Spain is culture

Spain’s World Heritage Cities naturally feature on its list of accessible tourist destinations. These 15 cities, whose old quarters have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, offer accessible and adapted routes for discovering its most iconic places. They are monumental, diverse and must-visit locations that strive to be open to everyone and accessible by anyone. 

Ávila, Segovia, Toledo, Córdoba… Each one of Spain’s fifteen World Heritage Cities offers an accessible walkable tourist route. An itinerary that opens the doors to dozens of museums, monuments and places of interest, as well as other tourism establishments and resources, which are adapted or have improved their accessibility options.

On the website  www.ciudadespatrimonioaccesibles.org you can find detailed information on accessibility for all types of disability (intellectual, physical, hearing and visual) both on the actual routes as well at each individual place of tourist interest and service. All the information can also be downloaded in pdf and through the mobile apps made available.

Accessible cultural route in Alcalá de Henares

Following this route through the city of Cervantes you can of course visit the sites related to the writer, such as the Cervantes Birthplace Museum and the Cervantes Universe Interpretation Centre. The tour also takes in the Calle Mayor, La Plaza de Cervantes square, and other landmarks in Alcalá de Henares, such as the San Ildefonso University-College, the Corral de Comedias (an old Spanish style playhouse) and the Cathedral of St Justus and St Pastor. The route is completed with a visit to the Regional Archaeological Museum, the Roman City of Complutum, the House of Hippolytus, the former stately home of the López de la Flor family and the Burgo de Santiuste Interpretation Centre.

Accessible cultural route in Ávila

The accessible itinerary through the famous walled city must obviously take in its fortified city walls, and other such essential sights like the Basilica of San Vicente, the Palace of Los Verdugo, the Cathedral of the Saviour, the Royal Monastery of St. Thomas and St. Peter’s Church. Apart from the modern Lienzo Norte Exhibition and Conference Centre, the route also passes through some old buildings that have been reformed, such as the galleries and cultural centres: the San Francisco Municipal Auditorium, the Palace of Superunda, the social/cultural space and library Palacio Los Serrano and the Episcopio are just a few examples.

Accessible cultural route in Salamanca

Starting in the Plaza Mayor square on a stroll through the popular university city, you will pass through well-known places such as La Salina Palace, the Dominican monastery Convento de San Esteban, the New Cathedral, the House of Shells, the Pontifical University, the Archbishop Fonseca College and the popular garden of Huerto de Calixto y Melibea. Also nearby you can visit the Art-Nouveau and Art-Deco Museum Casa Lis and the Castile and Leon Film Library with its film-related exhibition “artilugios para fascinar” (fascinating projectors). Other museums are also included in this itinerary: the Museum of Automotive History, the Salamanca Museum of Trade and Industry Museum, and the Monumenta Salmanticae, a tour of the city's architectural and urban cultural heritage, housed in the church of San Millán.

Accessible cultural route in Segovia

The impressive Roman aqueduct is, undoubtedly, a memorable start to this journey where you can explore some of the most iconic sites in Segovia, such as the Alcázar, the Cathedral and the churches of San Justo, San Pastor, and the Holy Trinity. The cultural tour also takes in some of the city’s cultural and exhibition centres, such as the Esteban Vicente Museum of Contemporary Art, the Casa del Sol (Museum of Segovia), the Torreón de Lozoya, the Didactic Centre of the Jewish Quarter, or the old prison building, which today houses a unique centre for artistic creation.

Accessible cultural route in Toledo

The itinerary through this monumental city allows you to discover some of its architectural gems, such as the fabulous Cathedral, the Alcázar fortress, the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, the Synagogue of Santa María La Blanca and the church of Los Jesuitas. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well the tour doesn’t stop there: you still have time to visit the Sephardic Museum inside the Synagogue of El Tránsito, the church of Santo Tomé (home to the famous painting by El Greco “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz”), Santa Cruz Museum, housed in the reformed Santa Cruz Hospital; the Museum of Visigoth Councils and Culture, situated in the Mudéjar style church of San Román, and the Victorio Macho Museum in the Royal Foundation of Toledo. 

Accessible cultural route in Cuenca

The route of the city located between the gorges of the Júcar and Huécar rivers is sure to be a pleasant surprise for art lovers. Starting with a visit to the famous Hanging Houses to enjoy the Spanish Abstract Art Museum; passing through the Espacio Torner, a small gallery devoted to the sculptor and artist Gustavo Torner, and housed in the old church of San Pablo; and finishing with the works on display at the Fundación Antonio Saura (in the former palace of Casa Zavala), or the art collection at Fundación Antonio Pérez, located in the old convent of the Barefoot Carmelite Order. You will also have time to visit some of the city’s monumental legacy, such as the Cathedral, the hermitage of Our Lady of Sorrows or the churches of San Pedro, San Nicolás and San Miguel. The Castile-La Mancha Science Museum and Cuenca Auditorium Theatre are two more options on this cultural route.

