24 ReviewsIn a beautiful quarter composed by the university's squares, classic buildings and churches, the dominant sight belongs to the bell tower of the old cathedral.
Looking carefully, it's easy to see...
10 ReviewsRodrigo Díaz de Vivar was educated in the Castilian royal court, served the king Sancho II and fought against the Moorish stronghold of Zaragoza but also against the Aragonese Christians.
After the...
18 ReviewsAfter touring for more than twenty years through Spain this is imo the nicest plaza mayor of the country, even nicer than the one of Madrid.
Built between 1729 and 1755 by King Philippe V to reward...
27 ReviewsLa Sacristía Mayor acaba de ser restaurada
Contrasta su estilo barroco rococó con el del resto de la catedral
Tiene una cúpula elíptica de seis gajos y linterna así como una abigarrada decoración, y...
13 ReviewsThe facade of the Universidad de Salamanca on the Patio de las Escuelas is probably the most photographed monument of Salamanca.
Indeed the portal and facade is one of the most important monuments in...
6 ReviewsYou have to pass by this gateway to enter the centre and reach the cathedral if as most tourists you parked your car at the underground parking of Plaza de Vega.
From the bridge on the river Arlanzon...
17 ReviewsWhen we, coming from Brussels, discovered at night, with floodlights playing on the façade, the "shell house" with all tourists around, it appeared to us that we were viewing the most touristic emblem...
11 ReviewsEn el centro de Burgos está la antigua plaza del Mercado , que ahora es conocida como la Plaza Mayor
Podemos dar un paseo por los soportales , ver el ayuntamiento , la estatua de Carlos III , ver el...
10 ReviewsThe chapel of St. Bartholomew also called of Anaya (capilla de San Bartolomé o de los Anaya) is the most interesting of the old cathedral.
In the centre stands the monumental tomb of Diego de Anaya,...
6 ReviewsIf you walk Sant Estaban street (this is the street you take to go to the castle) to the right you get to Arco de San Esteban (S. Estaban’s arch) , another old entrance to the city. And also will see...
6 ReviewsSouth of the city, an old bridge now closed to vehicles, it is the first sign of roman presence.
Though having suffered a few transformations, the last one in the 17th century replacing a whole...
4 ReviewsFounded in 1180 this was originally a convent for noble cistercian sisters. From the outside it is very austere but is a splendid visit. Although the church was undergoing work when I was there I was...
6 ReviewsAt about 500 m eastwards from the cathedral stands on the quiet plaza de la Libertad a small palace dating from the 15th c. It was built for the constables of Castile don Pedro Fernandez de Velasco...
6 ReviewsTwo hundred meters east of the cathedrals Nueva and Vieja you will discover another of the jewels of Salamanca the Church and Convent of San Esteban (Saint Stephen).
The first impression of its...
3 ReviewsThe visit to the monastery of Miraflores is fully justified by the amazing highlights of sculptural art to be seen in the church.
There is the gilded and polychromatic altarpiece carved out of walnut...
6 ReviewsI liked this plaza as much as the Plaza Mayor. Looking south one can admire the Catedral Nueva and opposite the Palace of Anaya in neoclassical style. The main façade has a large doorway with stairs...
3 ReviewsI wonder if this smaller, much less ornate church gets no respect in the shadow of the grand cathedral?
Perhaps this is where you're relegated to having your weddings, baptisms, etc. if you can't...
6 ReviewsIf from the Plaza Mayor you walk to the west you will find what is considered as one of the best plateresque or Spanish Renaissance buildings in Spain.
The palace was built in 1539 for the Count of...
5 ReviewsFacing the Casa de la Conchas one finds the Clerecia another highlight of architecture in Salamanca. It is not surprising that Salamanca was European Capital of the Culture in 2002 when you look at...
4 ReviewsCasa Lis is the only art nouveau building in Salamanca. It was built by Joaquín de Vargas, a local architect, for manufacturer Miguel de Lis between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th...
3 ReviewsThe Tower of the Keeper of the Keys was once the sole defensive structure in the palace of Don Francisco de Sotomayor, who was the Keeper of Keys of the Order of Alcántara. The octagonal tower was...
2 ReviewsSalamanca is a small city, and it is very pretty and charming. There are a lot of old buildings/architecture, cobblestone streets, etc. Especially downtown and in the area where the university is....
2 ReviewsThis is the main avenue of the city, just North of the old city. Many hotels and government buildings are here, as well as stores serving the residents. It is not even close in grandeur to the street...
3 ReviewsThe monastery called Convento de las Dueñas meaning monastery of the Mistresses is a nickname because it was intended as a religious retreat for aristocrats.
The outside is sober but inside the...
"Castilla" is "the land of castles" .... evidently, visiting the medieval castles of the place is one of the "must see" activities. The highest concentrations of castles are perhaps placed alomg the Duero river, in the provinces of Valladolid and Soria. The first one is predominant of 15th century castles (there is a local style, known as "school of Valladolid") the later includes more ancient castles (10-11th century, some of them of Arabic facture).As individual castle, the Alcazar (from Arabic Al-Qasar, "the castle") of Segovia is also a must see.You can visit my pages on Valladolid and Soria, for more information.
