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| Salamanca | ||
| region | Castile and Leon | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 144.825 (2020) | |
| height | 802 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Salamanca is a university town in the western Spain. It belongs to the region Castile and Leon and has about 160,000 inhabitants. The city lies on the Rio Tormes 220 km northwest of Madrid.
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In ancient times the city was called Salamantica. The Romans made it an important trading center. The Moors conquered Salamanca in the 8th century under the leadership of Musa ibn Nusayr. Alfonso VI of León was only able to recapture it in 1085, with the buildings largely destroyed. It remained uninhabited for a long time. The repopulation began in 1102 under Raimundo de Borgoña. In the 16th century Salamanca experienced its greatest boom. Many sacred and civil buildings were erected. A British-Portuguese army defeated the French under Marmont in 1825 near Salamanca. In 1980, Würzburg and Salamanca agreed a city partnership. Salamanca has been part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. In 2002 the city became European Capital of Culture together with Bruges in Belgium.
Salamanca is also called the “golden city” because the facades of all historical buildings are made of a gold-colored stone that does not oxidize. Salamanca is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and definitely worth a visit.
getting there
By plane
There is a little one 1 Airport
(IATA: SLM), but only seasonally domestic connections from / to Palma de Mallorca and Málaga (as of spring 2018).
From D / A / CH you either have to change trains or you fly to the international one 230 km away Madrid airport (MAD). From there you can take the S-Bahn (Cercanías) and train (Alvia) via Madrid-Chamartín in a little over 2 hours or with the provider's direct buses Avanza bus in 2½ hours to Salamanca (five connections a day; fare € 26).
By train
Salamanca can be reached by rail from Madrid-Chamartín four times a day by high-speed train Alvia in approx. 1:40 hours and just as often with Media Distancias-Trains (MD; corresponds roughly to Interregio) in 2:45 hours. The route is extremely beautiful. The Alvias stop on the way in Segovia (Travel time to Salamanca 1:10 hours). MD connections from / to Avila there are approximately every two hours, the journey time is also about 1:10 hours. Off Valladolid there are five train connections per day, the journey takes 1: 05–1: 30 hours.
The 2 Renfe train station is in the north of the city. The night train also stops in Salamanca (Trenhotel) from, to Lisbon.
By bus
There are a variety of cheap deals from all major cities in Spain. The most important provider is AS A. The connection Zamora–Salamanca is hourly from ZamoraSalamanca offered, the journey takes 50–60 minutes and costs € 5.30–6.35. The bus station is in the west of the city.
The Portuguese bus company Internorte offers a daily long-distance bus connection from Porto via Viseu to Salamanca. The journey takes 6½ hours and a ticket costs 37 €.
In the street
- Of Madrid From there you can take the Autovía A-6 in a north-westerly direction to the junction for Ávila and then on the AP-51 (toll) or the N-110 to Avila and continue on the N-501 to Salamanca. The distance is 212 km.
- Of Cáceres or Plasencia from over the Via de la Plata (N-630) to Salamanca. The distance is 130 km (Plasencia) and 215 km (Cáceres).
- Of Leon on the A-66 or N-630, the Via de la Plata south to Salamanca. The distance is approx. 220 km.
mobility
The sights of Salamanca can be explored on foot.
Tourist Attractions
Churches
- 1 Salamanca old cathedral
Since 1988 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Salamanca Old Town. - 2 Catedral Nueva.The new cathedral was built in the Plateresque style. This is a common style in Spain between the Gothic and the Renaissance. Plateresque art is very decorative, detailed, and playful. At its side, the new cathedral still has the old one, which was wanted when the new one was built. There are excellent sculptures in the Golden Chapel. The Patio chico, the little courtyard, is the transition from the old to the new cathedral. The plateresque portals of the cathedral with their many details deserve attention. On the side facing the university, the decoration of the portal has been renewed and, in keeping with modern times, an astronaut has also been built into the decorations.
- 3 Convento de San Esteban.Built in the 16th century by Juan de Alava. The monastery has a high altar from Churriguera in the plateresque style.
- 4 Convento y Museo de las Dueñas.A Plateresque building from the 16th century. The Klaustrum is worth seeing. This also applies to the courtyard with the beautiful column capitals.
- Convento La Clereccia. A Jesuit monastery from the 18th century. It has a church with a large dome and a gilded altar.
Castles, chateaux and palaces
- 5 Palacio Anyana.A worth seeing renaissance palace in the university quarter.
- 6 Casa de las Conchas.A symbol of the city. The facade of the Renaissance palace in the Plateresque style is adorned with 300 scallop reliefs. It was built in the 15th century.
Buildings
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- 1 university.The University of Salamanca was founded in 1218. 40,000 students are currently studying here. In the 16th century there were already 8,000. It is the second oldest in Spain after Palencia and one of the oldest in Europe. Only Bologna and Paris were built earlier. The Reyes catholicos, the Catholic kings, had the building built. It is a masterpiece of Plateresque architecture. The facade is decorated with many figures, including the frog on the skull. The university has a library with 160,000 priceless volumes. The part of the library that contains the old books cannot be visited directly. But you can look inside through a glass wall. The stairwell with bullfight reliefs should be visited. At the Universidad de Salamanca have taught or studied famous men. Fray Luis de León, Miguel de Unamuno, Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca and Miguel de Cervantes are just a few. The Dominican Father Francisco de Vitoria drafted the basic principles of international law here in 1540.
