El Escorial • Valley of the Fallen • Segovia • Ávila
Before slipping out of Madrid, consider several fine side-trips northwest of Spain’s capital city, all conveniently reached by car, bus, or train.
Spain’s lavish, brutal, and complicated history is revealed throughout Old Castile. This region, where the Spanish language originated, is named for its many castles—battle scars from the long-fought Reconquista.
An hour from Madrid, tour the imposing and fascinating palace at El Escorial, headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition. Nearby, at the awe-inspiring Valley of the Fallen, pay tribute to the countless victims of Spain’s bloody civil war.
Segovia, with its remarkable Roman aqueduct (pictured at top of page) and romantic castle, is another worthwhile side-trip. At Ávila you can walk the perfectly preserved medieval walls.
You can see El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen in less than a day, but don’t go on a Monday, when both sights are closed. By car, see them en route to Segovia; by bus, make them a day trip from Madrid.
Segovia, worth a half-day of sightseeing, is easy to reach from Madrid. If you have time, spend the night—the city is a joy in the evenings. Ávila, while charming, merits only a quick stop (if you’re driving and in the area) to marvel at its medieval walls and, perhaps, check out St. Teresa’s finger (1.5 hours from Madrid, also a logical stop on the way to/from Salamanca by train).
In total, these sights are worth two days if you’re in Spain for less than a month. If you’re a history buff in Spain for just a week, squeeze in a quick side-trip from Madrid to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen.
The Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a symbol of power rather than elegance. This 16th-century palace, 30 miles northwest of Madrid, gives us a better feel for the Counter-Reformation and the Inquisition than any other building.
Most people visit El Escorial from Madrid. By public transportation, the bus is most convenient (since it gets you closer to the palace than the train). Remember that it makes sense to combine El Escorial with a visit to the nearby Valley of the Fallen.
By Bus: Buses leave from the Moncloa bus station, which is in the basement of Madrid’s Moncloa Metro station (4/hour, fewer on weekends, 45-55 minutes, €4.20 one-way, buy ticket from driver; in Madrid take bus #664 or slower #661 from Moncloa’s platform 11, Herranz Bus, tel. 918-969-028). The bus drops you downtown in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a pleasant 10-minute stroll from the palace (see map): Exit the bus station from the back ramp that leads over the parked buses (noting that return buses to Madrid leave from platform 3 below this ramp), turn left, and follow the cobbled pedestrian lane, Calle San Juan. This street veers to the right and becomes Calle Juan de Leyva. In a few short blocks, it dead-ends at Duque de Medinaceli, where you’ll turn left and see the palace. Stairs lead past several decent eateries, through a delightful square, past the TI (Tue-Sat 10:00-14:00 & 15:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-14:00, closed Mon; tel. 918-905-313), and directly to the tourist entry of the immense palace/monastery.
By Train: Local trains (cercanías line C-8A) run at least twice an hour from Madrid’s Atocha and Chamartín stations to El Escorial. From the station, walk 20 minutes uphill through Casita del Príncipe park, straight up from the station. Or you can take a shuttle bus from the station (2/hour, usually timed with arrival of trains, €1) or a taxi (€5) to the San Lorenzo de El Escorial town center and the palace.
By Car: It’s quite simple. Taxi to your car-rental office in Madrid (or ask if they’ll deliver the car to your hotel). Pick up the car by 8:30 and ask for directions to highway A-6. From Gran Vía in central Madrid, follow signs to A-6 (direction Villalba or A Coruña). The freeway leads directly out of town. Stay on A-6 past the first El Escorial exit. At kilometer 37 you’ll see the cross marking the Valley of the Fallen ahead on the left. Exit 47 takes you to both the Valley of the Fallen (after a half-mile, a granite gate on right marks Valle de los Caídos turnoff) and El Escorial (follow San Lorenzo del Escorial signs).
The nearby Silla de Felipe (Philip’s Seat) is a rocky viewpoint where the king would come to admire his palace as it was being built. From El Escorial, follow directions to Ávila, then M-505 to Valdemorillo; look for a sign on your right after about a mile.
When you leave El Escorial for Madrid, Toledo, or Segovia, follow signs to A-6 Guadarrama. After about six miles you pass the Valley of the Fallen and hit the freeway.
Built at a time when Catholic Spain felt threatened by Protestant “heretics,” the construction of this palace dominated the Spanish economy for a generation (1562-1584). Because of this bully in the national budget, Spain has almost nothing else to show from this most powerful period of her history.
Cost and Hours: €10, April-Sept Tue-Sun 10:00-20:00, Oct-March Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon year-round, last entry one hour before closing.
