12 compelling reasons why Salamanca is well worth visiting
Spain’s ‘golden city’ is a UNESCO WORLD heritage site and an ancient seat of learning.
Are you thinking of adding Salamanca to your Spanish itinerary, but wondering if it’s worth it? I’m going to try to convince you that the answer is most definitely ‘yes’, with my 12 suggestions of top things to see and do in the city.
About Salamanca
Salamanca is an ancient university city located on the banks of the River Tormes in western Spain, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Its origins date back to the 4th century BC, when Celtic tribes settled the area. The University of Salamanca, founded in 1134, is the oldest in Spain.
Today, the city has a population of around 150,000 and remains an important centre of learning, with important scientific institutes and research centres based there. It has a relaxed student vibe and is the perfect place for anyone who finds larger cities overwhelming. Most of the attractions I mention are centrally-located and easily walkable.
I first landed there in the 1980s, when I was privileged to spend time at the University of Salamanca as an exchange student. My status granted me free access to museums, libraries and national monuments. How good was that!
Some of my suggestions for what to see and do are based on that experience, as they are still popular with today’s visitors.
1. See Salamanca from above
I always say that one of the best ways to get your bearings in a new city is to view it from on high. This is a big help with orientation and working out what’s where.
Salamanca may not have an Eiffel Tower or an Empire State Building, but it does have the Scala Coeli – the stairway to Heaven. It’s located within the ClerecÃa Towers, part of the Pontifical University of Salamanca. The view from the top, whether during the day or at dusk, is extensive. You can find out about visits and tours on the ClerecÃa Towers website.
2. Enjoy an al fresco breakfast at the plaza mayor
A favourite activity for my student flatmates and myself was to head to the Plaza Mayor and start our day with a traditional breakfast of chocolate con churros. Churros are long, sausage-shaped doughnuts, served hot with chocolate sauce.
The Plaza Mayor is the stunning central square of Salamanca. Built in Spanish Baroque style, the Plaza opened in 1756. Since then, it has been a popular meeting place, with various pavement cafés where you can relax over your café con leche and watch the world go by. Needless to say, this is not the cheapest place for a coffee, but it’s worth doing at least once just for the experience.
3. Stroll around the old city
One of my outstanding memories of Salamanca is the beautiful golden sandstone of the old town’s architecture, which glows in the sunset (see activity 8). Everywhere you turn, there are astonishing buildings, like the two cathedrals (the ‘old’ and the ‘new’, the newer one still dating back to the 16th century!), the universities and the Casa de las Conchas.
The latter dates from the 15th century and is built in a Renaissance style of architecture known as plateresque. The exterior walls are covered in more than 300 shells, in honour of the building’s founder Rodrigo Arias de Maldonado who was a Knight of the Order of Santiago de Compostela. The shell is the emblem of the Order.
Another impressive example of plateresque architecture is the Palace of Monterrey, built for the 3rd Count of Monterrey in the 16th century. Entry costs €9.50 for a self-guided visit or €12.00 for a guided visit. Tickets can be purchased on the Palace website.
Salamanca’s old city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, in recognition of its preservation of historical sites. The Plaza Mayor was singled out in particular as a unique artistic achievement in Baroque art.
4. Explore the old university buildings
I should start by explaining that there are actually 2 universities in Salamanca. The University of Salamanca is the old, original, public university. The second one, the Pontifical University, is a private, Catholic institution created in 1854 by Pope Pius XII.
Focusing for the moment on the University of Salamanca, there are more plateresque buildings to discover here. I used to love going to lectures in these amazing places! The main building is the Escuelas Mayores, which has an amazing decorated fa̤ade with ornate carvings Рone of which is a small frog. If you go there, see if you can find it!
The Escuelas Menores frontage is similarly decorated. In the patio you can view an amazing mural called El cielo de Salamanca, which depicts constellations and planets. It was originally painted on the vault of the library, by local artist Fernando Gallego. What we see today is about a third of the original work. Unfortunately, the remainder was destroyed during 18th century renovations.
5. Walk in the paths of spanish literary giants
If you enjoy Spanish literature, then Salamanca is the perfect place to retrace the steps of some of the country’s best-known and loved authors who studied or taught at the university.
