As a significant contributor to the colorful tapestry that is Europe, Spain has forged its national identity at the intersection of several distinct cultures. During the period known as the convivencia, Christians, Muslims and Jews all peacefully coexisted in Spain. This era of harmony and creative brilliance left its mark on the art, architecture and culture of the country. Spain’s major cities, Madrid and Barcelona, offer an enchanting mix of the expected reserved European charm, plus an offbeat, exuberant sensibility most obvious in the architecture of Gaudí. View masterpieces by El Greco and Velázquez in the Prado Museum, marvel at Gaudí’s unfinished Sagrada Familia, wander through the Alhambra in Granada and the Mezquita in Cordoba, and you’ll have seen just a handful of the attractions to be discovered in a country with more than 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.