- University hospital. The old university hospital is a little to one side. You enter a beautiful Renaissance courtyard through an archway. The courtyard is surrounded by Salmantine arcades.
- 1 Mercado Central de Salamanca.An iron market hall as they were built in the 19th century. It is worth seeing for architectural reasons. But above all because of the wide range of products. If time allows you shouldn't skip the mercado.
- 7 El Puente Romano.The Roman bridge over the Rio Tormes is very well preserved and can still be used by pedestrians.
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- Gran Via. The Gran Via (Great Street) is worth seeing. All buildings with beautiful arcades are made of the gold-colored sandstone from Villamayor built that does not turn black. Most of the other buildings in Salamanca are made of this stone.
- 8 Palacio de Monterrey Palace from the middle of the 16th century
- 9 Columbus Monument
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Streets and squares
- 10 Plaza Mayor.The Plaza Mayor is the largest and most beautiful square in Spain. Churriguera designed it in the 18th century. The client was King Philip V, the first Spanish king from the Bourbon family, who wanted to thank the residents for their loyalty in the War of Succession. The plaza is right in the center of the city not far from the Iglesia de la Purisima and the Convento Santa Ursula (St. Ursula Monastery). The Convento de los Irlandeses is a remarkable building from the 16th century. The courtyard is kept in the Spanish Renaissance style and was built by Salvage created. There is always a lot of activity in the square. Artists and artists produce and people enjoy the day in the cafes. The storks nest on the towers. Bullfights used to be held here.
Parks
- 11 Parque Huerta de los Jesuitas
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activities
Festivals
- Fregeneda. Feast of the Almond Blossom, in February.
- Lunes de Aguas. Easter Monday. The festival has a curious tradition. In the past, prostitutes were not allowed to stay in the city during the 40-day fasting period. They were brought back by boat on Easter Monday. Today it's more of a family celebration.
- Corpus Christi. Processions.
- Ofertorio. Ofertorio in Alberca is a celebration in honor of the Blessed Virgin. A colorful festival with costumes and a lot of folklore.
kitchen
- Salamanca's cuisine has a good reputation. The most famous recipes are: Chafaina (Rice meat and chorizo sausage), Cochinillo al Fuego (grilled suckling pig), Hornazo (Meat, ham, chorizo and eggs wrapped in batter) and Chocos (Dessert with anise).
nightlife
- There are a large number of bars, discos and pubs in the university town. The Gran Via and the surrounding area have a lot to offer in this regard. In the area around Calle San Justo, near Plaza Mayor, there is an alternative crowd that prefers reggae, ska and punk. When Salmantines go out, they call it Ir de pinchos. Pinchos is what they call here tapas. The city has original student bars, especially in the New Town, on Calle Van Dyke. The restaurants are decorated like a mosque or a boat, for example. The city offers a good mood until the early hours of the morning. They say: Salamanca por la noche como ninguna which means something like "Salamanca at night is like no other".
accommodation
all prices April 2008 (Internet)
Cheap
- Hotel Empertriz I.. Characteristic: ★★.Price: 40.00 €.
- Hotel Mozarbez. Characteristic: ★★.Price: € 42.50.
- Youth hostel Italia. Characteristic: ★★.Price: 40.00 €.
medium
- Hotel style Salamanca. Characteristic: ★★★★.Price: 50.00 €.
- Hotel Emperatriz III. Characteristic: ★★★★.Price: 50.00 €.
- Hotel Salamanca Forum Resort. Characteristic: ★★★★.Price: € 59.00.
- Hotel Monterrey. Characteristic: ★★★★.Price: € 60.00.
- Hotel Plaza del Angel. Characteristic: ★★★★.Price: 70.00 €.
Upscale
- Parador of Salamanca. On a hill on the southern edge of the city with a wonderful view of the old town.
Learn
- Learn Spanish in the Sampere language school.
trips
- Peña de la Francia. The Sierra de Francia in the southwest has the 1723 m high mountain Peña de la Francia. It is a popular destination and offers a beautiful view. You drive south on the N-630 Béjar and then on the beautiful SA-220 after Miranda del Castanar and Sequeros. A detour to Alberca it's worth it. It is said to be one of the most beautiful villages in Spain and was declared a national monument in 1940. It's not far from there to Peña de la Francia. You can return to Salamanca via Ciudad Rodrigo and the Autovia A-62.
- Béjar. The city of Béjar in the Sierra de Béjar is worth seeing. It was much more important in the Moorish times and in the 16th century than it is today. The Plaza de Toro (Bullring) is one of the oldest in Spain. Are worth seeing Palacio Ducal (Ducal Palace) from the 17th century and remains of the Moorish city walls. Nearby is the interesting place Candelario with its steep streets. The village is known for its chorizo (sausage).
- Alba de Tormes. At the Rio Tormes The pilgrimage site is located southeast of Salamanca Alba de Tormes with relics of the Saint Theresa.
- Ciudad Rodrigo. Easily accessible via the A-62 (86 km). The city is completely enclosed by a medieval wall. The Romanesque cathedral, the Ayuntamiento (Town hall) from the 15th and 16th centuries, Casa de los Aguilas (Gothic house) and a few palaces are worth seeing.
- The city is on the long-distance hiking trail Camino de la Lengua Castellana, German the "way of the Spanish language."
Web links
- Administrative homepage of the municipality of Salamanca
- Salamancas tourism website (multilingual) - On the homepage there is also a map of the city center and information for PDAs
