Alcázar of Segovia

In Segovia, about 90 minutes by car northwest of Madrid, the Alcázar juts from its rock like the prow of a stone ship. Documented since 1120, it was a royal fortress of Castile through the Reconquista, the centuries long Christian campaign to retake Iberia from Muslim rulers. In 1474 Isabella took refuge here when her half brother died, then walked to the main square to be proclaimed Queen of Castile. She united Spain, and in 1492 she finished the Reconquista and sent Columbus across the Atlantic. Later a prison, then a military school, it now stands as a monument to Spain at its imperial height. Its silhouette is said to have inspired Disney's Cinderella Castle. Inside, the Hall of Kings lines up every Spanish king, and the Tower of John II climbs 152 steps for town views. In early October, the Proclamación de Isabel la Católica reenacts her walk to be proclaimed queen.