After entering the Iberian Mountains, the route first passes through a valley, followed by the highest point of the Meseta Plateau—Central Mountain Range and Cuenca Mountain. Only after traversing these two great mountains does one arrive at the capital of Spain, Madrid.
From the map alone, the geographical limitations of Madrid are not apparent, but taking a train from Barcelona to Madrid makes the stark geographical differences between these two cities unmistakably clear.
The entire journey from Barcelona to Zaragoza is through relatively flat plains and hills, proceeding along the Ebro River, showcasing the development of European countries.
However, once entering the Iberian Mountains from Zaragoza, it is difficult to find such flat and prosperous areas. Before reaching Madrid, the path mostly crosses sparsely populated mountains and plateaus, without a single medium or large city to be seen.
