Program Excursions

For one of the program’s possible overnight trips, the group will visit Burgos.

Burgos, a city with many monuments including but not limited to the Cathedral of Santa María (an exponent of the Gothic architecture declared World Heritage by UNESCO), the Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas, and the Cartuja de Miraflores. In addition, the Way of St. James (El Camino de Santiago) crosses through the city, another World Heritage Site, and is located less than 15 km. from the archaeological site of Atapuerca, also under the protection of UNESCO since 2000. The Museum of Human Evolution exposes the most significant fossils found in the site. In addition to visiting all these sites, BU students will also have the opportunity to visit the Burgos Castle.

For one of the program’s possible overnight trips, the group will visit Cáceres.

The old quarter of Cáceres was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. It is one of the most complete and best-conserved town centers in Europe. The city wall divides its space into two main areas. Inside the city walls, we find the lion’s share of the best known buildings from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, such as the Cathedral of Santa María, the Palacio de las Veletas, the palaces of the Golfines, la Casa del Sol or the Bujaco Tower.

The origin of the city and of its old quarter goes back to 34 B.C., the year in which the Roman Norbona Caesarina in Cáceres was founded. Many places and monuments you can see now in the old quarter were built in the XIII Century, and which were at their peak during the Catholic Monarch’s era, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

For one of the program’s possible overnight trips, the group will visit Córdoba.

An Iberian and Roman city in ancient times, Córdoba was a capital of the Islamic caliphate and one of the largest cities and cultural centers in the world during the Middle Ages.  Córdoba is home to the magnificent 10th Century Mezquita, a mosque later turned into a cathedral, which is an impressive mix of Muslim and Gothic art.

BU students will have the opportunity to visit the Mezquita as well as Alcázar of Córdoba with its beautiful gardens and attend a flamenco show.

For one of the program’s possible daytrips, the group will visit San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a quaint town where a monastery and palace, also named San Lorenzo de El Escorial, are located.

King Felipe II had the grand structure built to commemorate the 1557 Spanish victory at the Battle of St. Quentin against Henry II of France.  The Royal Pantheon at El Escorial is the burial site for most of the Spanish royalty for the last five centuries.

Nearby, the group travels to el Valle de los Caídos, built by dictator Francisco Franco as a monument to honor and bury those who fell during the Spanish Civil War; Franco himself is buried there.  The monument remains controversial particularly due to the fact that 10% of the construction workforce were convicts, including political prisoners.

For one of the program’s possible overnight trips, the group will visit Málaga.

Málaga’s history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. According to most scholars, it was founded around 770 BC by the Phoenicians as Malaka. From the 6th century BC the city was under the hegemony of Ancient Carthage and from 218 BC, it was ruled by the Roman Republic and then empire as Malaca (in Latin). After the fall of the empire and the end of Visigothic rule, it was under Islamic rule  for 800 years, but in 1487, the Crown of Castille gained control after the Reconquista. The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the historic center of the city an “open museum.¨

The painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso, Hebrew poet and Jewish philosopher Solomon Ibn Gabirol and the actor Antonio Banderas were born in Málaga.

For one of the program’s possible daytrips, the group will visit Segovia, a small city an hour north of Madrid.

Segovia is a city that truly embodies both traditional and modern Spain. The three biggest monumental features, the Roman Aqueduct (circa 112 AD), the Gothic-style Roman Catholic Cathedral and the Alcázar give it an old Spanish feel while the Universities attract students from all around the world help bring new, modern ideas and style to the city.

A ¨Real Orden¨ issued in 1884, named the Roman Aqueduct Monumento Histórico Artístico (Historical-artistic monument). This name was given to several monuments of the city. In 1985 the UNESCO  named Segovia  as a World Heritage Site.

For one of the program’s possible trips, the group will visit Sevilla, capital of Andalusia. Seville is recognized for its Roman and Arabic influence, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, and flamenco. Visitors highlight its modern and festive feel, as it perfectly mixes cosmopolitan aspects with old streets that feel like one has traveled back in time. With varied and unusual monuments and places such as: Giralda, the Cathedral, Reales Alcázares (Arabic Palace), the Torre del Oro, the Patio de los Naranjos, the Maestranza (bull-ring), the Casa de Pilatos, the Plaza de España, the Marí­a Luisa Park, the Barrio de Triana (Triana district), the bridges over the Guadalquivir, as well as an endless number of churches, convents and other monuments which convert the ancient city centre into an open-air museum.

For one of the program’s possible daytrips, the group will visit Toledo, a historic and charming city marked by small streets, many cultural heritage monuments, and breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

Toledo is situated on a hill that rises 100 meters above the banks of the Tajo River. The city is known as the City of Three Cultures for having been populated over the centuries by Christians, Jews, and Arabs. It is also known as the Imperial City for having been the Spanish capital under King Carlos I. Toledo was named a World Heritage Site in 1987. The group will visit the city’s unique Gothic Cathedral, see works by El Greco (who lived in Toledo for many years), and tour other churches and synagogues that demonstrate the city’s unique multi-cultural character and importance as a religious site over time.