Yearly Archives: 2013

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

Emblematic buildings, Salamanca, Streets and monuments, Tours and Guides

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.

Acueducto de Segovia / Segovia Aqueduct (Segovia)

Emblematic buildings, Segovia, Streets and monuments

segovia

The Segovia Aqueduct is the most important roman architecture of Spain. It is placed in Segovia, a friendly city of 50.000 inhabitants located one hour away of Madrid by car or bus.

segovia aqueductWhen the aqueduct was built by the Roman Empire, in the first century A.D, its mission was to transport water from Fuente Fria river to the town. The aqueduct covers a distance of 15 km and the structure of its final part consists in 36 stone arches which sustains the water channel.

Nowadays, many tourists visit Segovia to see the aqueduct and other important monuments as The Alcazar, The Cathedral and the old city centre, which are some of the most remarkable monuments of Castile and Leon region. The Aqueduct and the old city of Segovia were declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO in 1985.

 

What to visit near Aqueduct of Segovia

– Historic centre of the town: The centre of Segovia has a lot of historic buildings, and also it is the perfect place to eat or take a drink in its bars and restaurants.

– Alcazar de Segovia: This is other of the most popular monuments of the city. It is said that this castle is dated from the same ages than the aqueduct, when the Roman Empire was in Spain. Later, in the medieval age it was used as a fortification and as a palace.

plaza mayor segovia– Segovia Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María de Segovia): This Gothic cathedral is placed in the centre of the city, and it can be seen from Plaza Mayor. The building construction began in the 16th century and it is well known for the Spaniards for its elegance and for its giant dimensions.

– Plaza Mayor (Main Square): As in many other cities of Spain, Plaza Mayor is one of the most traditional squares of Segovia. It is the perfect place to take a rest or drink something while you can appreciate the magnificence of the cathedral.

– San Martín church: Another ancient building placed in the centre of Segovia. Although is not as famous as the aqueduct or the Alcazar, this catholic church was built in the 12th century, four hundred years before than the cathedral.

 

Map of the old town of Segovia (Spain)

Here you have a touristic map of Segovia (click on it to maximize the map).

segovia touristic map

 

More cities to visit near Segovia

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

– Salamanca: Salamanca has the most ancient university of Spain. Also, visiting its historic centre is like to stay in the medieval age, surrounded of elegant stone-made buildings, churches, squares and monuments.  Salamanca is surely one of the best maintained traditional cities of the country.

– 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.

Toledo: What to visit in Toledo, a beautiful ancient city near Madrid

Emblematic buildings, Toledo, Tours and Guides

toledo city

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

mapa toledo spainOnce, Toledo was the capital city of Spain with Carlos I the king in the XVI century. Although the history of the city began many centuries before, with the Celtic civilization. After that, Toledo was habited by Romans, Goths, Muslims, Jewish and Christians. Nowadays, the city has around 80.000 inhabitants and is one of the main destinations for tourists who are visiting the centre of the county.

The city is located one hour away of Madrid by car or by bus, so if you are in Madrid for a while and you have one free day, you would like to travel to Toledo.

The historical city of Toledo was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1986.

 

What to visit in Toledo

– Toledo city centre: The historic centre of the city is full of monuments, gates, and ancients buildings. In there, you will find most of the important streets, squares, and museums of the city. Also, it has a lot of restaurants and shops for tourists.

toledo gate

 – Alcázar de Toledo:  This building was built in the third century by the romans. Later, it was restored by Alfonso VI, Alfonso XI and extended by Carlos I in 1534. Currently this building is an army museum (Museo del ejército).

army museum square

– Toledo Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María de Toledo): This is another important monument that you can find in the centre of the city. It is a gothic catedral, built between 1200 and 1500. It measures 120 metres in length, 59 metres in width and 44.5 metres in height.

cathedral

– Toledo Synagogue (Sinagoga del Transito): It was built in 1355, and is probably the only building with still stands in Toledo built by the muslim civilization.

sinagoge

– The Greco Museum (Museo del Greco): This museum is placed alongside the synagogue. Inside it, you will be able to see some of the artworks of Doménikos Theotokópoulos (“El Greco”). The museum was built above the foundations of a renaissance palace.

greco museum

Touristic Map of Toledo

Here you have a map with the most important places to visit in Toledo:

toledo touristic map

More cities to visit near Toledo

– 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.

