It is hard to pin-point exactly what it is about this city… that first stumbling across the dazzling plaza mayor, the towers of the cathedral against the backdrop of a perfect blue sky, the grandeur of the prestigious university, or the ever-present buzz in the streets… whatever it is, you cannot help but fall in love with Salamanca.
Miguel de Cervantes sums it up nicely: “Salamanca, que enhechiza a voluntad de volver a ella a todos los que de la apacibilidad de su vivienda han gustado.”
The Oxford of Spain
Famous for being home to the oldest university in Spain, Salamanca is full of students and a vibrant cultural atmosphere. The historic city is a two and a half hour journey from Madrid in the autonomous region of Castilla y Leon, and definitely worth the visit. The beginning of spring sees the arrival of tourists from far and wide, many of which are found gazing at the detailed façade of the old university, in search of the fortune-bringing frog.
This frog has become something of a symbol of the town. The other university buildings are spread across the city, but one of the largest and grandest faculty edifices and a must-see is theFacultad de Filologia in the Palacio de Anaya, found at the plaza of the same name. Enter via the large steps and columns and you will see a courtyard with walls adorned by many hand-painted “victores” in red, arrangements of the letters v,i,c,t,o,r which are added for those who have attained a doctorate at the university.
Cathedral Glory
Opposite this are the magnificent Cathedral buildings. The intricate stone-work of the Catedral Nueva becomes more apparent as you approach, and people are often clustered around a particularly eye-catching figure in the engravings… The old Cathedral, la Vieja, is almost completely overshadowed and engulfed by the new one, though both are spectacular to visit inside. It is hard to take in just how tall the towers are, and indeed they can be seen miles away on the approach to the city. Spectacular views can be seen from the roof and outside viewing platforms of the Cathedral which are open daily, and free on Tuesday mornings.
Bars, Book fairs and Buzzing Student Life
The little calles and paseos scattered with hundreds of restaurants and bars lead to the stunning Plaza Mayor, the hub of the city and arguably the most stunning of all of Spain’splazas. It has many great restaurants, bars and ice-cream parlours and plays host to frequent events, from book fairs to music concerts to spectacular light shows. Calm during siesta, buzzing in the late afternoons, this main square is just as impressive every time you come across it but never more so than at night when illuminated and golden against a midnight blue sky.
With a population of 160,000, Salamanca is quite small and in the historical centre everything is easy to access by foot. If you get chance, take a walk down to the puente romano, the roman bridge over the River Tormes. Salamanca crops up in many works of literature, and f you have read the picaresque novel Lazarillo de Tormes, the stone bull might be familiar to you…
There are many other places on the tourist’s list: the Clerecía, a beautiful chapel of the private university, the Casa de las Conchas (‘house of shells’) now the public library, theConvento de San Esteban and the Convento de las Duenas, all within ten minutes from the central plaza. A hidden gem, near the cathedral but off the beaten track is the small garden calledEl huerto de Calixto y Melibea, where you can enjoy the calm and the views of the cathedral and to the river.
Food, Fashion and Ferias
Tapas are a fundamental part of Spanish cuisine and Salamanca boasts many bars that serve a great pincho with your vino or cerveza. Try, for example, the pincho moruno at the Patio Chico bar, or the many tasty treats in the ‘Van Dyck’area near the cinemas, well known for good tapas places.
If you are into fashion, the best streets for shopping are Calle Zamora and Calle Toro, parallel to each other and the Gran Via and the little streets around San Justo are the most popular areas for night-life with a plethora of bars and discotecas. Places only start to get busy after midnight, everyone changes locations as the mood and music takes them, and it wouldn’t be unusual to stay out past 5am (good excuse to have an afternoon siesta!)
As far as cultural activities are concerned, it is guaranteed there will be something going on in lively Salamanca to suit your interests: from music to theatre, dance to art, poetry to folklore. Amongst a whole list of festivals and public holidays, Salamanca celebrates its Ferias from 8th to 15th September and the unique Lunes de aguas takes place the week following Easter.
How to get there:
Cheap flights with Ryanair from London Stansted to Valladolid (1.5 hours by coach to Salamanca) or various airlines to Madrid (2.5 hours by coach to Salamanca). For coaches seewww.avanzabus.com
Tourism websites: www.salamanca.es andwww.versalamanca.com