Information: English descriptions are scattered within the palace. For more information, get the Guide: Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real de El Escorial, which follows the general route you’ll take (€8.90, available at any of several shops in the palace). Tel. 918-905-904, www.patrimonionacional.es.
Tours: For an extra €7, a guided 1.5-hour tour takes you through the complex and covers other buildings on the grounds, including the Palace of the Bourbons (Palacio de los Borbones), House of the Infants (Casita del Infante), and House of the Prince (Casita del Príncipe). Unfortunately, there are so few tours in English that it generally isn’t worth waiting around for one. Ask when the next tour in English is scheduled, and if nothing’s running soon, go on your own: You can follow my self-guided tour, which covers the basics, or rent the €4 audioguide.
Self-Guided Tour: The monasterio looks confusing at first, but the visita arrows and signs help guide you through one continuous path. This is the general order you’ll follow.
• Pass through the security scanner, buy your ticket, and then continue down the hall past the consigna baggage check (sala 1) to the...
Museum of Tapestries: This chamber is hung with 16th-century tapestries, including fascinating copies of Hieronymus Bosch’s most famous and preachy paintings (which Philip II fancied). Don’t miss El Greco’s towering painting of the Martyrdom of St. Maurice. This was the artist’s first commission after arriving in Spain from Venice. It was too subtle and complex for the king, so El Greco moved on to Toledo to find work.
• Continue downstairs to the fascinating...
Museum of Architecture (Museo de Arquitectura): It has long, parallel corridors of fine models of the palace and some of the actual machinery and tools used to construct it. Huge stone-pinching winches, fat ropes, and rusty mortar spades help convey the immensity of this 21-year project involving 1,500 workers. At the big model, you can see how the complex is shaped like a grill. San Lorenzo—St. Lawrence, a Christian Spaniard martyred by pagan Romans (A.D. 258)—was burned to death on a grill. Throughout the palace, you’ll see this symbol associated with the saint. The grill’s “handle” was the palace, or residence of the royal family. The monastery and school gathered around the huge basilica.
• Next linger in the...
Museum of Paintings: Consider the 15th- to 17th-century Flemish, Spanish, and Italian works. Contemplate Rogier van der Weyden’s Calvary, with mourning Mary and St. John at the feet of the crucified Christ. (It’s interesting to compare it with Van der Weyden’s similar Descent from the Cross, which hangs in the Prado in Madrid. For an in-the-moment comparison, check out artist Michiel Coxcie’s copy on the nearby wall.)
• Pass through the peaceful and empty Courtyard of the Fountainheads (Patio de Mascarones), and go upstairs to the...
Hall of Battles (Sala de Batallas): Its paintings celebrate Spain’s great military victories—including the Battle of San Quentin over France (1557) on St. Lawrence’s feast day, which inspired the construction of El Escorial. The sprawling series, painted in 1590, helped teach the new king all the elements of warfare. Stroll the length for a primer on army skills.
• Head downstairs, following signs to Palacio de los Austrias, then follow a corridor lined with various family trees (some scrawny, others lush and fecund). The hall leads into the...
Royal Living Quarters (the building’s grill handle): Immediately inside the first door, find the small portrait of Philip II flanked by two large paintings of his daughters. The palace was like Philip: austere. Notice the simple floors, plain white walls, and bare-bones chandelier. This was the bedroom of one of his daughters. The sheet warmer beside her bed was often necessary during the winter. Bend down to see the view from her bed...of the high altar in the basilica next door. The entire complex of palace and monastery buildings was built around that altar.
In the next room, the Guard’s room, notice the reclinable sedan chair that Philip II, thick with gout, was carried in (for seven days) on his last trip from Madrid to El Escorial. He wanted to be here when he died.
The Audience Chamber is now a portrait gallery filled with Habsburg royals painted by popular local artists. The portraits of unattractive people that line the walls provide an instructive peek at the consequences of mixing blue blood with more of the same blue blood (inbreeding among royals was a common problem throughout Europe in those days).
The Spanish emperor Charles V (1500-1558) is over the fireplace mantel. Charles, Philip II’s dad, was the most powerful man in Europe, having inherited not only the Spanish crown, but also Germany, Austria, the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands), and much of Italy. When he announced his abdication in 1555, his son Philip II inherited much of this territory...plus the responsibility of managing it. Philip’s draining wars with France, Portugal, Holland, and England—including the disastrous defeat of Spain’s navy, the Spanish Armada, by England’s Queen Elizabeth I (1588)—knocked Spain from its peak of power and began centuries of decline.