– Salamanca: Salamanca has the most ancient university of Spain. Also, visiting its historic centre is like to stay in the medieval age, surrounded of elegant stone-made buildings, churches, squares and monuments.  Salamanca is surely one of the best maintained traditional cities of the country.

– Top best cities in Spain: Read here our list with the best destinations to visit in Spain.

La Alhambra / The Alhambra complex of buildings and palaces (Granada)

Emblematic buildings, Granada

la alhambra

It is said that “There is nothing sadder in the world than being blind in Granada,” because one blind cannot see the wonderful sunset staring at the Alhambra from the Albaicín, and enjoy its extraordinary architecture, therefore, a must for tourists who visit Spain is to spend several days in Granada and visit The Alhambra which is one of the most visited monuments in Spain.

The Alhambra palaciois situated on the top of the Sabika hill in a strategic site, where there was a Roman city before the Arabs began constructing new buildings in the 9th century, and added more buildings in the followings centuries. However, the most beautiful buildings were constructed between the 13th and the 15th centuries by the Muslims. This historical and Muslim monument was a fortified town with many towers, a some incredible palaces, and of course, a lot of beautiful gardens. Moreover, the king Charles I of Spain and V of Germany (1500-1558) ordered to build other palace inside of the Alhambra in the 16th century. The Alhambra was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1984.

One of the most amazing palace in the Alhambra is the Lions Palace built between 1362 and 1391 ( nasrid art), where visitors will be impressed by the great richness and variety of its decoration, such as, the Hall of the Two Sisters whose spellbinding vault is worth a visit, the Courtyard of the Lions with its famous fountain rounded by 12 lions, it is a noteworthy symbol of the Alhambra, the Hall of the Abencerrajes other stunning vault of nasrid art, the Hall of the Kings an interesting place to admire the finest nasrid architecture, among others.

The Palace de Comares, fuenteother palace in the Alhambra, which has the most beautiful Myrtles o Comares courtyard with its clear water mirror, the Room of the Ship, the Hall the Comares, and the Golden Room, whose woodwork ceiling is a splendid artwork, all theses places are must-see.

People interested in renaissance architecture and nasrid art should not leave without visiting the Palace of Charles V in the Alhambra and the National Museum of Spanish-Moorish Art which is on the ground floor of this palace.

If you like new challenges, there are some poems written in impressive calligraphy on the walls of Generalife, Ambrassadors, Comares Gate, in the Hall of the Two Sister, and some more.

panoramica alhambra

Do not leave without going to the Alcazaba a medieval fortress in la Alhambra. Granada has about 240,000 inhabitants. It takes more than three hours to visit the Alhambra. You can arrive at the Alhambra by car, by bus or on foot.

The queues are very long, so tourists should book the ticket in advance to avoid the wait.

 

Other interesting places to visit in Granada

– Generalife was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1984, this medieval palace was built in 1319 by the muslims, and has many breathtaking gardens and a lot of stunning fountains, therefore, it is worth a visit, above all in spring when the flowers are in bloom.

– Albaicín, you must not miss the medieval Muslim Albaicín neighbourhood which is placed on other hill in front of the Alhambra, you will be absolutely spellbound when you see the spectacular sight of the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada at the sunset from the Albaicín, Besides, if you like flamenco show you will find traditional dance, tapas and drink in the Albaicín neighbourhood. UNESCO declared Albaicín a World Heritage site in 1994.

– Sacromonte neighbourhood is placed on other hill. However, citizens and tourists can be seen together enjoying the neighbourhood life. Obviously, this is the most popular place for tourists in Granada. When you visit Sacromonte neighbourhood don’t miss out its fork dance and you do not hesitate to join them for a dance. Moreover, you will like a drink and taste the delightful tapas while watching the famous zambras gitanas and pure flamenco (folk dance and folk song) it is an experience unique at the Sacromonte neighbourhood.

granada

– If you like skiing, Sierra Nevada is one of the most popular ski resort in Spain with its powerful new Snow Park for freestyle skiers. By the way, it is only 27 km from Granada city.

