Spain – General info

Spain – General information

Spain is traditionally a popular travel destination where visitors are hospitably welcomed and usually spend a carefree holiday. However, especially in the larger tourist centres, caution against pickpocketing and petty crime is advisable. During the holiday season, there are occasional attacks on tourists along the Spanish motorways (especially on the A-7 between the French-Spanish border station La Jonquera and Barcelona). Those affected are informed of alleged damage to their vehicle (e.g. a flat tire), whereupon “assistance” is offered. It is therefore advisable to stop only at busy service areas if possible, to make sure that the tow truck bears the symbol of “Autopistas” or the requested breakdown service in the event of a breakdown, to always lock the vehicle and not to leave any openly visible objects in it.

Spain – General information

Area: 504,782 km²

Population: around 48.6 to 49 million (as of 2025/26) – significantly more than the previously mentioned 40.3 million (as of 2005); Spain is now the fourth most populous country in the EU.

Population density: around 96–97 per km².

Capital: Madrid, today with about 3.4 million inhabitants in the core city and about 6.8 million in the metropolitan area (instead of the previously mentioned about 4 million, which probably already meant the metropolitan region).

Geography: Spain occupies about four-fifths of the Iberian Peninsula, which also includes Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar. The Pyrenees form a natural border with France in the northeast. The territory also includes the Balearic Islands southeast of Barcelona in the Mediterranean Sea (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera) and the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa. In addition, there are the North African exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, the Chafarinas Islands and several smaller rocky islands (including Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera and Peñón de Alhucemas) – these territories are claimed by Morocco and have long been the subject of diplomatic tensions between Spain and Morocco.

Spain is a very mountainous country and lies on average 610 m above sea level. The Pyrenees, which are about 400 km long, stretch from the Basque Country in the northwest to the Mediterranean Sea; some peaks reach an altitude of more than 3,000 m, the highest being the Pico de Aneto at 3,404 m.

Inland is the Meseta, a huge plateau 600–800 m high, crossed by numerous Sierras. To the northwest and north, the Meseta is bordered by the Cantabrian Mountains and the Iberian Mountains, to the south is the Sierra Morena. Beyond the Sierra Morena lies the Guadalquivir Valley.

The mountainous landscape of Galicia is located on the rugged Atlantic coast in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The Sierra Nevada southeast of Granada in Andalusia is part of the Cordilleras running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea; here lies the Mulhacén (3,481 m), the highest mountain on the Spanish mainland.

All coasts of Spain together are almost 3,500 km long. The Mediterranean coast stretches from the French border in the north to the Rock of Gibraltar in the south. The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans and separates Spain from North Africa.

Sights/Attractions: Spain is rich in cultural attractions such as Seville, Barcelona, Toledo, Madrid and Girona, complemented by scenic attractions and bathing paradises along the Mediterranean coasts, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

Form of government: Parliamentary monarchy since 1978, constitution of 1978. Bicameral parliament (Cortes Generales): Chamber of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados) with 350 deputies and Senate (Senado) with 259–266 senators (the exact number varies slightly depending on the electoral period and autonomous communities).

Head of state: King Felipe VI, in office since 19 June 2014, after his father Juan Carlos I – who was originally named as the current head of state – abdicated after 39 years of reign. Juan Carlos I has been living mainly abroad (Abu Dhabi) since 2020, after he came under increased public and legal observation in connection with a corruption affair.

Head of government: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (PSOE), in office since June 2018, has since been confirmed several times in changing coalitions; Spanish domestic politics in recent years have been marked by debates about the amnesty of Catalan independence supporters and a fragmented parliamentary landscape with frequently changing coalition partners.

Language: The official language is Spanish (Castilian). Catalan, Galician and Basque are regionally recognized as official languages and are widely spoken; in tourist areas, English and German are also sometimes understood.

Religion: The proportion of practising Catholics continues to be predominantly Roman Catholic, although the proportion of practising Catholics has fallen noticeably in recent decades compared to the previously mentioned 94%, in favour of a growing proportion of non-denominational as well as Muslim, Protestant and other religious minorities.

