Mérida

Mérida can be seen in a day: the Roman archaeological complex, with the Theatre and Amphitheatre as centerpieces, is the most complete in Spain outside Italy. April-June avoids Extremadura's extreme summer heat. It's one of Spain's most affordable cities relative to its heritage level. It was the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania (Emerita Augusta), and its over 2,000-year-old Roman Theatre is still used today for a classical theater festival every summer.