Salamanca: 5 essential visits

Salamanca is a city that should be included among the destinations to visit if you are going to make a trip to Spain, as its gastronomy, its characters, its history and the beauty of the old town make it worthy of multiple accolades. It is not for nothing that it has been a World Heritage Site since 1988.

So, to make your visit to the city as easy as possible, we are going to mention 5 must-see places in Salamanca. We can assure you that you won’t regret it and you will be captivated by its beauty.

Visit the University

The University of Salamanca is the epicentre of the city’s history and cultural life. Founded in 1218, it is the oldest university in Spain and the fourth oldest in Europe after the University of Padua.

To enter the interior you have to pay the entrance fee, but you must take into account its historical importance and that is why it is charged. The visit includes a visit to the Escuelas Mayores building and the Archbishop Fonseca College.

The great jewel of the university is the library, as it has the mural painting that covered its ceiling, known as the «Cielo de Salamanca» (Salamanca Sky).

Lose yourself in the old town

Strolling through the streets of Salamanca, exactly the old town, is a real walk, as it can be considered as an open-air museum. Inside the old town you will find the main square in the central part, surrounded by places to eat and buy souvenirs.

Very close to the old town is the Cathedral, an architectural jewel that should be visited as well as the University of Salamanca.

Enter the Cathedral

One of the best things to do when visiting Salamanca is to enter the Catedral Nueva. This allows you to reach the interior of the Old Cathedral.

It may seem strange to have two cathedrals in the same city, but that is because a new cathedral was built between the 16th and 17th centuries to replace the old one, but in the end it was decided to keep both.

The new cathedral was built in the late Gothic style, and is the second largest in Spain, impressing tourists with its 110-metre high bell tower. When you enter the interior you will see numerous chapels, among which the main chapel stands out. It is important to note that the south wall of the new cathedral leads to the old cathedral.

The old cathedral was built in the 12th and 14th centuries, and is built in the best Romanesque and Gothic style. It has a beautiful main altarpiece and several ancient chapels, such as the chapels of Santa Barbara and San Martin.

Cross the Roman Bridge

The Roman Bridge offers one of the best all-round views of the city of Salamanca. It is a bridge of 26 arches built in the 1st century allowing the crossing of the Tormes River. Therefore, you can imagine the cultural weight and the magnitude of its history.

This bridge has been preserved to the present day, although only the first 15 arches closest to the city are completely original, as the rest have been reformed due to the deterioration caused by the advance of time. It even forms part of the Via de La Plata, which links Mérida with Astorga.

The best thing of all is that next to the bridge is the bull or boar, which is an ancient monument of the city that is 2,300 years old.  A sculpture that once stood in the centre of the bridge and was moved to the side of the Roman Bridge.

Have a look at the Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells)

Casa de las Conchas is one of the most popular and visited buildings in Salamanca. It is one of the best examples of Spanish civil Gothic architecture.

This palace was built in 1517 in the best Gothic style with Mudejar and Plateresque elements, making it a unique building in the city. It bears this name because the decoration of its façade is made with more than 300 shells and inside it houses a magnificent library where the cloister is not to be missed. Admission to the house is free within the established opening hours.