A stunning medieval castle owned and restored by the famed actor Jeremy Irons.

A stunning 18th-century site where pilgrims ascend by a series of punishing stairs only to return via funicular.

This influential Renaissance-era library was once the haunt of kings and monks.

This underground church is topped with a 500-foot cross that is seen by many as a beacon of fascist hubris.

A controversial art piece that harkens back to local folklore.

These "mermaids" that surround a plaza in Segovia are rather sphinx-like.

These magnificent city walls rise from the barren sun-baked Spanish plains like something straight out of a fairytale.

The first mechanized factory in Spain is also one of the most significant mints in the history of money.

This magnificent castle grew from a small Moorish fortress, and reportedly inspired two iconic Disney castles.

An ongoing medieval tradition of communal pig husbandry is honored with a handsome granite sculpture.

1,300 chamber pots and their eccentric collector.

An unusual but excellent display created in the 1930s as propaganda against the Freemasons.

A hidden medieval crypt where a famous legend says the devil used to teach black magic.

The facade of this 16th-century building is decorated with carvings of 300 seashells.

The former home of a conniving 17th century politician is now a high-end hotel.

This Gothic church houses ornate royal tombs and a magnificent gilded altarpiece.

The most elaborate of 12 medieval arched doorways to the old city of Burgos.

A somewhat mysterious biomedical museum housed inside a Spanish university.

The gaunt visage of this angular Christ giant is enough to put the fear of God into all who see it.

Natural stone arches form a walkable "cathedral" at low tide, then disappear entirely when the water returns.

This former power station is now a museum dedicated to the region's coal-producing history.

Stormy conditions send jets of seawater bursting through holes in the cliffs.

These ungulates have quite literally bounced back from the brink of extinction.

A magnificent place to see authentic paleolithic cave paintings that are an astounding 33,000 years old.