Salamanca , capital of Castilla y León, is the quintessential university city in Spain and is visited by thousands of students every year. But only students? No. Salamanca has many tourist attractions, many things to see and do. In addition, it is a perfect city to get away for two or three days. Here we explain everything you need to know about this beautiful city.
What to see and do in Salamanca?
If you are planning a getaway to the city of Salamanca, we tell you everything you have to see in order to know the essence of the place.
The University of Salamanca
There is no more emblematic place in this city than the University of Salamanca . This building is the epicenter of the history and cultural life of the city. It was founded in January 1218, making it the oldest university in Spain and the fourth in Europe . So, just for this reason, we consider that you have to visit it. But, in addition, we emphasize that in this place such illustrious figures as Unamuno, Fray Luis de León, Fernando de Rojas, San Juan de la Cruz, Góngora and Calderón de la Barca, among others, have taught or studied.
We recommend that, given its historical importance, you enter and visit its interior. Especially the Building of the Major Schools and the College of Archbishop Fonseca . And if you know the work of Unamuno, we advise you that when you go out you go through the House-Museum of Unamuno. When you are in front of the facade, do not forget to look for the famous frog.
Main Square
The Plaza Mayor of Salamanca is the social center of the city. On the porches of the square there are endless cafes and restaurants , which is where locals and tourists alike gather. In addition, there are also students on holidays.
But this is not the only attraction of the square, since its main attraction is that it is in the Baroque style and that it has such emblematic buildings as the Town Hall.
New Cathedral and Old Cathedral
Salamanca is a city that can boast of having two cathedrals, the New Cathedral and the Old Cathedral . They have independent entrances but share one of their walls.
The New Cathedral was built between 1513 and 1733 with the intention of replacing the Old Cathedral, which was built between the 12th and 14th centuries. However, at the last moment, she changed her mind and it was decided that both of them would stay. The last one to be built has a late Baroque style, while the oldest is Romanesque and Gothic.
House Lis
Casa Lis , which was built in 1905, is a modernist-style mansion . It is located on the edge of the wall and very close to the river Tormes. If you decide to visit it, you will see that the modernist style totally breaks with the aesthetics of the buildings in the old town and even in the entire city, since there are no other buildings of these characteristics in Salamanca.
We recommend that you look closely at its south side, since this is where the glass gallery is located. And if you are one of those who enjoy visiting museums, you can visit the one inside, the Museum of Art Nouveau and Art Deco .
Huerto de Calisto and Melibea
This is a place that you have to visit if you travel to Salamanca and read the work of La Celestina, by Fernando de Rojas. Apparently there is a small garden that was the inspiration for the author to recreate his work.
If you have not read the work, we also recommend visiting it, since the garden is very beautiful and from its railings you will have beautiful views of the river Tormes, the cathedrals and the city in general. Of course, we warn you that it is a place that is usually quite crowded with tourists, so we recommend you go first thing in the morning.
House of the Shells
The Casa de las Conchas is a palace that was built in 1517 with a Gothic style, it has Plateresque and Mudejar elements, hence it has become one of the most unique buildings in the city.
The most striking thing is that on its facade there are more than 300 shells , hence it is known by the name of Casa de las Conchas. Inside there is a library and a cloister that we believe deserves to be visited.
The palace is beautiful and we recommend you visit it, but you also have to know that there is a legend around it. It is said that under one of the shells on the facade there is a treasure map . But, also, if you look closely you will see that there are several broken shells and it is believed that it is because of people who tried to find that map. Of course, with this we do not want to tell you to tear off one of the shells, since you would be destroying a historic building. And, in addition, there is something else: on the corner it is always windy and it does not matter what time of year or day you go.
Puente Mayor del Tormes
The Puente Mayor del Tormes , also known as the Roman Bridge of Salamanca, is believed to have been built around the 1st century. Time has meant that this bridge has needed several repairs, but they have always tried to maintain its original elements so as not to lose its essence. .
We recommend that you walk its 350 meters and contemplate the river and enjoy the beautiful views it offers of the city . In addition, at the beginning of the bridge is the Boar , a symbol of the city. It is the oldest statue in the city, that of a headless stone bull. There is also a statue of Lazarillo de Tormes here . In fact, in this work the statue of the bull is mentioned.
Salamanca cave
Visiting the Salamanca Cave is one of the most typical things you can do. We liked this place, although there are people who are disappointed in this place. The interesting thing about this place is that it is full of legends, such as the one that says that the Devil himself taught classes in the crypt of the old church of San Cebrián. In addition, it is possible to visit the ruins and climb the tower , which is from where you will get what, for us, are the best views of the city. And if you visit Salamanca in the summer, you have to know that a show of lights and sounds is held that is very beautiful to see.
Automotive History Museum
The last visit that we recommend is the Museum of Automotive History . This is, for us, one of the best museums that explain the evolution of the automotive industry since the 1st century BC , that is why we recommend it.
The exhibition contains 90 vehicles from all eras and 200 in rotation. You can see from carriages to modern F1 cars. A museum that will not disappoint you and with which you will learn a lot about this topic.
Go for tapas and pinchos
One of the things you have to do yes or yes when you visit Salamanca is go for tapas and pinchos . And it is also that in this city you can eat wonderfully for little money. We recommend that you do not miss those dishes that contain ham, loin or chorizo because they will not disappoint you at all. To do the tapas route we recommend Van Dyck Street.
Other interesting places
If you like to visit curious places, we can tell you that on Calle Toro there is a Zara inside an old church . It is quite striking that inside a religious building a clothing store ended up, but we believe that it is worth visiting … although we recognize that, deep down, we are sorry that emblematic buildings end up like this.
Very close to this curious store you will find the statue of former coach and former soccer player Vicente del Bosque .
And finally, we advise you to visit the San Esteban Convent , which belongs to the Dominican order and some religious still live there today. Other convents that you can visit in the city are the Las Dueñas Convent, the Annunciation Convent, the Santa Clara Convent and the Agustinas Convent .
These are all the places that we recommend you visit in Salamanca, a beautiful city that has been home to many writers and has very beautiful places to see. In addition, it is not an expensive city and can be seen in a couple or three days, making it perfect for a low-cost getaway.
