Spain's Extremadura, Caceres, Trujillo & Merida

We start in the northern half of Extremadura with its shifting terrain - cool valleys and modest peaks, plains, rivers and swimming holes, pockets of thick forest interrupted by empty fields that are dusty, gray and brown. It is a surprising feast for the eyes of any traveler. Caceres' architectural majesty derives from the 14th- to 16th-century Christian works. Formerly Spain's capital during the rule of the Visigoths, many proclaim Toledo as El Greco's city. His most famous paintings, Burial of the Count Orgaz and View and Plan of Toledo, pay homage to his adopted home. Few Spanish towns are so well preserved in their historical architecture. Trujillo, perhaps the most enchanting town in Extremadura, is proud of its heritage as the birthplace of Pizarro and a slew of other tough-spirited individuals who made their names and fortunes in the New World. Atop the granite hill around which the town is situated is the nameless castle, built sometime in the 10th century by the Arabs and later expanded by the Christians after they'd taken over in 1232. The castle is striking in its simplicity. It is large but largely unornamented so that it is obvious that the lands of Extremadura were once a hotly contested frontier, a battleground in which the Moors came up from the south to meet the Christians descending from the north. You can climb around the castle, slip quietly into the sanctuary dedicated to the patron of Trujillo, La Virgen de la Victoria, peek through the crenels of its battlement or follow the steps up to one of the towers. The city of Merida, with its wealth of Roman monuments, is recognized as the country's best-preserved, most comprehensive example of the prosperous period of Roman rule. This lasted from roughly 50 BC to the early fifth century AD, when the Huns and northern Germanic tribes overran the Peninsula. A walk through the city passes temples, aqueducts, a circus and former palaces, along with other architectural marvels that later civilizations of Visigoths, Moors and Christians were prone to alter, expand or altogether bury in order to create their own structures. Merida, now the regional capital of southern Extremadura, is a blend of these histories, just one big archeological dig that continues to reveal the past. Every detail is here for the traveler - where to stay, where to eat, entertainment, activities of all kinds, from hiking to canoeing, concerts to festivals. An extensive section on what you need to know when traveling to Spain in general, plus a language and Spanish vocabulary chapter is included. And there are hundreds of color photos. "A great new resource." -- Travel + Leisure. "The perfect companion for planning." -- Rutgers Magazine. "These useful travel guides are highly recommended..." -- Library Journal"