Salamanca
by DanielF
In spite of being off the most beaten tourist routes and too far from Madrid as to keep day-trippers away, Salamanca has a surprising international and jovial atmosphere that coexists with a conservative Castilian society. This unique combination is due to its renowned University, one of the oldest in Europe, which has turned Salamanca into a city of culture and nightlife, as well as one of the favourite destinations for students of Spanish as a foreign language. As a matter of fact, around 40.000 of the 160.000 inhabitants of Salamanca are students at the University, many of them foreigners learning Spanish. In this way, most of the visitors to Salamanca do not just pass over like in most touristy towns, but get engaged into the city life and become part of the urban picture.
Valladolid
by DanielF
Valladolid, the capital of Castile and Leon, is along with Madrid and Saragossa, the only relatively big city in the central plains of Spain (over 300.000 inhabitants).Valladolid held the honour to be the main seat of the Spanish Court for many years until it was definitely moved to Madrid in the XVI century. There are many jewels left from that period of splendour in Valladolid, but it is true that the flight of thousands of people from the neighbouring rural areas in the second half of the 20th century led to an urban chaos from which the city is slowly but firmly recovering.Among the works of art that remain from the time of splendour in Valladolid, the so-called "plateresque" buildings stand out with full rights. The ornamentally carved façades of the Saint Paul church and the Saint Gregory college are worth the visit to Valladolid. The latter hosts the National Museum of Sculpture,...
Understand the Geography of Castile and Lion
by DanielF
The first to take into account when planning a trip to Castile and Leon is its huge size. This is, by far, the largest national subdivision within the EU. As a matter of fact, Castile and Leon is about the same size as countries like Portugal or Hungary or more than three times bigger than Belgium, although it has only one fourth of its population. Indeed its 2.5 million inhabitants would comfortably fit into the population of the city of Madrid and there would still be room for another million. With these figures, it is easy to understand that this is a very sparsely populated area, with one of the lowest population densities in Europe.Administratively, the Autonomous Community was created in the early 80s by merging the former regions of Castile (from which Cantabria and Rioja were segregated) and Lion. The result was reminiscent to the medieval kingdom of Castile and Leon, but not...
Segovia
by DanielF
No matter which road you choose to approach Segovia (pop. 55.000), the perspective you will have in front of you will be fairy-tale-like. Its wealth in monuments deserves way more time than a simple day-trip, but for those on a tight schedule, even a short encounter with the Beautiful Lady will be more than rewarding. Despite its small size, Segovia has all it takes to be a perfect tourist destination: close enough to a major city, an extremely rich artistic heritage and a spectacular natural backdrop with plenty of possibilities for adventure sports. As for the downsides (yes, there are some as well): the nightlife is not too exciting, the accommodation offer does not match the category of the city and the gastronomy is below the standards expected in other areas in Spain, particularly once you have exhausted the specialities of the conservative local food scene (roast baby pork, lamb,...
Check out the Roman Aqueduct
by mitchimitch
Absolutely amazing! This aqueduct is considered as Segovia's leading monument and it is one of the greatest surviving examples of Roman engineering. This is also considered as the largest and most preserved aqueduct of all time!
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Visit the Alcazar
by mitchimitch
Truly magical, this majestic castle is said to be the inspiration behind Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.People can visit the castle which now serves as a museum from 10:00 a.m. to 19:00 p.m.. in summer ((April-September) and 10:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m in winter (October-March). Entrance tickets: GENERAL 3.50EURREDUCE TICKET 2.50EURTOWER OF JUAN II 1.50EURGUIDED TOUR (Supplement) 1.00EUR
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Loyal Rock
by DanielF
The hilltop castle at Peñafiel is still impressive after so many years of forsake and neglect. From the distance, it looks like a vessel anchored in the Duero bank. The castle has been recently renovated and now hides a modern construction in its core that hosts the Wine Museum of the town.The area is indeed rich in wine cellars, many of them family run in the old town and some can even be visited.
Medina of Dryriver
by DanielF
Medina de Rioseco is the capital of the Western part of the Land of Fields. In spite of the fact that the sea is hundreds of kilometres away, it is dubbed the town of the Admirals, as it got its biggest splendour under the Enríquez family, which held the title of the Admirals of Castille.The city lost its castle and the palace of the Admirals during the Napoleonic wars, but its amazing churches and quaint arcaded streets still stand there.
Medina of the Field
by DanielF
Medina del Campo is the second largest town in the province of Valladolid. During the Middle Ages it hosted the most important trade fair in the Kingdom of Castille.Not far away from the city limits stands the Castle of La Mota, one of the largest and best preserved fortresses in Spain. This one is untypically build with bricks in the Mudejar style.
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