Spain

SPAIN

can buy a genuine mediaeval sword. For particularly attractive presents, you'll find surprising variety and quality in the gift shops in the major museums. Art galleries like the Prado and the Thyssen in Madrid, or the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao offer a whole range of personalised items. The advantages of shopping and Spain go beyond its wide variety of products. If you live outside the European Union you can shop tax free. You can request the return of the VAT . To do this you need to show your passport and request the tax free invoice in the shop. You'll need to show your purchases and have the invoices stamped at customs (the stamp is valid for three months from the date of purchase), then request the refund amount from the managing company. They all have reimbursement points at the main Spanish airports and borders . You can also request the refund to be made to your credit card, by bank trans fer, or by international bank draft.

A visit to Marbella in Malaga is an ex cuse to soak up the glamour in a select and exclusive atmosphere that's per fect for your luxury purchases. Make a note of the avenues of Ricardo Soriano and Ramón y Cajal , and the Boulevard Príncipe Alfonso Hohenlohe . You'll feel like a star as you browse in shops selling the most prestigious brands of fashion, jewellery and design. If you want to take home a special souvenir from Spain, we recommend the local arts and crafts , which always make popular gifts. The artisan produc tion of ceramics in Talavera de la Reina and El Puente del Arzobispo (Castile-La Mancha) has been awarded the Intan gible Cultural Heritage designation by the UNESCO. And if you're looking for something really unique, in Toledo you

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