Salamanca, an Educational Experience.

You don't have to go to Italy to have a romantic travel experience.  The gold colored stone buildings, cobble stone pedestrian streets, secret views of the giant cathedral, and birds flying around the heights of the churches, monasteries and convents make Salamanca a great stop for a romantic weekend.  Though most guides suggest a day in Salamanca, we suggest spending two days to relax and wander.  The main attraction in Salamanca is the the old university, which was founded in 1215 by Alfonso IX.  Salamanca, called Salamantica by the Romans, is also famous for its well preserved Roman bridge over the Tormes River.  Also notice the storks that have built nests in the tops of many of the old buildings.

Salamanca, The Old Town

There are two tourist offices in Salamanca, one in the Plaza Mayor and one in the Casa de Conchas, or the House of Shells, not far from the Cathedral(s).  The office at the House of Shells has better maps and information.  There is also a tourist train that leaves from in front of the Casa de Conchas if you prefer not to walk; buy tickets on the train, in service from 10AM-2PM and 4-8PM.  At the tourist office, be sure to ask for a separate map, which is much more detailed than the vague map that comes with the tourism office brochure of Salamanca.  Also, almost all tourist sites will have informational brochures in at least Spanish and English.  You should not that the patio of the San Esteban Convent has been under construction and is supposed to be completed by August of 2003, but still has a lot of work to be done; you can visit the convent which is a must-see, but you cannot see all of it (cloister and pantheon closed).  Also the Clavero Tower has been under construction since April 2003, and is being completed overhauled to provide more support to the structure.

The Cathedral in Salamanca is actually two cathedrals combined together, an old one and a new one- you can easily tell them apart since you only have to pay admission to the old one.  The cathedral is a good place to go in off hours when everything else is closed, since it does not close for lunch.  It is also a nice place to sit and relax, or take a nap in the plaza in front of the

The Plaza Mayor of Salamanca is one of the most famous in Spain, and is worth a day and night time visit.  It is nice to sit and people watch in the Plaza, which is as lively as the Plaza Mayor in Madrid.  We brought a picnic lunch and sat on a bench in the Plaza, feeding bread crumbs to the birds.  You can also eat in one of the many cafes in the plaza, have an ice cream, or take out of Mc Donald's or Pans and Company, both located right off the Plaza.  There are many pedestrian streets off of the Plaza Mayor, with bars and restaurants offering everything from tapas to pricey tourist food.

We happened upon a medieval market when we were in Salamanca.  This market travels all over Spain year round- the only problem is they have no set schedule, they just take the caravan on the road to random destinations.  If you happen upon it, it is worth seeing.  There are puppets, musicians, and entertainers, everyone dressed in costume selling unusual wares.  We got a small chocolate pie for breakfast, and had a crepe for a snack.

 See pictures of the medieval market.

Hotels and Hostels

We were in Salamanca at high tourist season and we had no problem finding a hotel.  There are numerous hotels of various levels of quality, as well as hostels and pensiones.  There are enough places to stay that we had no trouble finding a room in high tourist season without a reservation.  We stayed at the Hotel Condal, which was a great deal located right off the Plaza Mayor, at Plaza Eulalia (two stars).  A double was about $50 a night in high tourist season.  The rooms were clean and new, with televisions and a heating and cooling unit.  It was very safe at night, located right near the Gran Via, where much of the Salamancan night life takes place.  Check out the hotel at www.hotelcondal.com or email at reservas@hotelcondal.com; Tel: 923 21 84 00.

Other hotels in Salamanca.

 The Universities

Salamanca not only has historical universities, it is still a site of many educational programs.  Many students come to study in Salamanca.  This also makes Salamanca a great place for night life- some Spaniards come from other regions of Spain to go out here.  The major areas of night life are the Gran Via and around the cathedral area.

www.usal.es  The University of Salamanca.  Email: gabinete@gugu.usal.es