Time and location to be indicated, departure and journey through Ciudad Rodrigo to Salamanca. Lunch. Brief visit to the wonderful Plaza Mayor, one of the most beautiful in Spain. Then continue through Valladolid and Burgos. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel and departure to visit the wonderful Cathedral, considered one of the most important in Europe in the Gothic style. Inside we can see the various Chapels, the most famous of which are S. Nicolau (the oldest); that of the Holy Christ, with the venerated Christ of Burgos who is attributed to Nicodemus; and that of the Constables. At the end, trip to Bilbao. Lunch. In the afternoon visit the city of Bilbao, the heart of a metropolis with more than a million inhabitants. Since its foundation more than 700 years ago, it has been a driver of social and economic development and a fundamental factor in the modernization of the Bizkaya area. Afterwards, visit the spectacular Gugenheim Museum, a wonderful building with avant-garde architecture that houses works of art of global importance. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
After breakfast, departure towards Lourdes. Arrival in the early afternoon. Installation at the hotel and lunch. Afterwards, visit the city, a large religious center. On February 11, 1858, Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879), daughter of the village miller, had a vision of the Virgin at the age of 14, which occurred to her in the cave of Massabielle; the vision was repeated 18 times. After the first appearance, the first miraculous feats began to occur. Every year, Lourdes is visited by millions of pilgrims and patients. Visit to the Sanctuary, with its 3 overlapping Churches (the Crypt, the Basilica of the Rosary and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception), the underground Basilica (with capacity for 20,000 people); ”Cachot”, the Wax Museum, etc. Dinner at the hotel. At night, you can watch the imposing candlelight procession that takes place every day near the Grotto.
Breakfast and lunch at the hotel. In the morning Celebration of Mass. Then free time for independent activities or personal visits. In the afternoon, travel through the Pyrenees to the Principality of Andorra. Andorra-La-Vella is a modern city, located at the confluence of two valleys, a lively center of tourist, sporting and, above all, commercial attractions. Late afternoon arrival. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Breakfast and lunch at the hotel. Free morning for shopping. In the afternoon, travel to Montserrat, in Spain. Time to visit the Benedictine Monastery, founded in 986, and the Basilica of the Black Virgin of Montserrat. At the end we will head to Barcelona. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Stay at the hotel on a full board basis. In the morning, departure for a tour of the city, guided by a local guide, highlighting: the city center, the Temple of the Sagrada Familia Montjuich, etc. In the afternoon climb to Tibidabo (from where you can see one of the most impressive views of Barcelona) with the beautiful Church, where the famous image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is always on display.
Breakfast at the hotel and departure to Zaragoza. Time to visit the Temple of the Virgen del Pilar, a masterpiece of Aragonese baroque. Lunch. In the afternoon continue on the motorway towards Madrid. Accommodation and dinner at the hotel. In the evening, departure for a night visit to the city of Madrid, one of the busiest European capitals. Return to the hotel. Accommodation.
After breakfast, departure to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a living monument, testimony to Spanish grandeur in times gone by. Due to its universal renown, it was declared a Historical Artistic Monument in 1971, and thirteen years later, on November 2, 1984, UNESCO highlighted it as a Monument of World Interest. Possibility of outside visits. Then continue to Ávila, a walled city. The walls, from the 11th century, are more than 2000 meters long and are punctuated by 88 cylindrical towers; the eastern section forms the apse of the Cathedral, with an unusual fortress-like exterior and the interior displaying a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Many of the city’s religious temples are associated with Saint Teresa of Jesus, such as the Convent of Santa Teresa, built on the site of the house in which she was born, or the Monasterio de la Encarnación, where she lived for 27 years. Also noteworthy is the Royal Monastery of Santo Tomás, built by order of the Catholic Monarchs and completed in 1492; with three beautiful interconnected cloisters, it also includes a museum of sacred art. Lunch. In the afternoon, at the time to be indicated locally, we will head to the starting point.
