Salamanca, Spain

Salamanca, Spain

Catedral Nueva de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain (cc)

Photo: FDV

Salamanca Travel Guide

Introduction

Salamanca is the seat of erudition and an insanely historic city. It has one of the world's oldest universities as well as a fabulous old town that offers up a monumental assemblage of architectural treasures. Here are medieval palaces, churches, monasteries, convents and centuries-old buildings that collectively rise from the north bank of the Tormes River in western Spain in a burst of rust and gold.

Location

Salamanca is situated 120 miles (200 km) west of Madrid and 50 miles (80 km) east of the border of Portugal. It is linked to Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza by train, as well as to Porto and Lisbon in Portugal.

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Neighborhoods

How to Get Around

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

Where to Party

Essential Information

Nearby Destinations

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Salamanca is hugely rewarding for visitors, with a wealth of museums and architectural offerings. Among the highlights are the paired cathedrals, the 12th-century Romanesque Old Cathedral and the 16th-century Gothic New Cathedral; the 15th-century Casa de las Conchas with its clamshells façade; the old Irish College; and the 16th-century Monterrey Palace that displays the plateresque style of stone carving unique to Salamanca. There's also an old Roman bridge here, dating from the 1st century BC. Still, the University of Salamanca holds the greatest interest, dating from the early 13th century and with associations to such celebrated scholars, discoverers and conquistadors of yore as Francisco de Vitoria, Christopher Columbus and Hernán Cortés. It is now the world's leading institution for teaching the Spanish language, with a 36,000-strong student population.

Main Neighborhoods