Local time: Spain/Balearic Islands: CET, with daylight saving time change (last Sunday March to last Sunday October: CET+1); difference to Central Europe 0 hours all year round. Canary Islands: CET−1 with daylight saving time change to CET; difference to Central Europe all year round −1 hour

Money and price level: The means of payment is the euro. The general price level in Spain continues to be slightly below the German level on average, but since the 2020s it has moved noticeably closer to the German price level due to the rise in inflation across Europe; in holiday strongholds it often remains more expensive than the national average.

Mains voltage: 220 V, 50 Hz (110/125 V still occasionally in older buildings in smaller villages).

Telephone: Self-dialling long-distance service is standard; public payphones and card telephones are of little practical importance today due to the practically nationwide use of mobile phones. Country code: 34. Area codes of the major cities: Madrid 91, Alicante 96, Balearic Islands 971, Barcelona 93, Benidorm 96, Bilbao 94, Granada 958, Las Palmas 928, Málaga and Torremolinos 95, Santander 942, Seville 95, Tenerife 922 and Valencia 96.

How to get there: Travelling by car still requires time and leisure; all main routes are developed as motorways. Transit through France is associated with high motorway tolls, and in Spain tolls are also charged, but these are significantly lower than in France – tolls have also been abolished or reduced on many Spanish motorway sections in recent years. If you have time, you can drive on country roads, but this often only means around 300 km per day.

Information: Spanish Tourist Office, Myliusstrasse 14, 60323 Frankfurt. Austria: Spanish Tourist Office, Mahlerstrasse 7, 1010 Vienna. Switzerland: Office Espagnol du Tourisme, 15, rue Ami-Levrier, 1201 Geneva. (Current contact details should be checked before traveling, as tourist office addresses and phone numbers change from time to time.)

Car: As a driver, you need the national driver’s license and the vehicle registration document; the international green insurance card is recommended, but is now usually no longer mandatory within the EU, as the insurance cover is valid throughout the EU anyway. Spanish traffic rules are not much different from the German ones. Fuel is available as normal (95 octane), super (98 octane), diesel (gasóleo) and, in modern vehicles, almost exclusively as unleaded (sin plomo) – leaded fuel no longer plays a role today.

On important roads and in large cities, road patrol vehicles of the RACE (ADAC partner club) continue to be on the road, available nationwide around the clock.

Spain – Climate

The Spanish mainland has been experiencing increasingly hotter summers in recent years. In the summer months, in many places it is only good to endure in air-conditioned indoor spaces. In the deepest south of Andalusia, temperatures often exceed 40 degrees, which has repeatedly led to dried up water reservoirs and water rationing – pool facilities may then no longer be filled and outdoor facilities may no longer be irrigated, and in some places the water supply is temporarily stopped completely. This drought problem has worsened rather than eased in recent years in large parts of Spain, favored by climate change.

The winters, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly unstable; it now happens that even in January or February snow still falls in the beach regions of the Costa del Sol.

However, there is no “best time to travel” – every season has its own peculiarities. In the summer months, the holiday areas on the coast (the entire Mediterranean coast from Port Bou to Marbella is now densely built up with holiday resorts) are often overcrowded, and the temperatures are almost unbearable. The low season in spring and autumn is not only more pleasant in terms of climate, but the flow of visitors also subsides noticeably, and accommodation and food prices often drop significantly during this time.

Spain – Fauna

Tourism – in many coastal regions even mass tourism – has now found its way into rural areas of Spain. The good development of the coastal regions makes it difficult for native animal species to find undisturbed retreats; the biodiversity on Spain’s coasts is correspondingly decimated.

In a few places on the densely populated coasts, wetlands have been placed under nature conservation due to their high zoological and botanical importance and serve as an important wintering place for migrating bird species. In the interior, bird life is often sparsely represented; larger mammals such as deer, wild boar, martens, foxes, hares and rabbits are more likely to be found in the more sparsely populated regions inland.

