Excursions

The city Salamanca has a lot to offer. But, if you are here, why wouldn’t you enjoy the beauty of the other pearls of cities nearby? Besides visiting cities and villages that are part of the historical Silver Route, we can tell you the following places are definitely worth a visit.

Ciudad Rodrigo

In the south-west part of the province of Salamanca, you’ll find Ciudad Rodrigo, a sleepy town on the way to Portugal, only 30 kilometres away from the border. Although the city was almost completely destroyed during the war against Napoleon, renaissance residences can be found. The best view on the town you’ll get from the city walls, which also gives you a beautiful panorama of Portugal. North, not far away from the central Plaza Mayor, is Plaza Conde where you can find three of the most magnificent residences in town: Palacio de los Castro, Palacio Alba de Yeltes and Palacio de Moctezuma.

La Alberca, Sierra Peña de Francia and Valle de Las Bautecas

Thanks to the status of national monument, the village La Alberca is very neat and tidy. Narrow streets with houses built of heavy stone, gravel, rubble, wood beams and plaster and shops, where you can find handicrafts and local products. All this makes La Alberca an unusual place with an authentic rural atmosphere. The village is a perfect place from where you can undertake other excursions. One of the destinations can be La Peña de Francia, the highest peak in the area with views extending to Portugal, the Extremadura and the Sierra de Gredos. Another suggestion is the reserve Valle de Las Batuecas.

Candelario

Candelario is situated on the slope of the hill and lets you enjoy very characteristic architecture. All its houses are built in a similar style with white stoned walls and wooden balconies, which makes all streets almost identical. And besides, these small, shady, narrow streets with unusual rain water canals in the middle, seem to be a labyrinth.

Bèjar

Bèjar is located in the south-west part of the province of Salamanca. One of the most interesting monuments is residence El Bosque with its gorgeous garden and four fountains. The city is also proud of its Plaza de Torros, that is considered to be one of the oldest in Spain. Also a lot of Roman ruins, churches and palaces can be found there. Near Bèjar, a ski resort is situated where you can relax after your sightseeing trips or get in action during the winter.

Zamora

Zamora is one of the most unruffled cities in the province of Castile & Leon. The old part of the city offers plenty of roman churches and almost half of them has kept their authentic structure. Eastwards you meet Tordesillas, the place where in 1494 the agreement between Spain and Portugal about the division of the new discovered lands was signed. Heading a bit more towards the south, you can find Medina del Campo, one of the most splendid castles in this region.

Segovia

This interesting city, situated on a rocky hill, has typical Castilian character. Besides, visiting the city makes you feel like you’re walking in a fairytale. During the Golden Age, Segovia hosted the Royal Family and the Parliament. In 1474, in the small church Iglesia de San Miguel, near Plaza Mayor, Isabel was proclaimed a queen. For that rather small city, Segovia has an amazing amount of monuments. Most famous are its Roman aqueduct, the cathedral and the fabulous Alcázar, but don’t forget the large amount of smaller churches, hidden in narrow streets.

Roman aqueduct
The 728 meters granite aqueduct in Segovia, supported by 166 arcs and measured up to 29 meters high, was built in the 1st century BC. It is the most important photographed object in Segovia. An interesting fact about aqueduct, is that it has been made without any cement or other adhesive.

Cathedral
This cathedral, completed in 1577, is one of the last Gothic churches in Spain. This huge stone temple makes a sensational impression from the outside, but also its interior is astonishingly rigorous. The central located commanding choir, made from green marble, gives the impression of insularity and the most significant exhibits can be seen in a museum that is next to the cloister.

Alcázar
The magnificent fortress with slender turrets and plenty of rifle towers, surrounded by a deep moat, was an inspiration for Walt Disney's vision to build his castle for Sleeping Beauty in Disneyland. The construction was burned in 1862 and was reconstructed as a exaggerated duplicate of the original version.

La Iglesia de Vera Cruz
One of the most beautiful and best maintained churches in Segovia, is La Iglesia de Vera Cruz. The characteristic 12-sided temple was built at the beginning of the 13th century, by the Knights Templar and reminds the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. In the past it hosted the splinter from the True Cross. From the turret of the church you can enjoy the beautiful view of the district.

Ávila

Ávila is located in the north of Castile & Leon, between Madrid and Salamanca. The city is famous for its defence walls and the place of birth of Santa Teresa, a Catholic mystic and reformer. Multiplicity of monasteries and small churches as well as secular renaissance residence, make it a wonderful destination for a daytrip.

City walls
The magnificent and hefty walls, that were built in 11th century, now form one of the best preserved medieval battlements in Europe. According to its inhabitants, Avilla’s walls are better than the ones in Carcassonne in France. Extending 2500 meters and encircling the old town massive rampart with 88 towers and 8 gates, it forms a perfect place to walk and enjoy a fabulous view on the city. The most exciting parts of the walls are the two gates ‘Puerta de San Vincente’ and the ‘Puerta de Alcázar’.

Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa, one of the most important Catholic saints, was born in Ávila in 1515 in a rich merchant family. She joined the Carmelite Order when she was 20 and later started the new, more rigorous fraction of the convent Shoeless Carmelites. Signs of Santa Teresa can be found in every part of the city. Convento de Santa Teresa is a church built exactly on the place where she was born and got educated the relics. The next place worth to see is the Iglesia de San Juan, where Santa Teresa was baptised. Nearby you can find the Convento de San Jose, the first monastery founded by her in 1562. Leaving the old city through the Puerta del Carmen, you’re able to take a look at the Convento de la Encarnacion, where Santa Teresa lived as a nun for 27 years.

Valladolid

Valladolid, located in the centre of Iberian Meseta, was almost completely destroyed. After that old renaissance buildings were substituted by modern concrete high-rises. The city is famous for its beautiful and original processions during Easter. When you stay in Valladolid, don’t hesitate to visit the Cathedral, the many museums and of course ‘Casa de Cervantes’ the place where this famous Spanish writer wrote a part of “El Quijote” (Don Quijote).

The Cathedral
The construction of the Valladolid’s Cathedral was started by architect Juan de Herrera in 1582 and continued by Alberto Churriguera, but was never completed. How splendid the primary project was, can be seen in a smaller form in the Cathedral’s museum. Luckily, also the not finished version is definitely worth a visit.

Museo Nacional de Escultura
The collection of this museum in Valladolid is made up from a magnificent set of Spanish sculptures from the 13th to 18th century. Take a look at works of Alonso de Barruguete, Juan de Juní and Gregorio Fernández. Special attention should be paid to the facade, courtyard and the funeral chapel.

Museo Oriental
Museo Oriental astonishes with an extraordinary collection of Chinese art. Check out the beautiful paintings on rice paper, the three porcelain sculptures Three Happy Chineses (Fu, Shou and Lou) and exceptional ivory figures from Philippines.

Toledo

This former capital of Spain, what Toledo was until the 16th century, is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in this part of Europe. It’s a defense city built on a hill next to Tagus River, enjoys a national monument status and is placed on the Unesco World Heritage List. The city of the three cultures was the place where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived in comparative harmony. Strolling through narrow paved streets you will pass churches, synagogues and mosques, so you will immerse in an unique atmosphere. Don’t forget to visit the immense cathedral, the El Greco museum and the Álcazar.