The guy with the good-looking legs next to Charles was his illegitimate son, Don Juan de Austria—famous for his handsome looks, thanks to a little fresh blood. Other royal offspring weren’t so lucky: When one king married his niece, the result was Charles II (1665-1700, opposite Charles V). His severe underbite (an inbred royal family trait) was the least of his problems. An epileptic before that disease was understood, poor “Charles the Mad” would be the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. He died without an heir in 1700, ushering in the continent-wide War of the Spanish Succession and the dismantling of Spain’s empire.
In the Walking Gallery, the royals got their exercise privately, with no risk of darkening their high-class skins with a tan. Study the 16th-century maps along the walls. The slate strip on the floor is a sundial from 1755. It lined up with a (now plugged) hole in the wall so that at noon a tiny beam hit the middle of the three lines. Palace clocks were set by this. Where the ray crossed the strip indicated the date and sign of the zodiac.
The giant, gloomy building made of gray-black stone looks more like a prison than a palace. About 650 feet long and 500 feet wide, it has 2,600 windows, 1,200 doors, more than 100 miles of passages, and 1,600 overwhelmed tourists.
Four hundred years ago, the enigmatic, introverted, and extremely Catholic King Philip II (1527-1598) ruled his bulky empire and directed the Inquisition from here. To Philip, the building embodied the wonders of Catholic learning, spirituality, and arts. To 16th-century followers of Martin Luther, it epitomized the evil of closed-minded Catholicism. To architects, the building—built on the cusp between styles—exudes both Counter-Reformation grandeur and understated Renaissance simplicity. Today it’s a time capsule of Spain’s “Golden Age,” packed with history, art, and Inquisition ghosts. (And at an elevation of nearly 3,500 feet, it can be friggin’ cold.)
The building was conceived by Philip II to serve several purposes: as a grand mausoleum for Spain’s royal family, starting with his father, Charles V (called Carlos I in Spain); as a monastery to pray (a lot) for the royal souls; as a small palace to use as a Camp David of sorts for Spain’s royalty; and as a school to embrace humanism in a way that promoted the Catholic faith.
Spanish architect Juan Bautista de Toledo, who had studied in Italy, was called by Philip II to carry out the El Escorial project, but he died before it was finished. His successor, Juan de Herrera, made extensive changes to Toledo’s original design and completed the palace in 1584.
As you enter the King’s Antechamber, look back to study the fine inlaid-wood door (a gift from the German emperor that celebrates the exciting humanism of the age).
Philip II’s bedroom is austere, like his daughter’s. Look at the king’s humble bed...barely queen-size. He too could view Mass at the basilica’s high altar without leaving his bed. The red box next to his pillow holds the royal bedpan. But don’t laugh—the king’s looking down from the wall to your left. At age 71, Philip II, the gout-ridden king of a dying empire, died in this bed (1598).
• From here his body was taken to our next stop, the...
Royal Pantheon (Panteón Real): This is the gilded resting place of 26 kings and queens...four centuries’ worth of Spanish monarchy. All the kings are included—but the only queens here are the ones who became mothers of kings.
A post-mortem filing system is at work in the Pantheon. From the entrance, kings are on the left, queens on the right. (The only exception is Isabel II, since she was a ruling queen and her husband was a consort.) The first and greatest, Charles V and his Queen Isabel, flank the altar on the top shelf. Her son, Philip II, rests below Charles and opposite (only) one of Philip’s four wives, and so on. There is a waiting process, too. Before a royal corpse can rest in this room, it needs to decompose for at least 25 years. The bones of the current king Juan Carlos’ grandmother, Victoria Eugenia (who died in 1964), were transferred into the crypt in late 2011. The two empty niches are already booked: Juan Carlos’ father, Don Juan (who died in 1993), is on the waiting list...controversially. Technically, he was never crowned king of Spain—Generalísimo Francisco Franco took control of Spain before Don Juan could ascend to the throne, and he was passed over for the job when Franco reinstituted the monarchy. Juan Carlos’ mother is the most recent guest in the rotting room. So where does that leave Juan Carlos and Sofía? This hotel is todo completo.
The next rooms are filled with the tombs of lesser royals: Each bears that person’s name (in Latin), relationship to the king, and slogan or epitaph. From here, it’s on to the wedding-cake Pantheon of Royal Children (Panteón de los Infantes), which holds the remains of various royal children who died before the age of seven (and their first Communion).
• Head past the tiny gift shop and continue upstairs to the...
Chapter Rooms (Salas Capitulares): These rooms are where the monks met to do church business; they’re also lined with big-name paintings by José Ribera, El Greco, Titian, and Velázquez. (More great paintings are in the monastery’s Museum of Painting.) Continue to the final room to see some atypical Bosch paintings and the intricate, portable altar of Charles V.
• Next find the...
