Lisbon is the capital of Portugal situated on seven hills at the wide mouth of the river Tagus (Tejo) where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. A port city, an economic centre, a cultural powerhouse and a thriving mix of Portugal’s rich history and vivid contemporary culture, Lisbon enchants travellers with its white bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and an easy going charm that makes it a popular year round destination.

Lisbon is the political center of the country, as seat of Government and residence of the Head of State.

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the oldest city in Western Europe, predating other modern European capitals such as London, Paris and Rome by hundreds of years. Lisbon has two sites listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site: Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery.

Not far from the Catholic shrine of Fatima and 45 miles north of Lisbon is Santarem, home of a number of notable churches.

One of them, the Church of the Holy Miracle is home to a 13th century Eucharistic miracle. After an investigation, the Catholic Church approved the recognition of the miracle. The Church of St. Stephen was renamed the Church of the Holy Miracle, and it is one of Portugal’s most visited sites. St. Francis Xavier visited the Church of the Holy Miracle before setting off for missionary work in India.

Fatima is a town located 142 km (88 miles) North of Lisbon. Fatima is one of the most important catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Fatima’s Sanctuary welcomes millions of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Fatima’s fame is due to the Apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary that appeared to three shepherd children; Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta. Between May and October of 1917, the three children witnessed several apparitions. The last one, on October 13th, was confirmed by a miracle witnessed by 60,000 people known in the catholic world as “the day the sun danced”.

Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by those who believe that she appeared to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on 13 May, the Fatima holiday. The title of Our Lady of the Rosary is also used in reference to the same apparition; the children related that the apparition specifically identified herself as “the Lady of the Rosary.” It is also common to see a combination of these titles, i.e., Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima (Portuguese: ”Nossa Senhora do Rosario de Fatima”).

Salamanca is part of the Spanish region known as “Castilla y León” (Castile and Leon). Despite being a medium-size city, Salamanca is famous in the world for its culture and for its student atmosphere. In fact, the University of Salamanca was the first to be founded in Spain and is said to be the third oldest university in Europe, founded in 1218.

Salamanca has been declared World Heritage City by the Unesco, and in 2002, it was chosen as European City of Culture, together with Bruges in Belgium. Dance, music and art filled the streets of the city, and remain still today.

Burgos is a city in northern Spain and the historic capital of Castile. It is situated on the confluence of the Arlanzon river tributaries, at the edge of the Iberian central plateau. It has about 180,000 inhabitants in the actual city and another 20,000 in the metropolitan area. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon.

Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat El Cid Campeador is a significant historical figure in the city, as he was born a couple of miles north of Burgos and was raised and educated here.

The city forms the principal crossroad of northern Spain along the Camino de Santiago, which runs parallel to the River Arlanzon.

Burgos has been selected as the Spanish Gastronomy Capital of 2013.

The Sanctuary of Loyola or Shrine and Basilica of Loyola consists of a series of edifices built in Churrigueresque Baroque style around the birthplace of St. Ignatius of Loyola,  founder of the
Society of Jesus.

The sanctuary stands along the river Urola at the neighbourhood of Loyola (Loiola, a place-name meaning ‘foundry made in clad’, or possibly ‘hut made in clad’) in the municipality of Azpeitia, Basque Country, Spain.

Ignatius of Loyola, whose real name was Iñigo López de Loyola, was the son of the Lord of Loyola, Beltrán Ibáñez de Oñaz and Marina Sánchez de Licona, member of an important Biscayan family. He was born in 1491 in his family house in Loyola.

After he died his birthplace became a place of veneration. In the seventeenth century the house where he was born was given to the Society of Jesus. The Order built there, near the birthplace of its founder, the Sanctuary of Loyola.

Lourdes is a small town in the Hautes-Pyrenees departement in southwest France .  It is the largest Catholic pilgrimage destination in France and one of the most popular Catholic shrines in the world.

On February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed herself to a poor shepherd girl, Bernadette Soubirous. Eighteen such apparitions were reported.

The most sacred site at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is the Grotto of Massabielle, also known as the Miraculous Cave or the Cave of Apparitions. The Grotto of Massabielle is the site of St. Bernadette’s vision of the Virgin Mary where she revealed herself as the Immaculate Concepcion. The Virgin Mary is said to have pointed out a previously undiscovered spring in the grotto and instructed St. Bernadette to “Go and drink at the spring and wash there.” The spring water from the grotto is believed to posses healing properties and to date,  sixty seven cures have been officially recognized as miraculous by the Roman Catholic Church.