Accessible cultural route in Cáceres

In Cáceres, the walk will take you to Carvajal Palace, the Sanctuary of La Virgen de la Montaña, the Great Theatre of Cáceres, Rodeo Park and the cultural complex created in the old convent of San Francisco. Moreover, you can also find plenty of museums to visit like the Vostell Malpartida Museum, the Guayasamin House Museum, the Casa Pedrilla History and Culture Museum or the open-air sculpture museum “Parque del Príncipe”.

Accessible cultural route in Mérida

The Roman Theatre of Mérida is, without a doubt, the star of the tour. It is accompanied by other landmarks from the city’s illustrious Roman past such as the Amphitheatre, the House of Mithraeum (Casa del Mitreo), the Roman Circus, the Roman Bridge or the interpretation centre at the Proserpina reservoir. An unmissable stop on the itinerary is the National Museum of Roman Art. The accessible tour of Mérida also includes some fine samples of other architectural styles, such as the crypt of the Santa Eulalia Church, the Alcazaba (Arab Citadel), of the Museum of Visigothic Art.

Accessible cultural route in Córdoba

It goes without saying that the route will take you on a journey through the city’s Andalusi legacy: its great icon, the Mosque-Cathedral, the architectural ensemble of Medina Azahara, the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs and the Arab Baths of the Caliphal Alcázar. You can also admire some other prized gems of Córdoba’s monumental heritage, such as La Calahorra Tower, the Synagogue, the Roman Bridge, Viana Palace and the Plaza de la Corredera square. This accessible route of Córdoba includes some other interesting tourist sites like the Julio Romero de Torres Museum, the Botanical Garden and Los Villares Park.

Accessible cultural route in Baeza

The tour of this town in the province of Jaén reveals some outstanding Renaissance architecture, such as the Old University of Baeza, the Town Hall, San Felipe Neri Seminary, the Cathedral and the Jabalquinto Palace. Opposite this palace stands the Romanesque church of Santa Cruz de Baeza, another stopping point on this accessible route, built in an architectural style that is uncommon in Andalusia.

Accessible cultural route in Úbeda

The Renaissance period has another icon in the province of Jaén: the city of Úbeda. It is impossible not to be impressed with places such as the Hospital de Santiago, the Holy Chapel of El Salvador, the churches of San Pablo and San Isidoro, the Juan Vázquez Molina Palace or the Basilica of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares.

Accessible cultural route in Santiago de Compostela

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the epicentre of the accessible cultural visit to the city. It is also worth the effort to linger in the vicinity and take in the multiple details in the surrounding squares: Plaza del Obradoiro, Plaza de Platerías, Plaza de la Quintana and Plaza de la Inmaculada. The Alameda Park and the Mercado de Abastos food market are another two interesting stops along this route.

Accessible cultural route in Tarragona

You can discover some very significant sites of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco on your trip through the city, for example, the Roman Circus, the Amphiheatre, the City Walls, the famous Pont del Diable, or Devil's Bridge Roman Aqueduct, and el Pallol vault. And these are not the only places of interest along this route as the itinerary continues through the Cathedral, Casa Canals, the Metropol Theatre, the Museum of Modern Art and Port of Tarragona Maritime Museum.

Accessible cultural route in Ibiza/Eivissa

On this accessible journey of discovery through the capital of the island of Ibiza, Eivissa, you can visit the Cathedral and Santo Domingo Church. You can also explore its Punic legacy in the Puig des Molins Museum-Necropolis, as well as its most recent art at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Ibiza (MACE). The tour also takes in other cultural spaces, such as the Puget Museum, the Can Ventosa cultural centre, the Can Botino Historical Archive and the Medina Yabisa La Curia interpretation centre. With regard to the famous Posidonia oceanica seagrass that keeps Ibiza’s water fresh and clean, you can learn all about it at Playa de Talamanca, one of the very few beaches in Spain to offer services for bathers with visual impairment.

Accessible route of San Cristóbal de La Laguna

The architectural uniqueness of this city on the Canary Island of Tenerife, can be appreciated throughout this tour, which takes in monuments such as the churches of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, San Agustín and Nuestra Señora de la Concepción. Also included are the hermitages of Santa Catalina and San Miguel, the Leal Theatre, the Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán and the historic monument of Casa Salazar. Right next to the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, in what was once the hospital, you can find the Adrián Alemán de Armas Municipal Library and sit and read peacefully outdoors in the cloister garden.