Category Archives: Salamanca

Plaza Mayor de Salamanca / Salamanca Main Square

plaza mayor salamanca

The Main Square (Plaza Mayor) of Salamanca is the hearth of the city. This square is located in the Old Town of Salamanca and it’s surrounded by the most important buildings of the town, as The University faculties, The Shells House (Casa de las Conchas) or The Cathedral.

Salamanca is one of the best maintained traditional cities of Spain. The Old Town of Salamanca is highly popular for its elegant stone-made buildings, monuments and squares.

 

The Main Square of Salamanca

plaza mayor salamanca 2Salamanca Main Square is one of the icons of the city. It was built from 1729 to 1756 by architect Alberto Churriguera. The square has a rectangular shape bordered by elegant stone-made Baroque buildings.

The main facade of the square is the Hall Town of Salamanca. Starting from this point and bordering the square, there is a beam corridor in where are medallions which have sculpted the faces of some important people of the last centuries: The kings of Spain (Carlos I, Felipe II…), conquerors (as Cristobal Colón or Hernán Cortés), or writers (Cervantes, Miguel de Unamuno…).

Although in the beginnings of the 20th century the Main Square has gardens in it. Nowadays it has been remodeled to leave more free space. However the square has benches and terraces for the people who want to rest or have a lunch.

Note: Don’t mistake Plaza Mayor of Salamanca with Plaza Mayor of Madrid. This second one was in 1580, but it’s not as spectacular as the Salamanca’s one.

 

Restaurants and bars in Salamanca near Plaza Mayor

To eat and drink in the Old Town of Salamanca is a pleasure: The bars and restaurants are merged with the traditional environment of the town, which will lead you into a medieval atmosphere in were Salamanca was one of the main cities of Spain.

The most visited bars and restaurants of Salamanca are placed in Plaza Mayor and its surroundings. Also, there are many pubs and discotheques in the area for young people.

Take into account that, as Plaza Mayor of Salamanca is the heart of the city, people are used to dating there with their friends to spend the free time in this zone. As a curiosity, it is said that the prices of the bars are cheaper than in other bigger cities of the country as Madrid.

 

Night Life in Salamanca

plaza mayor salamanca de nocheSalamanca is a high popular destination for young people. As it has the oldest university of Spain, many students (both Spaniards and Erasmus) live there during their studies. That means that, during the academic course, there are always a lot of activities for students and visitors.

The main bars and discotheques of Salamanca are placed in the Old Town, near the University buildings. In there, there is a lot of night life almost every day, from September to June (during the academic year).

 

 

Other remarkable places in Salamanca that you might like to visit

What to visit in Salamanca: Check here our article with the top buildings and monuments of Salamanca.

Castile and Leon (Castilla y León): By visiting Castile and Leon you will be in some of the most ancient cities of the centre of the Iberian Peninsula: Salamanca, Burgos, Segovia, Avila and more.

The best cities to visit in Spain: A list with the most touristic cities and destinations of Spain.

Salamanca: What to visit in Salamanca, a stone-made medieval city with the oldest university of Spain

salamanca rua mayor

Salamanca is one of the most beautiful cities of Spain. It is placed in Castile and Leon region, in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula and currently its population is around 150.000 inhabitants.

mapa salamanca spainThe origins of the city starts in the 3rd century before Christ, when Anibal conquered Salamanca,when it was still a town . Later, the city was occupied by the Roman Empire, conquered by the Visigoths and then by the muslims. After many wars, the city was destroyed and it remained uninhabited until the 10th century, when Ramiro II started it resettlement.

In 1255 was officially founded the University of Salamanca, the oldest university of Spain.

 

Why do we have to visit Salamanca?

plaza universidadSalamanca is a high popular destination: As it has the oldest university of Spain, many students (both Spaniards and erasmus of other countries)  go every year to study there.

Also, the historic centre of the city is famous for its elegant stone-made buildings, as the cathedral, the university headquarters, monuments and squares.

Salamanca is surely one of the best maintained traditional cities of the country. Surely, if you visit the old centre of Salamanca, you will feel the sensation of being living in the medieval age. The city was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988.

 

The most important buildings, squares and monuments of Salamanca

– The two Cathedrals of Salamanca: There are two cathedrals in Salamanca, the older one and the newer one. Both of them are placed nearby in the centre of the city.

The old cathedral is placed in Juan XIII Square, and was built between the 12th and 14th centuries. It has an romanic – gothic style.  The new cathedral is placed in Cardenal Pla Street. It was built in the 16th Century and it has a gothic – baroque style.

catedral salamanca

 

– La casa de las conchas (The Shells House): This gothic palace is located near Rua Mayor (Main Street), which goes from the New Cathedral to Plaza Mayor. It was built in the first years of the 16th century.

The walls of the of the palace are covered with shells, in where a legend says that there is hidden a treasure below one of the shells. Inside the building, currently you can find a public library.

casa de las conchas

 

Plaza Mayor (Main Square): Salamanca Main Square is another icon of the city. It was built in 1729, and nowadays it is the neuralgic center of the city where people meet, have a lunch or take a walk. Maybe, it can remind some people of Plaza Mayor of Madrid, which was built some years before, in 1617.

plaza mayor salamanca

 

– University of Salamanca: This is the oldest university of Spain, which have been alive since 1254/1255. However, its activity started some years before, in 1130.

The university buildings,  faculties and residences are located in the old city. You can see the headcuarters of the university in the photo. As a curiosity, there is a frog hidden in the front of the building. Will you be able to find it?

universidad

 

– Iglesia y Convento de San Esteban (San Esteben Church and Convent): This convent belongs to the Dominicans Fathers, who have been in Salamanca since the University began in 1255. The original convent was built in 1256, but it was demolished and in 1524 was constructed the actual Gothic church that you can visit nowadays.

convento de san esteban dominicos

 

– Casa Lis (Lis Palace): Casa Lis is a 19th century palace in where currently is placed an Art Deco museum. It is placed just in the old walls of the city, in the line which separates the old city with the newer one.

casa lis

 

– Puente Romano (Roman bridge): As many other cities in Spain, Salamanca also has a roman bridge. The bridge crosses the Tormes River, and can bee seen from the terraces of the old city.

puente romano

 

– Night life in Salamanca: As the city is full of students, during the scholar year there are always a lot of activities for young people. You can find a lot of shops and restaurants for tourists in the old city, and during the night you can enjoy many pubs and discotheques.

plaza mayor salamanca de noche

 

 

Map of Salamanca

 

Other cities to visit near Salamanca

Madrid: The capital of the country is always plenty of cultural and leisure activity.

Segovia: With its impressive roman aqueduct and its Alcazar, Segovia is a must for tourists who are visiting the central region of Spain.

Toledo: Toledo is an historical city with a lot of ancient buildings and monuments which make a medieval atmosphere for everyone who want to visit it.

The best cities to visit in Spain: Read here our list with the best destinations of Spain.