check out the Catedral Vieja...
by Krystynn
check out the Catedral Vieja and Catedral Nueva. Despite having different architectural styles, the adjoining old and new cathedrals blend very well together... The photo below shows the Catedral Vieja (the older one)...
Cycling
by fairy_dust
Apparently cycling is very popular in Salamanca. I remember during my first trip (June 2002), at one point some of the roads were blocked off for a bicycle race or something like that. My host father often went out biking in the afternoons too.
ZAMORA Good train links with...
by davidcross
ZAMORA Good train links with Galicia and Avila/Madrid. Good bus links with Salamanca and León.
The bus and train stations are close to each other in Zamora but unfortunately a bit out of town and I do not think there is a bus.
(Photo: Plaza Mayor - Zamora)
Casa de las Conchas
by acemj
The House of Shells started as just a residence for a university professor, but today it endures as one of the very symbols of the city. it was built around 1500 for Dr. Rodrigo Modonado de Talavera who was a professor of medicine at the University of Salamanca, which is the oldest school in Spain. Talavera was affiliated with the Order of St. James, whose symbol was the shell, therefore the architectural motif was adopted here.
I went inside the building which is now used as a public library.
Church and Convent of San Esteban
by acemj
The facade of St. Stephen's Convent is spectacular. Unfortunately for me, the sun was hiding the whole time I was in Salamanca and I wasn't able to see the famous stone glimmering in the late afternoon light, but if you have better weather, I would definitely recommend visiting this place late in the day.
You'll cross a small bridge from the Plaza Concilio de Trento and come face to face with the amazing details of the Plateresque facade. The focal point is Ceroni's Martyrdom of St. Stephen (1610) and just above that is a Calvary scene. Inside the church (enter by the small door to the right of the facade), you'll find a single nave flanked by side chapels. The church was the design of one of the convent's monks, Juan de Alava and construction began in 1524. The highlights are the high altar by Churriguera, which was completed between 1691 and 1693 and Claudio Coello's painting of the Stoning of St. Stephen. You also cannot miss the beautiful, Italian style Patio de los Reyes, a peaceful and detail-rich space that includes Plateresque and Gothic elements.