Culture in Spain

As we all know, Spain is a country with a rich culture.... And the fact that Spaniards are proud of it is also evident! Many world heritage sites can be found and Spanish history has many literary writers and artists. The Spanish culture is not only noticeable in Spain, due to colonization much of South America has also been heavily influenced by Spanish culture!

By Spanish culture we mean the language, religion and history of Spain. But of course this also includes customs such as the many holidays and fiestas, siesta keeping and high regard for the family. Spanish food certainly cannot be missing from this list either! The wide variety of sausages such as chorizo, jamón ibérico or jamón serrano are typical of Spanish culture, as are paella, gazpacho and tortilla de patatas. A characteristic of the Spanish is that they have a ´tranquila mentality´, take it easy!

Spanish history shows how the Spanish passed on their culture to other countries. When Spain established colonies in many countries in South America between 1492 and 1898, Spanish culture was also transferred. In total, the Spanish empire consisted of parts in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Spain also left its mark in the Netherlands, just think of the national anthem: ´´...den koning van Hispanje heb ik altijd geëerd...´´.

Famous artists from Spanish history include Gaudí, Diego Velázquez, Pablo Picasso, El Greco and Francisco de Goya. The works of these artists can be viewed in Barcelona and Madrid, among others (highly recommended in this city is the Prado museum). But there is also much to see in Seville, where Diego Velázquez was born. As is the Picasso museum in Málaga. But, not only in Spain can Spanish art be admired. Spanish art is world famous and therefore can be found everywhere.

Of course, it is not only painters who have made Spanish culture so strong. Famous writers of Spanish literature include Luis de Gongora, Antonio Machado, Fernanado de Rojas, Pablo Neruda and Miguel de Cervantes, creator of the famous story of Don Quijote. Each of them played an important role in Spanish literature.

World Heritage sites in Spain can be found in many places. Typical are the old centers, universities and cathedrals. For example, you can visit the old town of Salamanca, the historic center of Cordoba or in Madrid the monastery and site of the Escorial. Also worth visiting are the Alhambra, Genralife and Albaicín in Granada.