By Charles Leocha

Travel columnist

updated 1:46 p.m. ET April 13, 2007

Charles Leocha Travel columnist • Profile • E-mail

Many American travelers have preconceived notions about what they will find when traveling in Europe. These expectations are often self-fulfilling, as the travelers make plans to explore exactly what they expect to find.

In Italy, they look for churches, spaghetti and sexy men (or women, as the case may be). In Germany, they expect cuckoo clocks, men in lederhosen, beer gardens and fast cars. In France, it's wine, women's fashion and gourmet food. And in Spain, the quest is almost always for flamenco, bullfights and beaches.

There is truth to many of these stereotypes, though the lederhosen are hard to find these days. But planning a visit to any country based on preconceptions risks losing the spirit of discovery. Many tourists end up experiencing a vacation on a movie set created just for them rather than engaging with the locals, who can help them enjoy the real world that surrounds the made-for-tourist images.

While every country has surprising sides to its sights and culture, Spain stands out as one of the more astonishing. Travel writers have for years focused on the extravagance of Spain's festivals, such as the elegant April Fair in Seville or the raucous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Similarly, writers since Hemingway have been fixated on bullfights, and every travel agency in the United States and Europe is lined with brochures selling Spain's sandy beaches. But there's much more to Spain than that.

In fact, Spain can surprise even seasoned travelers (including me, and I've been traveling to Spain for 40 years). The cultures of the Roman Empire, the medieval Arabs and the Celtic world are still wonderfully evident in Spain — if you look. The government has spent millions restoring crumbling monasteries and castles to create lodging for visitors. The mountains have snowcapped peaks within sight of cities where the temperature can register 90 degrees. And the restaurants offer much more than paella and sangria.

Roman Spain
Among the most surprising sights in Spain are the impressive ruins left by the Romans. The Iberian Peninsula was one of the most important parts of the Roman Empire. In fact, three of the most powerful Roman emperors, Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, as well as the philosopher Seneca, all came from Spain. The Roman legacy is seen everywhere across the countryside, whose hillsides are covered with vineyards and craggy olive trees introduced here as the empire spread.

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The Romans left more than agriculture. Their buildings in the provincial capital of Merida are among the best-preserved Roman ruins in the Mediterranean; in fact, the ancient theater still hosts performances during the summer. The Roman bridge in Salamanca now carries modern traffic. In Tarragona, just south of Barcelona, a well-preserved Roman amphitheater is only steps from the beach. In La Coruña, in the northwest corner of Spain, the only remaining Roman lighthouse in the world, the Tower of Hercules, still stands beaming over the harbor entrance. And in Segovia, one of the most impressive aqueducts in the world — a span of 120 arches — soars almost 100 feet above the main town square.

Arab Spain
The medieval Arabs, who formed one of the most advanced and enlightened civilizations in the post-classical world, settled Spain after the decline of the Roman Empire. The Alhambra in Grenada stands as one of the most sensuous palaces in Europe. The intricate detail of its decorations and the ingenuity of its water systems and gardens are extraordinary. In Cordoba, the evocative, repetitive arches of the mosque that surrounds the cathedral are almost mesmerizing.

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Other buildings and castles built by the Arabs pepper the Spanish countryside. But it's not just buildings; a pervasive Islamic influence is laced throughout the region's art, crafts, dances and gastronomy. Every discovery of a tile technique, geometric pattern on a church column, or a tapa such as dates wrapped in bacon harks back to this Arab influence.

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