– Other place worth a visit is the Royal Chapel of Granada (next to the Cathedral ) where are the mausoleums of Isabel of Castilla ( 1451-1504) and Fernando of Aragon (1452-1516) ( the Catholic Monarchs) who ordered its construction, and where their graves remain. In addition, Granada was conquered on 2nd January 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs and the muslims were definitely expelled from Spain.

 

Mercado de San Miguel / San Miguel Market (Madrid)

Emblematic buildings, Gastronomy, Madrid

san miguel market madrid spain

San Miguel Market is a building placed in San Miguel square (Madrid), between Plaza Mayor / Puerta del Sol and Almudena Cathedral / Palacio Real. Inside of this famous market you will find an incredibly variety of food: juices, “tapas”, “croquetas”, hamburgers, fruit, fish… all of this of the highest quality.

The structure of the market was built in 1913 and consists in a beautiful combination of iron and glass. Before 1913, the market already existed, but these stalls was placed in the street.

 

mercado de san miguel madrid espana

What to do in San Miguel Market

The market is always full of tourists who want to taste its premium quality food. Normally people visit the market to have a lunch after visiting the monuments and streets which are near the market (for example, you can start visiting El Retiro Park, Cibeles Square, Neptuno fountain, some museums, El Congreso, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, and take a rest and eat in the market and later visit Opera Square, Almudena, Palacio Real, Jardines de Sabatini, El Senado, Spain Square, Debod Temple and Gran Via Avenue).

Also, we recommend you to try the famous “bocadillo de calamares” (squid sandwich) in Plaza Mayor, which is 2 minutes on foot from the Market. This sandwich is very popular among the citizens, and also is much cheaper than the food served in San Miguel Market. Read also our post about What to visit in Madrid.

 

 

Other similar food markets in Spain

– San Antón Market (Madrid): This market is placed in Chueca Neighborhood, in the centre of Madrid. It is focused in tapas and tapas mercado de san miguelpremium food to eat in its stalls and restaurants.

– La Latina (Madrid): In La Latina, the people is used to go at midday and afternoon every weekend (specially on Sundays) to eat tapas, sandwichs and drink beer and wine in the bars of its streets.

– La Boqueria Market (Barcelona): Placed in Barcelona, near Las Ramblas, this market is similar to San Miguel Maket , and also is the most famous market of Barcelona.

 

More places to visit in Madrid

– Cibeles: In Cibeles Square you will see the famous Cibeles fountain and some important buildings, like Palacio de Comunicaciones, the headquarters of the Madrid city council.

– Puerta del Sol: This emblematic place is one of the reference points more used in the city, and many citizens are used to dating with other people from this point.

– Plaza de España: Another popular square, in where you can find the firsts skyscrapers of the city, and a beautiful fountain in the middle of the square with a statue of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza.

– Plaza Mayor: In this traditional square there is a Felipe II statue rounded of white ancient buildings. The young people in the city are used to going to this square to eat squid sandwiches. Moreover, some politicians told once about taking a coffee in there… but from our point of view, there are a lot of better -and cheaper- places in Madrid places to do it).

– Opera Square: Really near to the market, you will find there the Opera Theater.

– Gran Via: The most famous avenue of Madrid. It has a lot of theaters, coffee, restaurants and shops.

– Palacio Real and Almudena’s Cathedral: It’s 5 minutes walking from San Miguel Market. Is a must for all tourists.

Salou: Sun and beach for families, and a lot of party for young people (Gold Coast)

Beach, mountain and nature, Nightlife, Tarragona, Tours and Guides

salou

One century ago, Salou was a small village placed in Tarragona (Catalonia). Nowadays, it has 25.000 inhabitants, and a big part of its economy is based in the tourism: With thousands of apartments and hotels, hundreds of shops, restaurants, pubs and discotheques, and of course, a beautiful beach, Salou is the most touristic town in the Gold Coast (Costa Dorada).

