Salamanca

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Spain

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Shopper carrying shopping bag, Calle de la Hermosilla, Salamanca.

Overview

Whether floodlit by night or bathed in late-afternoon light, there's something magical about Salamanca. This is a city of rare beauty, awash with golden sandstone overlaid with ochre-tinted Latin inscriptions – an extraordinary virtuosity of plateresque and Renaissance styles. The monumental highlights are many and the exceptional Plaza Mayor (illuminated to stunning effect at night) is unforgettable. This is also Castilla's liveliest city, home to a massive Spanish and international student population that throngs the streets at night and provides the city with so much vitality.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Plaza Mayor

Salamanca

Built between 1729 and 1755, Salamanca's exceptional grand square is widely considered to be Spain's most beautiful central plaza. It's particularly…
Catedral Nueva

Salamanca

The tower of this late-Gothic cathedral lords over the city centre, its compelling Churrigueresque (an ornate style of baroque architecture) dome visible…
Catedral Vieja

Salamanca

The Catedral Nueva's largely Romanesque predecessor, the Catedral Vieja is adorned with an exquisite 15th-century altarpiece, one of the finest outside…
Universidad Civil

Salamanca

Founded initially as the Estudio General in 1218, the university reached the peak of its renown in the 15th and 16th centuries. The visual feast of the…
Convento de San Esteban

Salamanca

Just down the hill from the cathedral, the lordly Dominican Convento de San Esteban's church has an extraordinary altar-like facade, with the stoning of…
Museo de Art Nouveau y Art Decó

Salamanca

Utterly unlike any other Salamanca museum, this stunning collection of sculpture, paintings and art deco and art nouveau pieces inhabits a beautiful,…
Ieronimus

Salamanca

For fine views over Salamanca, head to the tower at the southwestern corner of the Catedral Nueva's facade. From here, stairs lead up through the tower,…
Museo de Salamanca

Salamanca

Housed in the former residence of Queen Isabel's doctor, this museum is more interesting for the picture of tranquil Salamanca residential life in its…