets visitors to the birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi.
Bugarach, France
Small French town or alien garage?
Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, France
The world's largest solar furnace uses 10,000 mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays to generate power.
Chartres, France
The largest crypt ever constructed in France was built in the 11th century on an ancient Druid sacred site.
Lourdes, France
Beneath the city of Lourdes, France is a massive, concrete church.
Fleury-devant-Douaumont, France
Site of one of World War I's most horrific scenes.