Salou is a reference for the holydays of Spring and Summer in Spain. Furthermore, the profile of the people who visit the town is highly various: Since families with children, couples, and young people. As Salou is always plenty of people and activities, it’s impossible not to find some amusing thing to do each day.

 

What to do do in Salou

The main point of Salou is its beach: With its clean sand, and the warm and clear water is a perfect place to go for a swim in summer. Also, the sun and the weather is ideal for sunbathes and resting from May to September.

However, Salou gives you a lot of options apart of the beach: restaurants, amusement parks (Port Aventura, Aquopolis…), shops, discotheques, festivals, and many more.

Talking about sport activities, you can rent a boat in the beach, play volleyball, rent a motorcar in the circuit, go cycling and jogging at the surroundings of the town, practice golf, etc..

Attractions parks: Port Aventura and Aquopolis

portaventura

Port Aventura is the older (and probably the bigger) amusement park in Spain. It is placed near Salou and in there you will enjoy impressive attractions as Dragon Khan roller coaster and a lot of live spectacles. You can go to Port Aventura by car or by bus.

Aquopolis is an water park placed in La Pineda, a town near Salou which is 30mins away on foot (but probably you would prefer to go by bus). Aquopolis is the perfect place to stay in a hot summer day enjoying their aquatic attractions and their giant swimming pools.

 

Activities for young people in Salou

salou pub partyAlthough not all the people who visit Salou are young, every year thousands of students and people between 18 and 30 years visit Salou. (Maybe that is because some families prefer to stay in a quieter place like Benidorm, La Pineda, or Andalusia). For them there is an spectacular offer of pubs and discotheques which are open every night from May/June to September, so if you want to go party every day, Salou is your best option.

Festivals: In several dates, Salou celebrates festivals and other celebrations (like in Holy Week or at San Juan). This celebrations are especially popular among young people, who come from other cities of Spain and from outside, as France, Germany or Great Britain.

 

Hotels and apartments in Salou

The most common habit for people who want to stay some days in Salou is to rent an apartment (for 1 week in most cases) or to sleep in a hotel. If you chose this option, chose an accommodation with air conditioner and swimming pool, you will enjoy it much more!

Another option is to go camping. There is a camping in the middle of the town.

Whatever you chose, remember to take a reservation one or two months before your holydays, it will be cheaper and you will avoid the option of running out of room!

 

 

Other interesting places to visit near Salou

– La Pineda: La Pineda is a small town located near Salou. In there you will find a beautiful beach, the Aquopolis and the popular discotheque Pacha La Pineda. You can go by bus from Salou.

– Barcelona: One of the most touristic cities in Europe. It is around 100km abroad of Salou.

– Castelldefels: Castelldefels is located on the Mediterranean Sea coast of Catalonia,  just to 18 km away from Barcelona city.

– Sitges: Sitges is also known for its Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, the Barcelona-Sitges Vintage Car Rallys and its Carnival Celebration.

– Ibiza: This island is not near Salou, but… if you are young and you like Salou, surely you will have to try Ibiza.

El jardín del Turia / The Turia Garden (Valencia)

Streets and monuments, Valencia

turia garden

Valencia has about 800,000 inhabitants being the third largest city in Spain. The Turia garden (Jardín del Turia) is one of the most visited parks of Valencia, and it is placed in the centre of the city, close to the City of Arts and Sciences.

Its name comes from the Turia river, because it is located in the dried bed of this river after being changed the original course of the river. In fact, on 14th October 1957, Valencia was flooded by the Turia river once again, and the river overflowed its banks causing considerable damage in the city and surroundings. The flash flood was so devastating that the Government decided to divert the course of the river far away from Valencia City in order to avoid other floods in the future.

Nowadays, the Turia Garden is a public green park of more than 7,000 metres long being covered its more than 1,000,000 square metres with great variety of trees, plants ,flowers, herbs, grass, many fountains, several sports areas, some playgrounds, a lot of places to relax and rest, so on.