Cloister: The cloister glows with bright, restored paintings by Pellegrino Tibaldi. Off the cloister is the Old Church (Iglesia Vieja), which they used from 1571 to 1586, while finishing the basilica. During that time the bodies of several kings, including Charles V, were interred here. Among the many paintings, look for the powerful Martyrdom of St. Lawrence by Tiziano (Titian) above the main altar.
• Follow the signs to the...
Basilica: Find the flame-engulfed grill in the center of the altar wall that features San Lorenzo (the same St. Lawrence from the painting) meeting his famous death—and taking “turn the other cheek” to new extremes. Lorenzo was so cool, he reportedly told his Roman executioners, “You can turn me over now—I’m done on this side.” With your back to the altar, go to the right corner for the artistic highlight of the basilica: Benvenuto Cellini’s marble sculpture, The Crucifixion. Jesus’ features are supposedly modeled after the Shroud of Turin. Cellini carved this from Carrara marble for his own tomb in 1562 (according to the letters under Christ’s feet).
• Cross the courtyard to enter the immense...
Library (biblioteca): It’s clear that education was a priority for the Spanish royalty. Savor this room. The ceiling (by Tibaldi, depicting various disciplines labeled in Latin, the lingua franca of the multinational Habsburg Empire) is a burst of color. At the far end of the room, the armillary sphere—an elaborate model of the solar system—looks like a giant gyroscope, revolving unmistakably around the Earth, with a misshapen, under-explored North America. As you leave, look back above the wooden door. The plaque warns “Excomunión...”—you’ll be excommunicated if you take a book without checking it out properly. Who needs late fees when you hold the keys to hell?
The Mercado Público, a four-minute walk from the palace, is the place to shop for a picnic (Mon-Wed and Fri 9:30-13:30 & 17:00-20:00, Thu and Sat 9:30-14:00, closed Sun, Calle del Rey 9).
On the Plaza de las Ánimas, just two blocks north of the palace complex, you can find a handful of nondescript but decent restaurants serving fixed-price lunches (best on weekdays). Tavolata Reale dishes out pizza and offers a change of pace from Spanish fare (Tue-Sat 12:00-17:00 & 20:00-24:00, Sun 12:00-17:00, closed Mon, inside a mini-shopping gallery off Plaza Jacinto Benavente at Plaza de las Ánimas 3, tel. 918-905-599).
Six miles from El Escorial, high in the Guadarrama Mountains, is the Valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caídos). A 500-foot-tall granite cross marks this immense and powerful underground monument to the victims of Spain’s 20th-century nightmare—the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
Cost and Hours: €9, ask about audioguide; April-Sept Tue-Sun 10:00-19:00, Oct-March Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon year-round, last entry one hour before closing, basilica closes 30 minutes before site closes.
Information: Tel. 918-905-611, www.patrimonionacional.es.
Funicular: The funicular is closed while the base of the cross is under construction, with no reopening date yet set. When it’s running, the funicular costs about €1.50 one-way (prices and hours likely to change; €2.50 round-trip, pay fare at machine; April-Sept Tue-Sun 11:00-18:30, 3/hour; Oct-March Tue-Sun 11:00-16:30, 2/hour; closed Mon year-round; last ticket sold 30 minutes before closing).
Mass: You can enter the basilica during Mass, but you can’t sightsee or linger afterward. One-hour services run Tue-Sat at 11:00 and Sun at 11:00, 13:00, and 17:30. During services, the entire front of the basilica (altar and tombs) is closed. Mass is usually accompanied by the resident boys’ choir, the “White Voices” (Spain’s answer to the Vienna Boys’ Choir).
Getting There: Most visitors side-trip to the Valley of the Fallen from the nearby El Escorial. If you don’t have your own wheels, the easiest way to get between these two sights is to negotiate a deal with a taxi (to take you from El Escorial to Valley of the Fallen, wait for you 30-60 minutes, and then bring you back to El Escorial, about €45 total). Or, ask about bus service between El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen (1/day Tue-Sun at 15:15, bus returns to El Escorial at 17:30, 15 minutes, discounted bus fare may be available with site admission). Drivers can find tips under “Getting to El Escorial—By Car” on here.
Visiting the Monument: Approaching by car or bus, you enter the sprawling park through a granite gate. The best views of the cross are from the bridge (but note that it’s illegal for drivers to stop anywhere along this road). To the right, tiny chapels along the ridge mark the Stations of the Cross, where pilgrims stop on their hike to this memorial.
In 1940 prison workers dug 220,000 tons of granite out of the hill beneath the cross to form an underground basilica, then used the stones to erect the cross (built like a chimney, from the inside). Since it’s built directly over the dome of the subterranean basilica, a seismologist keeps a careful eye on things.