The abundance of fish on the coasts of Costa Brava, Costa Daurada, Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol has declined sharply due to overfishing; a significant part of the fish intended for the cooking pot has to be imported. A well-known but poorly developed fishing centre with a fleet of several hundred fishing boats can be found in Sant Carles de la Ràpita, a few kilometres south of Tortosa at Cap de Tortosa. Some boats stay at sea for several days before returning to the harbour in the evening. In view of overfishing, catches are usually rather modest – especially small fish, crabs, shrimps and lobsters are still landed in significant quantities, as well as squid, jellyfish, sardines and tuna.

Spain – Flora

The Cantabrian mountain range roughly divides the country into two climate zones with different plant life. The flora north of the mountains benefits from a maritime climate with lower temperature fluctuations and more frequent rainfall, which favors more lush vegetation – with around 5,000 different plant species, this region contributes significantly to Spain’s botanical diversity.

In many other parts of the country, on the other hand, forest poverty is striking. The destruction of forests, which began centuries ago, was accompanied by soil drying in many places, which changed the water balance and led to considerable soil erosion. Economically oriented monocultures (especially pines and eucalyptus) hardly support the recovery of a species-rich forest flora. Ferns, various species of broom and heather are widespread; only about 30–37% of Spain’s area is forested today, a proportion that has increased slightly in recent decades due to reforestation programmes, but continues to be predominantly due to pine and eucalyptus monocultures.

In a few mountain regions there are beech forests and various types of firs, while at lower altitudes there are also deciduous trees such as lime trees, chestnuts, maples, elms, ash trees, hazelnut bushes and the pedunculate oak typical of the region.

South of the Cantabrian Mountains, fauna and vegetation are exposed to considerable temperature fluctuations; in summer, temperatures reach up to 40 degrees, and long dry periods characterize the landscape. Forests are rare here, fallow land and scrub dominate – but here, too, some tree species adapted to drought have asserted themselves, including pine, holm oak, maritime pine and sheath.

Spain – History

10,000 BC: Over the millennia, the Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited by indigenous peoples, Celts, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans and later other peoples – the ancestors of today’s Spanish population.

1,000–700 BC: The Phoenicians found trading colonies on the Spanish Mediterranean coast.

600 BC: Greek colonies are increasingly displaced by the Carthaginians, who found their own settlements.

200 BC: The Romans conquer Spain, erect numerous buildings (including aqueducts, amphitheatres) and make the country part of the Roman Empire.

around 400 AD: Germanic tribes, including the Visigoths, take over control of large parts of the peninsula in the course of the migration of peoples.

7th–11th centuries: Gothic rule lasts until 711; the last Gothic king, Roderic, is defeated by Muslim troops crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. The Moors make southern Spain a thriving region through advanced Arab irrigation technology.

12th–15th century: The Catholic Church is increasingly strengthened by the Spanish kings; in the course of the Reconquista and the Inquisition, non-Christians are expelled or forcibly converted, which at times puts a heavy strain on the economy and trade.

16th century: The colonization of large parts of the Americas makes Spain one of the richest countries in Europe, even if not all wars are victorious.

17./18. Century: The Habsburg dynasty is replaced by Philip V of the House of Bourbon.

19th century: Napoleon occupies Spain; a few years later, the Spanish king returns to the throne through his people’s fight for freedom. The country is shaken by recurring unrest and power struggles; at times the republic is proclaimed, shortly afterwards replaced by the monarchy.

1923–1930: In the face of an economic crisis, General Primo de Rivera establishes a military dictatorship.

1931: The military dictatorship ends with the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic.

1936–1939: In the Spanish Civil War, the nationalists under General Francisco Franco receive support from fascist Germany and Italy. After the end of the war, Franco takes power.

1975: Franco dies; a constitutional monarchy is proclaimed under Juan Carlos I.

1978: Spain receives its democratic constitution, which is still in force today.

1986: Spain joins the European Community (now the EU).

1992: The Olympic Games take place in Barcelona, the World Exhibition in Seville – a symbolic year for modern, democratic Spain.

