Cuenca (Spain)

Cuenca was the longtime home of artist and photographer Fernando Zóbel, and he chose it as the location for the museum, in two converted centuries-old "casas colgadas". Many of the pictures hang in glorious isolation with an entire wall for a single picture, and a few windows provide imposing views out over the gorge.

Its façade is marred by a 19th-century attempt at remodeling, but has a beautiful Gothic interior with very detailed (and in some cases seemingly pagan) carvings. There is a near-absolute ban on photography, or even sketching, inside the cathedral, except by obtaining explicit permission, typically granted only on the basis of a portfolio.

Dedicated largely to Roman finds in the area.

These iconic houses, perched precipitously over the cliffs of the Huécar ravine, are best seen from the San Pablo bridge that crosses the Huécar to the former convent, now the Parador de Cuenca hotel.

El Castillo is the remains of an ancient Arab fortress, representing the older structures of Cuenca. Only a tower, two stone blocks, the arch which allows to enter/leave the old town from the Barrio del Castillo and a fragment of the walls have been left. The arch (arco de Bezudo) is named after Gutierre Rodriguez Bezudo, from Segovia, who fought the Arabs with King Alfonso VIII to conquer Cuenca. The castle was home of the Holy Inquisition after 1583, and it was destroyed during the 19th century by French soldiers during the Spanish War of Independence. Nearby are the small chapel and cemetery of San Isidro.

Museum of paleontology featuring lots of life-size dinosaur models.

Antonio Pérez's engaging collection of contemporary art, housed in 35 rooms in the maze-like Convento de las Carmelitas. A fun, irreverent counterpoint to the rarefied Museum of Spanish Abstract Art. Temporary exhibitions are held in nearby Casa Zavala (same ticket)

This museum with planetarium is one of the more child friendly attractions in town.