The stairs that lead to the imposing monument are grouped in sets of tens, meant to symbolize the Ten Commandments (including “Thou shalt not kill”—hmm). The emotional pietà draped over the basilica’s entrance is huge—you could sit in the palm of Christ’s hand. The statue was sculpted by Juan de Ávalos, the same artist who created the dramatic figures of the four Evangelists at the base of the cross. It must have had a powerful impact on mothers who came here to remember their fallen sons.
Basilica: A solemn silence and a stony chill fill the basilica. At 300 yards long, it was built to be longer than St. Peter’s...but the Vatican had the final say when it blessed only 262 of those yards. Many Spaniards pass under the huge, foreboding angels of fascism to visit the grave of General Franco—an unusual place of pilgrimage, to say the least.
After walking through the two long vestibules, stop at the iron gates of the actual basilica. The line of torch-like lamps adds to the shrine ambience. Franco’s prisoners, the enemies of the right, dug this memorial out of solid rock from 1940 to 1950. (Though it looks like bare rock still shows on the ceiling, it’s just a clever design.) The sides of the monument are lined with copies of 16th-century Brussels tapestries of the Apocalypse, and side chapels contain alabaster copies of Spain’s most famous statues of the Virgin Mary.
Interred behind the high altar and side chapels (marked “RIP, 1936-1939, died for God and country”) are the remains of approximately 50,000 people, both Franco’s Nationalists and the anti-Franco Republicans, who lost their lives in the war. Regrettably, the urns are not visible, so it is Franco who takes center stage. His grave, strewn with flowers, lies behind the high altar. In front of the altar is the grave of José Antonio Primo de Rivera (1903-1936), the founder of Spanish fascism, who was killed by Republicans during the civil war. Between these fascists’ graves, the statue of a crucified Christ is lashed to a timber Franco himself is said to have felled. The seeping stones seem to weep for the victims. Today, families of the buried Republicans remain upset that their kin are lying with Franco and his Nationalists.
As you leave, stare into the eyes of those angels with swords and two right wings and think about all the “heroes” who keep dying “for God and country,” at the request of the latter. The expansive view from the monument’s terrace includes the peaceful, forested valley and sometimes snow-streaked mountains.
Visiting the Cross: For an even better view of the area, consider taking the funicular (if it’s running) to the base of the cross. The funicular ride includes a short commentary in English, plus there’s a restaurant and public WC at the top. You can hike back down in 25 minutes. If you have a car, you can drive up past the monastery and hike from the start of the trail marked Sendero a la Cruz.
Sleeping and Eating: Near the parking lot and bus stop at Valley of the Fallen are a small snack bar and some picnic tables. Basic overnight lodging is available at the $$ Hospedería de la Santa Cruz, a 100-room monastery behind the cross (Sb-€40-48, Db-€34-55, includes meals and a pass to enter and leave the park after hours, tel. 918-905-511, www.valledeloscaidos.es/hospederia, info@hospederiasantacruz.com, no English spoken). A meditative night here is good mostly for monks.
Fifty miles from Madrid, this town of 55,000 boasts a thrilling Roman aqueduct, a grand cathedral, and a historic castle. Since the city is more than 3,000 feet above sea level and just northwest of a mountain range, it is exposed to cool northern breezes, and people come here from Madrid for a break from the summer heat.
Day-Tripping from Madrid: Considering the easy train and bus connections (30 minutes one-way by AVE train, 1.5 hours by bus), Segovia makes a fine day trip from Madrid. The disadvantages of this plan are that you spend the coolest hours of the day (early and late) en route, you miss the charming evening scene in Segovia, and you’ll pay more for a hotel in Madrid than in Segovia. If you have time, spend the night. But even if you just stay the day, Segovia still offers a rewarding and convenient break from the big-city intensity of Madrid.
Segovia is a medieval “ship” ready for your inspection. Start at the stern—the aqueduct—and stroll up Calle de Cervantes and Calle Juan Bravo to the prickly Gothic masts of the cathedral. Explore the tangle of narrow streets around playful Plaza Mayor and then descend to the Alcázar at the bow.
Segovia has four TIs. The TI on Plaza Mayor covers both Segovia and the surrounding region (at #10, daily July-mid-Sept 9:00-20:00, mid-Sept-June Mon-Sat 9:30-14:00 & 16:00-19:00, Sun 9:30-17:00, tel. 921-460-334, www.turismocastillayleon.com). The TI at Plaza del Azogüejo, at the base of the aqueduct, specializes in Segovia and has friendly staff, WCs (€0.20), and a gift shop (daily 10:00-12:00 & 17:00-19:00, Sat until 20:00, see wooden model of Segovia, tel. 921-466-720, www.turismodesegovia.com). Smaller TIs are at the bus station (behind a window, daily 10:00-14:00 & 15:30-17:00, tel. 921-436-569) and the AVE train station (Mon-Fri 8:15-15:15, Sat-Sun 10:00-14:15 & 16:00-17:45, tel. 921-447-262).
