163 shares SHARE TWEET SMS SEND EMAIL After spending the semester studying abroad in Valencia, Spain, I feel like I’ve gotten to know the country, its culture and its history pretty well. Along with living in Valencia and experiencing the tradition of , I’ve visited major tourist spots in Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Granada and Córdoba. I’ve seen Picasso’s Guernica, Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou and a flamenco show in Sevilla. However, I’ve also made it to some less well-known places that, in my opinion, in some ways represent Spain even better. None of these places is listed as a top destination on travel sites like or . But they are just as deserving of a visit. Castles culture, Xàtiva style After this semester, when I think Spain, I think castles. There are a lot in this country, including one on the shield on the , representing the unification of the region Castilla — which means ‘castle’ in Spanish — with León, Aragón and Navarro, and also the famed Alhambra inGranada. I toured the Alhambra when I visited Granada. Although the combined palace-fortress is impressive for its sheer size, if nothing else, I actually enjoyed my visit to the castle in Xàtiva — a small town in the Valencia province — a bit more. It’s certainly not as big or well known, but the views of rolling mountains on all sides, the town below and the view of the other side of the castle from each end of the wall provide a really cool panorama. Castle of Xàtiva (photo courtesy Gabe Cavallaro) A look at Spain’s history through Segovia Spain has a rich history of different rulers – Romans, Arabs and Christians have all controlled large portions of the country for different stretches of time and there are still marks of these times in Segovia. Easily reached from Madrid by car, Segovia and its architecture – in my opinion — provide a convenient lens through which to look at the history of Spain. First there’s the ancient , the defining feature of the city, built back in the firstor second century CE that provided Segovia’s water until the middle of the 19th century. There’s also the , which was once an Arab fort before Spain’s Christian rulers retook the city. It later became a favorite palace for the kings of Castile. And then there’s the , which is a prime example of Spain’s history of gothic architecture in its churches. Aqueduct of Segovia (photo courtesy Gabe Cavallaro) Tradition of toros in small town Jérica Spain’s reputation of being fond of bull fighting is, from my experiences, pretty accurate. Many cities have their own bull-fighting rings known as “plazas de toros.” There are two types of sports involving bulls in Spain – bull fighting and a running of the bulls. I got to experience the latter in the town of , which is nestled in the mountains to the northwest of Valencia. Sea meets mountain in Alzira Spain has many mountains and high plains, making it the in Europe. But it also has ample amounts of coastline, which makes for a sceniccombination.. South of Valencia lies a small town called Alzira where there is a mountain called “La Murta.” At the top you can see green-covered mountains to one side, with the city of Cullera, its name spelled Hollywood-style in the hills on the other. Beyond Cullera are the waves of the Balearic Sea. Quite a view. V\iew from La Murta (photo courtesy Gabe Cavallaro) Seeing the big sites in Spain is important. While these are some of my favorite places, that’s not to say I’d rank them ahead of some more frequented destinations. I especially loved Sevilla and Barcelona, and living in Valencia is great. But leaving the beaten path can be fun — not to mention a great way of ditching the tourist vibe. is a student at the University of Georgia and a spring 2015 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. , , , , 163 shares SHARE TWEET SMS SEND EMAIL Related Stories Comments