Zaragoza is a warm and inviting city strategically located between Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia and Toulouse. It’s the fifth biggest city in Spain.

Zaragoza is linked by legend to the beginnings of Christianity in Spain. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared miraculously to Saint James the Great in the first century, standing on a pillar. This legend is commemorated by a famous Catholic basilica called Nuestra Senora del Pilar (“Our Lady of the Pillar”).The event, called “Las Fiestas del Pilar”, is celebrated on October 12, which is a major festival day in Zaragoza. Since it coincided in 1492 with the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, that day is also celebrated as El Día de la Hispanidad (Columbus Day) , literally (Hispanic Day) by Spanish-speaking people worldwide.

Montserrat is a mountain top monastery in Catalonia, Spain. Situated atop an unusual rock mountain, it is very popular among Catalans, and Catholic pilgrims come from far and wide to see the Black Madonna.

The monastery is Catalonia’s  most important religious retreat and groups of young people from Barcelona and all over Catalonia make overnight hikes at least once in their lives to watch the sunrise from the heights of Montserrat.

At 1236 meters (4055 ft) above the valley floor, Montserrat is the highest point of the Catalan lowlands, and stands central to the most populated part of Catalonia. The stone monolith is ideally located to play an important role in the cultural and spiritual life of Catalonia.

Barcelona is the capital and largest city of  Catalonia and Spain’s second largest city.

This city, located directly on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, has a rich history, having been under Roman, then Frank law before declaring its independence.  In 1992, Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic games which brought a massive upturn in its tourism industry.

This beautiful city is full of what European cities are known for (outdoor markets, restaurants, shops, museums and churches) and is fantastic for walking with an extensive and reliable Metro system for more far-flung destinations. The core centre of town, focused around the Ciutat Vella (“Old City”) provides days of enjoyment for those looking to experience the life of Barcelona while the beaches the city was built upon providing sun and relaxation during the long periods of agreeable warm weather.

San Giovanni Rotondo was the home of St. Pio of Pietrelcina from July 28, 1916 until his death on September 23, 1968. It is a city in the province of Foggia, Puglia region in southern Italy.

San Giovanni Rotondo centers on the tomb of St. Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, priest and mystic known for his devotion to God, care for the sick and supernatural gifts. He was declared a saint in 2002.

The Shrine of Padre Pio at San Giovanni Rotondo receives 7 million pilgrims each year. The large and ultramodern Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church was built in devotion to the saint and to accommodate the increasing throngs of pilgrims that visit the place.

The city is renowned for its hospital and medical research center Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home for the Relief of the Suffering) founded by St. Pio of Pietrelcina and is considered one of the most efficient hospitals in Europe.

The Miracle of Lanciano is officially recognized by the Catholic Church as a Eucharistic miracle.

In the city of Lanciano, Italy,  around 700, a Basilian monk  was assigned to celebrate Mass in the small church of St. Legontian.  Celebrating in the Latin Rite and using unleavened bread, the monk had doubts about the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

During the Mass, when he said the Words of Consecration  (“This is my body. This is my blood”), with doubt in his soul, the priest is said to have seen the bread change into living flesh and the wine change into live blood which coagulated into five globules, irregular and differing in shape and size (the number supposedly corresponds to the number of wounds Christ suffered on the cross: one in each hand and foot from the nails, and the wound from the centurion’s spear).

The elements can still be seen today. The flesh, which is the same size as the large host used in the Latin Church, is fibrous and light brown in color and becomes rose-colored when lighted from the back. The blood consists of five coagulated globules and has an earthly color resembling the yellow of ochre.

Over the last 12 centuries, different Bishops of the diocese of Lanciano made authentications of the holy relics. All testified that these facts were miraculous and true.

Rome, the Eternal City, is the capital and largest city of Italy. It is the famed city of the Roman Empire, the Seven Hills, La Dolce Vita (the sweet life), the Vatican City and Three Coins in the Fountain.

Rome, as a millennium-long center of power, culture and religion, has exerted a huge influence over the world in its roughly 2,800 years of existence.  The historic center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rome has an immensely rich historical heritage and cosmopolitan atmosphere, making it one of Europe’s and the world’s most visited, famous,  influential and beautiful capitals. Today, Rome has a growing nightlife scene and is also seen as a shopping heaven, being regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world. With so many sights and things to do, Rome can truly be classified a “global city.”

The Vatican City is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It is the temporal seat of the Pope, the head of the worldwide Catholic Church. It is also the world’s smallest state.