If day-tripping from Madrid, check the return schedule when you arrive here (or get one at the Segovia TI). You’ll find luggage storage near the exit from the bus station (€3/day, tokens sold daily 9:00-14:00 & 16:00-19:00, gives you access to locker until end of day). There’s no luggage storage at the train station.
By Bus: It’s a 10-minute walk from the bus station to the town center: Exit left out of the station, continue straight across the street, and follow Avenida Fernández Ladreda, passing San Millán church on the left, then San Clemente church on the right, before coming to the aqueduct.
By Train: From the AVE train station (called Guiomar), ride bus #11 for 20 minutes to the base of the aqueduct. To reach the center from the less-convenient cercanías train station, you can catch bus #6 or #8, take a taxi, or walk 30 minutes (start at Paseo del Conde de Sepulvedana—which becomes Paseo Ezequiel González, head to the bus station, then turn right and head down Avenida Fernández Ladreda to the aqueduct).
By Car: For driving directions and parking tips, see “Route Tips for Drivers” on here.
Shopping: If you buy handicrafts such as tablecloths from street vendors, make sure the item you want is the one you actually get; some unscrupulous vendors substitute inferior goods at the last minute. A flea market is held on Plaza Mayor on Thursdays (roughly 8:00-15:00).
Local Guide: Elvira Valderrama Rascon, a hardworking young woman, is a good English-speaking guide (€115/3 hours, mobile 636-227-949, elvisvalrras@yahoo.es).
Sightseeing Bus: Bus Turístico is a weak version of a hop-on, hop-off bus, but it does give you a chance to take great panoramic photos of Segovia’s boat-like shape, with the mountains as a backdrop. Pick it up at the aqueduct, and stay on for the full loop—it’s not really worth using it as a means of getting around town (€5.90, buy ticket on bus or at aqueduct TI; July-mid-Sept departs hourly 10:00-23:00, otherwise at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 16:00, and 17:00; tel. 921-466-721, www.urbanosdesegovia.com).
Free Churches: Segovia has plenty of little Romanesque churches that are free to enter shortly before or after Mass (see TI for a list of times), and many have architecturally interesting exteriors that are worth a look. On your way to the main sights, keep your eyes peeled for these hidden treasures: Coming from the bus station on Avenida Fernández Ladreda toward the center of town, you can see the San Millán church; on Plazas San Martín and San Esteban are two churches sharing their squares’ names (though you can’t go inside San Esteban); and on the way to the Alcázar on Plaza de la Merced is the San Andrés church.
This 15-minute walk goes uphill from the Roman aqueduct to the city’s main square along the pedestrian-only street. It’s most enjoyable just before dinner, when it’s cool and filled with strolling Segovians.
Start at Segovia’s emblematic Roman aqueduct (described later, under “Sights in Segovia”). Walk about 100 yards up Calle de Cervantes, which becomes Calle Juan Bravo, until you reach the “house of a thousand beaks” (Casa de los Picos) on your right. This building’s original Moorish design is still easy to see, despite the wall just past the door that blocks your view from the street. This wall, the architectural equivalent of a veil, hid this home’s fine courtyard—Moors didn’t flaunt their wealth. You can step inside to see art students at work and perhaps an exhibit on display, but it’s most interesting from the exterior. Notice its truncated tower, one of many fortified towers that marked the homes of feuding local noble families. In medieval Spain, clashing loyalties led to mini-civil wars. In the 15th century, as Ferdinand and Isabel centralized authority in Spain, nobles were required to lop their towers. You’ll see the once-tall, now-stubby towers of 15th-century noble mansions all over Segovia. Another example of a similar once-fortified, now-softened house with a cropped tower is about 50 yards farther down the street, on the left, on tiny Plaza del Platero Oquendo.
Continue uphill until you come to the complicated Plaza de San Martín, a commotion of history surrounding a striking statue of Juan Bravo. When Charles V, a Habsburg who didn’t even speak Spanish, took power, he imposed his rule over Castile. This threatened the local nobles, who, inspired and led by Juan Bravo, revolted in 1521. Although Juan Bravo lost the battle—and his head—he’s still a symbol of Castilian pride. This statue was erected in 1921 on the 400th anniversary of his death.