 

What to see in The Turia Garden

Being the Turia Garden one of the most visited park in Spain it is also the largest park in a metropolitan area in Spain. It starts at the Valencia Zoo goes through more than 15 emblematic bridges and finishes at the breathtaking City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia (La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias de Valencia).

The Turia Garden has plenty of leisure activities including several playgrounds for children and a little funny train to go sightseeing around the park. However, children must not miss the fantastic Gulliver Park, which is placed inside the Turia Garden, it is a colossal statue of Gulliver where the children can go into to play.

Visitors will be spellbound when they come across the big iron statues while they are strolling in the park, enjoy the lovely places with a lot of benches to sit down when they want to admire an artwork. Besides, they can also do all kinds of sports in the excellent facilities, such as baseball, football, basketball, rugby, cycling and others.

It is very easy to arrive at the Turia Garden, it is in the city centre. However, it can take several days to visit the whole city.

 

 

Other interesting sites to visit in Valencia

– Silk Market: A must for visitors who arrive in Valencia is the Silk Market ( la Lonja de la Seda) a masterwork of the 15th century declared a world Heritage site by UNESCO in 1996.

– City of Arts and Sciences: Visitors interested in architecture, art, nature and sciences should visit the amazing City of Arts and Sciences (la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias de Valencia), designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava.

– “Las Fallas” festivals: Most visitors to Valencia enjoy the bonfires in the Fallas de Valencia Festival on the 19th March, it is a unique experience to go for a walk through its lively streets.

– The beach: Most tourists spend spare time in they sunny beaches of white sand. Do not miss out the traditional delicious paella dish. Do not forget the historical centre of the city.

Metropol Parasol (Las setas) / The mushrooms square (Seville)

Emblematic buildings, Gastronomy, Seville / Sevilla

seville mushrooms

Metropol Parasol is the official name of this construction placed in Plaza de la Encarnación, near the city centre of Sevilla. Popularly, the structure is known as “Setas de la Encarnación” because of its similarity to a big-scale mushrooms.

The construction consists in a group of six wooden structures (mushrooms) which covers the square. Inside it, there are some different levels in where you can find a roman museum (Antiquarium), a market and two terraces. Also, all of this is surrounded by restaurants, benches and other places to rest and to enjoy the square.
Metropol Parasol was finished in 2011 and cost 86 million euros. It has received a lot of complaints about its expensive price and because its architecture doesn’t fit with the traditional buildings of the area. However, to visit the mushrooms is a unique experience.

If you have the opportunity to visit Seville and you have enough time, our recommendation is to visit this place and to dinner in the square. Surely, you will feel the sensation of being a smurf in the middle of an urban jungle 🙂

 

What to do in Metropol Parasol (Seville)

– To go to the terrace of the upper levels and see the whole city.

– To have a lunch in the restaurants of the area.

– To visit the museum in the underground level of Metropol Parasol.

– If you are young, to go party in the pubs and discothèques that you can find near the square (at 5 minutes on foot).

 

 

More places to visit in Seville

– Plaza de España: It is located in the middle of Maria Luisa Park, in the city center. The square has a fountain in the middle, rounded for a small lake and a building behind it that gives a traditional style to all the place.

– Santa Maria Cathedral and La Giralda: Situated in the heart of Seville, near Guadaquivil river, the Gothic Santa María Cathedral in Seville is the largest Cathedral in Spain, and the largest Gothic Christian Cathedral in the world. In fact, the imposing Cathedral measures 116 metres in length and 76 metres in width, being together with the Zaragoza and the Toledo Cathedrals the three unique Gothic Cathedrals with five naves in Spain.

– Torre del Oro: This ancient tower is by the river, near to San Telmo Bridge. The first part of its structure was constructed in the 13th century when the Muslims lived in Andalusia, one century later it was improved and finished by Pedro I.

– Plaza Nueva: There is the Seville’s Town hall.

– Plaza de toros de la Maestranza.

– Archeological Museum and Arts Museum of Seville: Both of them are placed in Maria Luisa Park.

– Canal de Alfonso XIII: This watercourse passes just alongside Maria Luisa Park.