Perhaps the most famous is Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. His novel in 2 parts, published in 1605 and 1615, has been translated into over 60 languages. Author, poet, and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno was professor and rector at the university at the turn of the 19th century. His works include Amor y pedagogÃa (love and pedagogy) and Niebla (mist). Another student was José Augusto Trinidad MartÃnez Ruiz, better known as AzorÃn, known for the novel La voluntad ( The will) among others.
Then there was the anonymous author who penned a novella called Lazarillo de Tormes, about a poor boy from Salamanca who learns to live from his wits. This book is regarded as setting a new literary genre known as the picaresque novel, the pÃcaro being a rogue or rascal figure. The adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a later example of the genre.
Yet another distinguished alumnus of Salamanca University was Fernando de Rojas, author of La tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea which was the original title of the work more commonly known as La Celestina.
My studies introduced me to all these authors and their works, so it was a thrill to follow their footsteps into their alma mater!
7. Take time out in the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea
Named after the novel by Fernando de Rojas, mentioned above, this gorgeous small garden is located on a sloping part of the old city wall. It offers a welcome shady place to take time out during the heat of the day.
There are plenty of trees, shrubs and colourful flowers to admire, depending on the season. You can also enjoy the views of the city, cathedrals and the river from the garden’s terraces. Don’t forget to look out for the statue of ‘La Celestina’, celebrating one of the characters that inspired the garden.
6. Visit the Casa Lis Museum
You can view 19 separate collections of Art Deco and Art Nouveau works in this stunning museum’s 20 rooms, along with a rolling programme of exhibitions. For me, the amazing stained glass is the standout – it’s everywhere! Night entry is offered from time to time, until midnight, which really allows you to enjoy the stained glass at its glittering finest.
The works include jewellery, furniture, china, fans and a notable collection of porcelain dolls. There’s a shop for your souvenirs and an excellent restaurant. At the time of writing, museum entry is €7.00 for adults, with various concessions available. Entry is free on Thursdays between 11am and 2pm, but this is very popular so you might be better off buying a ticket for another day.
8. Enjoy the sunset from the Roman bridge
The golden sandstone of Salamanca’s buildings glows in the setting sun, an effect known locally as la dorada. Good sunset viewing spots include the Puente romano, a pedestrian bridge over the River Tormes. The origins of the bridge date back to Roman times, although it has been rebuilt on several occasions over the centuries.
9. Learn, or improve, your Spanish
My home university chose Salamanca for our student exchanges because Castilian is recognised as standard Spanish. Salamanca, with its prestigious universities and long history of learning, is therefore the perfect choice for those seeking to learn the language. There are several good language schools offering courses for foreigners. You can live with a host family, as I did, and practise with them at home.
The University of Salamanca offers courses all year round, at various levels. There are also some well-regarded private language schools like TÃa Tula and the Colegio de España. If you’re interested more widely in language learning holidays, read my post Eat, play, learn – the joy of language learning holidays.
10. Enjoy cultural events
Depending on the time of year, you might be able to enjoy one of the city’s fiestas or cultural events. Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is a spectacle well worth watching. Processions of religious floats, depicting the Passion of Christ, parade through the city streets, dressed in ornate costumes. Some of the penitents wear rather sinister tall pointed hats or capirotes.
Other festivals include the Fiestas de agosto in August and the Feria de Salamanca in September. Street entertainment includes concerts, parades, dance performances and fireworks.
If you’re visiting Salamanca during university term time, you might see a group of male student folk musicians wandering around, dressed in Renaissance costume. Known as La Tuna, the groups stroll around town serenading people, especially young ladies. The tradition dates back to the 13th century and was originally a means for the students to earn extra money for food. Speaking of which…
11. Sample local cuisine
During my student days in Salamanca, the most ubiquitous meat on any menu or dinner table was pork, in its many forms – stewed, cured or roasted. Jamón Ibérico (Iberian ham) and chorizo (spicy pork sausage) could be found in just about every bocadillo or sandwich. While Salamanca’s culinary offerings have evolved since then, pork and cured meats are still very popular.
The local pie, known as hornazo, is made with pork loin, chorizo and boiled egg. Another favourite dish is chanfaina, made with rice, lamb offal, blood and spices – not my favourite, in all honesty. I much preferred the traditional Spanish rice dish – paella. We students mischievously set up a ‘who makes the best paella’ contest between our landlady and her sister, which enabled us to enjoy paella on a number of Sundays in succession as the sisters tried to out-cook each other!