In front of the Juan Bravo statue stands the bold and bulky House of Siglo XV. Its fortified Isabelino style was typical of 15th-century Segovian houses. Later, in a more peaceful age, the boldness of these houses was softened with the decorative stucco work—Arabic-style floral and geometrical patterns—that you see today (for example, in the big house across the street). The 14th-century Tower of Lozoya, behind the statue, is another example of the lopped-off towers.
On the same square, the 12th-century Church of St. Martín is Segovian Romanesque in style (a mix of Christian Romanesque and Moorish styles).
If you continue up the street another 100 yards, you’ll see the Corpus Christi Convent on the left. For a donation, you can pop in to see the Franciscan church, which was once a synagogue, which was once a mosque. While sweet and peaceful, with lots of art featuring St. Francis, the church is skippable.
Keep going until you reach Segovia’s inviting Plaza Mayor—once the scene of executions, religious theater, and bullfights with spectators jamming the balconies. The bullfights ended in the 19th century. When Segovians complained, they were given a more gentle form of entertainment—bands in the music kiosk. Today the very best entertainment here is simply enjoying a light meal, snack, or drink in your choice of the many restaurants and cafés lining the square. The Renaissance church opposite the City Hall and behind the TI was built to replace the church where Isabel was proclaimed Queen of Castile in 1474. The symbol of Segovia is the aqueduct where you started—find it in the seals on the Theater Juan Bravo and atop the City Hall. Finally, treat yourself to the town’s specialty pastry, ponche segoviano (marzipan cake), at the recommended Limón y Menta, the bakery on the corner where you entered Plaza Mayor.
Segovia was a Roman military base and needed water. Emperor Trajan’s engineers built a nine-mile aqueduct to channel water from the Río Frío to the city, culminating at the Roman castle (which is the Alcázar today). The famous and exposed section of the 2,000-year-old acueducto romano is 2,500 feet long and 100 feet high, has 118 arches, was made from 20,000 granite blocks without any mortar, and can still carry a stream of water. It actually functioned until the late 19th century. On Plaza del Azogüejo, a grand stairway leads from the base of the aqueduct to the top—offering close-up looks at the imposing work.
Segovia’s cathedral, built in Renaissance times (1525-1768, the third on this site), was Spain’s last major Gothic building. Embellished to the hilt with pinnacles and flying buttresses, the exterior is a great example of the final, overripe stage of Gothic, called Flamboyant. Yet the Renaissance arrived before it was finished—as evidenced by the fact that the cathedral is crowned by a dome, not a spire.
Cost and Hours: €3, free Sun 9:30-13:15 (cathedral access only—no cloisters), open daily April-Oct 9:30-18:30, Nov-March 9:30-17:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, tel. 921-462-205.
Visiting the Cathedral: The spacious and elegantly simple interior provides a delightful contrast to the frilly exterior. The choir features finely carved wooden stalls from the previous church (1400s). The cátedra (bishop’s chair) is in the center rear of the choir.
The many side chapels are mostly 16th-century, and come with big locking gates—a reminder that they were the private sacred domain of the rich families and guilds who “owned” them. They could enjoy private Masses here with their names actually spoken in the blessings and a fine burial spot close to the altar.
Find the Capilla La Concepción (a chapel in the rear that looks like a mini-art gallery). Its many 17th-century paintings hang behind a mahogany wood gate imported from colonial America. The painting, Tree of Life, by Ignacio Ries (left of the altar), shows hedonistic mortals dancing atop the Tree of Life. As a skeletal Grim Reaper prepares to receive them into hell (by literally chopping down the tree...timberrrr), Jesus rings a bell imploring them to wake up before it’s too late. The center statue is Mary of the Apocalypse (as described in Revelations, standing on a devil and half-moon, which looks like bull’s horns). Mary’s pregnant, and the devil licks his evil chops, waiting to devour the baby Messiah.
Opposite from where you entered, a fine door (which leads into the cloister) is crowned by a painted Flamboyant Gothic pietà in its tympanum (the statue of Jesus with a skirt, on the left, is a reminder of how prudishness from the past looks silly in the present).
The cloisters hold a nice little one-room museum containing French tapestries, paintings, and silver reliquaries. In the first room on the right, a glass case displays keys to the 17th-century private-chapel gates. Next, the gilded chapter room is draped with precious Flemish tapestries. Notice the gilded wagon. The Holy Communion wafer is placed in the top of this temple-like cart and paraded through town each year during the Corpus Christi festival. From the cloister courtyard, you can see the Renaissance dome rising above the otherwise Gothic rooftop.
