Caceres

The provincial capital and one of Spain's oldest cities, Cáceres is known for its UNESCO-protected old town and lively tapeo. The Roman colony called Norba Caesarina was founded in 35 BC, but when the Moors took over in the 8th century, they named the city Quazris, which eventually morphed into the Spanish Cáceres. Amazingly, some 22 Moorish towers survive in the historic center today. Ever since noble families helped Alfonso IX expel the Moors in 1229, the city has prospered; the pristine condition of the medieval and Renaissance quarter is the result of the families' continued occupancy of the palaces erected in the 15th century.