One Salamantine side dish I did grow to love was patatas meneás, mashed potato with paprika and garlic sauce. On the sweet side of things, perronillas are traditional crunchy almond cookies which my flatmates loved – not me, alas, as I don’t eat nuts. Much more to my taste is bollo maimón, a lemon bundt cake.
If you just want to wander around and try some modern-style Spanish tapas, there’s no shortage of choices. Try the Rua Mayor or Calle Van Dyck.
12. Escape to a vineyard
If you’re interested in seeing the city sights but don’t want to be in the thick of it, how about basing yourself in a glorious vineyard hotel 15 minutes away? If this idea appeals to you, then the Hacienda Zorita wine hotel and spa could be the perfect choice for you. The hotel organises private visits to the cathedrals and city for its guests, so you don’t have to miss a thing.
This former Dominican monastery has historical links with Christopher Columbus, who visited regularly to convince Fray Diego de Deza – Queen Isabella’s confessor, who was resident there – of the viability of his plans.
Today, it’s a luxurious hotel surrounded by vineyards and beautiful countryside. Some of the glorious rooms have terraces overlooking the River Tormes. The Wine & Olive Spa is located in an old mill dating back to 780. The hotel has its own organic farm, which supplies the kitchens with fresh ingredients for the various gastronomic experiences offered at the hotel. You can learn to cook tapas and even join in with the harvest festival and help with grape picking. Or just chill out by the swimming pool.
Safe to say that the guest experience is rather different from the austere conditions of the Dominican monks! See our ‘Where to stay’ section below for booking.
Practical information
Best time to go
Spring (March to June) would be my top choice for visiting Salamanca. The weather is very pleasant without being too hot, and you’ll be able to enjoy all the Easter festivals. March can be surprisingly cold – it actually snowed in March when I was there! My next best choice would be September and early autumn, especially if you time your stay to include the Feria de Salamanca. Avoid high summer, when the weather is very hot, and winter.
How to get there
Salamanca has a tiny airport with limited regional flights. Most international visitors do what we did – fly to Madrid then take the train. The fast train from Madrid-Chamartin takes around 1 hour 40 minutes. Slow trains take around 3 hours and depart from Madrid-PrÃncipe Pio. You’ll save around €10 by taking the slow train.
Safety
Other than taking the usual sensible precautions, Salamanca is a safe city to wander around in. My most dangerous experience as a student was being stoned by gipsy children when I wandered into their neighbourhood, near the river!
Day trips
You can take the bus to Valladolid (1 hour 30 minutes), Ciudad Rodrigo (1 hour 10 minutes) or Zamora (50 minutes) – all well worth a day out. And the Portuguese border is only an hour and a half away, if you fancy venturing further afield!
Where to stay
I love boutique hotels, especially if they’re in historical or interesting buildings. I’ve chosen 4 top ones for my accommodation suggestions. Please note, if you book through my links below, I will receive a small commission, which helps towards the cost of running this site. There is no extra cost to you.
hOTEL rECTOR
Located near the cathedrals. Guests remark on the welcome drinks, high-end toiletries and friendly staff. Close to Casa Lis and even has similar Art Nouveau-style stained glass in the lobby.
Palacio de Castellanos
Part of the Spanish NH Group luxury hotel chain. Located in the historic centre, close to the Casa de las Conchas and the Plaza Mayor. It has a lovely exterior terrace overlooking a neighbouring convent.
Grand Hotel Don Gregorio
This restored 15th-century palace is now a boutique hotel in the historic centre. Guests love the bathrooms in particular, with their heated floors and powerful showers.
Hacienda Zorita
As described above. Fabulous vineyard estate and hotel based in a former Dominican monastery. 13k north-west of Salamanca city. Member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World network.
Final thoughts
Salamanca is well worthy of a visit from any slow traveller who wants to soak up the culture and history of real Spain. At a time when over-tourism is becoming an increasing problem, why not give the touristy, over-visited cities a miss and discover the many attractions of authentic places like Salamanca?
If you’re interested in Spain, you might enjoy my book reviews – 4 classic British travel books on Spain and Slow trains around Spain by Tom Chesshyre.
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