Many people think that the...
by DanielF
Many people think that the first University in Spain was established in Salamanca. This is not true, for the first University was established in Palencia. Nevertheless, the University of Salamanca is one of the oldest and most reknown universities in Europe. The University contributes to a large extent to the welfare of the city. There are a lot of students and, of course, a lot of partying.
Salamanca is also very popular with foreigners learning Spanish. This gives to Salamanca a very cosmopolitan flair.
The city is full of buildings related to the University. The most interesting one can be seen in this picture: the Escuelas mayores. The fasade is a master work of Spanish renaissance architecture and the classrooms and bibliotheques are perfectly preserved from the ancient times, and still in use (mainly for protocollary acts).
As a visitor to Salamanca you should loose a bit of time trying to find a small frog in the delicated carvings of the fasade. (A hint: it stands on top of a skull).
It's imposible to count all...
by soonja
It's imposible to count all the bars in Salamanca!! It's really AMAZING!!! And all to reach by foot!!
Now i'm telling you about my favourite places:
Puerto del Chus, Submarino, El Savor(Salsa-bar), Centenera,
Cafe Moderno, Biblioteca, Camelot, Cum Laude, Tio Vivo, Posada de las Almas, Juanita, Country....well, there's so much! Just go to the Gran Via or to the streets nearby The Plaza Mayor and you'll find a plenty of bars!!
There are really so many bars in relatively small town. You'll find an amazing amount of bars only in the old town of Salamanca so you really don't need a car like in other good nightlife-towns like Madrid. Nightlife in Salamanca starts about midnight - and you get the impression that the streets are more filled up with people than by day!
In the warmer seasons of the year you'll surely meet some groups of Tunas on Plaza Mayor by night, students that are playing folklore songs.
Salamanca's atmosphere, by day and night, is unique.
To find the frog at the university of Salamanca
by Sonia69
There entrance of the university is full of things like the portrait of the Catholic kings and among those things there is a frog over a skull which is located at the right pillar of the monument. The legend says that those students who find the frog will pass the exams and those who are not students have to ask for good intentions. It is hard to see it the first time but once you find it there will not be more problems any more.
Las Catedrals
by acemj
What appears to be the city's main cathedral is actually two cathedrals, the Catedral Vieja and the Catedral Nueva (Old and New Cathedrals). The Old Cathedral dates to the 12th century and is the more interesting of the two on the interior. The Romanesque exterior has withstood the centuries and inside you'll find a magnificent high altar (see my travelogue) that has 53 carved scenes by Nicolas Florentino (completed in the mid 1400s).
The New Cathedral is much larger and dates to the 16th century. Believe it or not, it was badly damaged in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and some renovations took place then. The main entrance is the north facade, but be sure to see the even more spectacular west facade. If you can catch it in the late afternoon light of a sunny day, it will dazzle in the light. The interior is quite impressive too with an amazing wooden choir and a bright interior which is largely illuminated by the window in the top of the main dome.
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Plaza Mayor
Playing music in the Plaza Mayor
Cementario
Cathedral (Salamanca, Spain)
