Spain

Spain’s Alhambra Palace illuminates Granada’s hilltop where Moorish sultans created paradise through mathematics—geometric patterns mesmerize toddlers while teenagers Instagram honeycomb ceilings in the Palace of Lions. Book 3-month-advance tickets ($15) for morning entry when light transforms alabaster into gold. Parador de Granada ($380/night) occupies a 15th-century convent within Alhambra grounds where families wake to nightingales in palace gardens—Spain’s most coveted hotel requiring similar advance planning.

Barcelona’s Park Güell showcases Gaudí’s mosaic salamander where three generations queue for photos while the serpentine bench provides Barcelona’s best sunrise views. Skip-the-line Sagrada Família tickets ($35) reveal rainbow light through stained glass that holds children spellbound—still unfinished after 140 years. Hotel Casa Fuster’s rooftop pool ($420/night) overlooks Gaudí’s Passeig de Gràcia masterpieces while their Thursday jazz sessions unite generations.

San Sebastián’s La Concha Beach creates Europe’s most elegant city beach where Belle Époque balustrades frame perfect crescents of sand. Pintxo-hopping through Old Town teaches democracy—€2-3 per elaborate bite lets families sample everything. Monte Igueldo’s 1912 funicular ($4) carries three generations to an amusement park frozen in time where wooden roller coasters and bumper cars from grandparents’ era still operate, creating nostalgic magic above Basque Country’s culinary capital.