Continuation of the story to the present day – missing in the original:

March 11, 2004: 191 people die and more than 2,000 are injured in the Madrid train attacks – the worst Islamist-motivated terrorist attack in the history of Western Europe to date, which had a significant influence on the elections a few days later.

2008–2014: The global financial crisis hits Spain particularly hard, with a severe real estate and banking crisis and at times over 26% unemployment.

2014: King Juan Carlos I abdicates in favor of his son after 39 years of reign; Felipe VI becomes the new king.

2017: An independence referendum organised by the Catalan regional government and deemed unconstitutional by the Spanish central government, as well as a subsequent unilateral declaration of independence by Catalonia, trigger the most serious constitutional crisis in Spain since democratisation; several Catalan politicians are imprisoned or flee abroad.

2018: Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) becomes the new prime minister after a successful vote of no confidence against his predecessor Mariano Rajoy and has remained so since several elections and changing coalitions.

2021: After years of legal and public controversy over his financial dealings, Juan Carlos I finally renounced a return to active public space and has lived mainly abroad ever since.

Today, Spain is the second most visited country in the world after France and remains one of the most important economic engines in southern Europe.

Spain – Food & Drink

Dinner is the most important meal of the day. Compared to Germany, people in Spain go to dinner much later, usually between 8 and 10 p.m.; there is a lot of talking, so that a meal often lasts several hours. Lunch, on the other hand, is usually rather narrow, and for many Spaniards, breakfast often consists of only a cup of coffee with a small piece of pastry.

Spain’s cuisine is extremely diverse. In the coastal towns, fish is often on the menu, usually accompanied by salads or vegetables. Inland, on the other hand, more hearty meat or (in autumn) game dishes are served, usually with rice and vegetables. Typical for rural cuisine are hearty vegetable or meat soups based on tomatoes, potatoes and onions, sometimes with pork, chicken or lamb, sometimes with fish.

One of the best-known specialties is paella – a rice pan with a wide variety of vegetables, meat, fish and seafood. Crayfish, mussels and squid are also part of the standard repertoire in many places.

Tapas are suitable for the small appetite in between: small appetizers, snacks and smaller meals, which – since many Spaniards do without a detailed breakfast and often do not eat lunch until around 2 p.m. – bridge the gap. The offer ranges from simple olives to chicken thighs.

Spanish red wines are the classic accompaniment to food and also serve as the basis for sangría, to which fruit or juice as well as schnapps and mineral water are added.

Tip: In Spain, too, it is customary for the serving staff to assign a seat; sitting down at a table without being asked is considered rude, as is attacking strangers without an invitation. The question “Is there still free space here?” is considered rather intrusive. After the meal, a joint bill is usually brought.

Spain – Accommodation

Accommodation options are plentiful in Spain and can be found in every price category; in addition to the usual information from travel catalogues, it is also worth asking at local tourist offices.

Spain as a travel destination is not limited to mass tourism on some stretches of coast (especially between Barcelona and Málaga) – those who search specifically will still find quieter alternatives away from the main routes.

The hotel offer ranges from simple guesthouses to 5-star hotels, although the standard is often different from what you are used to in Germany – a small, well-run 3-star hotel can sometimes be better than a run-down 4-star hotel. In addition to classic hotels, there are numerous apartments and a large number of campsites. If you have not booked in advance, you should find out about available accommodation and prices in the local tourist offices in larger towns; in smaller towns and more remote regions, however, this option is often not available.

For individual travellers, prices are often significantly higher in the high season (June to September), especially in the tourist strongholds. In the low season, on the other hand, considerable discounts can often be achieved, in some places up to 50% and more compared to the usual price.

Especially in the interior of Spain you can find the Paradores – the most original hotel category in Spain. The state network now includes around 95 hotels (a slight increase compared to the previously mentioned 86), including historic castles, palaces, abbeys, monasteries and palaces that have been specially converted for overnight stays.

Note: All information on population figures, political offices and current developments is subject to change and has been researched to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. For up-to-date, binding information, it is advisable to take a look at the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office before travelling.