A closer look
Staying at a luxury five-star hotel hits a little differently when you realize its hallways used to be packed with bleeding, medieval foot travelers. Founded by the Catholic Monarchs in 1499, this sprawling compound was basically an ancient trauma center for people who thought walking across Spain was a fun spiritual exercise. Today, it has swapped the bandages for four-poster beds and gourmet dining, though the heavy stone architecture still whispers of centuries of blistered agony. It remains the ultimate historic flex for modern backpackers wanting to rest their weary bones.