In the Middle Ages, this fortified palace was one of the favorite residences of the monarchs of Castile, a key fortress for controlling the region. The Alcázar grew through the ages, and its function changed many times: After its stint as a palace, it was a prison for 200 years, and then a Royal Artillery School. It burned in 1862. Since the fire, it’s basically been a museum.
Cost and Hours: Palace-€4.50, daily April-Sept 10:00-19:00, Oct-March 10:00-18:00; tower-€2, same hours except closed third Tue of month. Buy your tickets at Real Laboratorio de Chimia, facing the palace on your left. At the entrance, pass your ticket through the turnstiles on the right for the palace, or the turnstiles on the left for the tower.
Information: Pick up a free English leaflet as you enter. Tel. 921-460-759, www.alcazardesegovia.com.
Audioguide: The 45-minute, €3 audioguide describes each room.
Visiting the Alcázar: You’ll enjoy a one-way route through 11 rooms, including a fine view terrace. Visit the tower afterward; its 152 steps up a tight spiral staircase reward you with the only 360-degree city view in town. What you see today in the Alcázar is rebuilt—a Disney-esque exaggeration of the original. Still, its fine Moorish decor and historic furnishings are fascinating. The sumptuous ceilings are accurately restored in Mudejar style, and the throne-room ceiling is the artistic highlight of the palace.
Look for a big mural of Queen Isabel the Catholic being proclaimed Queen of Castile and León in Segovia’s main square in 1474. The Hall of the Monarchs is lined with the busts of the 52 rulers of Castile and León who presided during the long and ultimately successful Reconquista (711-1492): from Pelayo (the first), clockwise to Juana VII (the last). There were only seven queens during the period (the numbered ones). In this current age of Islamic extremists decapitating Christians, study the painting of St. James the Moor-Slayer—with Muslim heads literally rolling at his feet (poignantly...in the chapel). James is the patron saint of Spain. His name was the rallying cry in the centuries-long Christian crusade to push the Muslim Moors back into Africa.
Stepping onto the terrace (the site of the original Roman military camp, circa A.D. 100) with its vast views, marvel at the natural fortification provided by this promontory cut by the confluence of two rivers. The terrace is closed in the winter and sometimes on windy days. The Alcázar marks the end (and physical low point) of the gradual downhill course of the nine-mile-long Roman aqueduct. Can you find the mountain nicknamed Mujer Muerta (“dead woman”)?
In the armory (just after the terrace), find the king’s 16th-century ornately carved ivory crossbow, with the hunting scene shown in the adjacent painting. The final rooms are the Museum of Artillery, recalling the period (1764-1862) when this was the Royal Artillery School. It shows the evolution of explosive weaponry, with old photos and prints of the Alcázar.
This simple yet stately old church has fascinating 12th- and 13th-century frescoes filled with Gothic symbolism, plus a stork’s nest atop its tower. From the base of the aqueduct, it’s a short climb uphill into the newer part of town. Kind old Rafael, the volunteer caretaker, welcomes you.
Cost and Hours: Free, Mon-Sat 10:30-13:45 & 16:00-19:00; closed Sun and when Rafael needs to run an errand; located a couple of blocks from Plaza del Azogüejo, tel. 921-422-413.
A collection of local artist Esteban Vicente’s abstract art is housed in two rooms of the remodeled remains of Henry IV’s 1455 palace. Wilder than Rothko but more restrained than Pollock, Vicente’s vibrant work influenced post-WWII American art. The temporary exhibits can be more interesting than the permanent collection.
Cost and Hours: €3, free on Thu; open Thu-Fri 11:00-14:00 & 16:00-19:00, Sat 11:00-20:00, Sun 11:00-15:00, closed Mon-Wed; tel. 921-426-010, www.museoestebanvicente.es.
This 12-sided, 13th-century Romanesque church, built by the Knights Templar, once housed a piece of the “true cross.” You can enjoy a postcard view of the city from the church, and more views follow as you continue around Segovia on the small road below the castle, labeled ruta turística panorámica.
Cost and Hours: €2, free Tue afternoon; open Tue-Sun 10:30-13:30 & 16:00-19:00, until 18:00 in winter, closed Mon and Nov; outside town beyond the castle, a 25-minute walk from main square; tel. 921-431-475.
This “little Versailles,” six miles south of Segovia, is much smaller and happier than nearby El Escorial. The palace and gardens were built by the homesick French-born King Philip V, grandson of Louis XIV. Today it’s restored to its original 18th-century splendor, with its royal collection of tapestries, clocks, and crystal (actually made at the palace’s royal crystal factory). Plumbers and gardeners imported from France and Italy made Philip a garden that rivaled Versailles’. The fanciful fountains feature mythological stories (explained in the palace audioguide). The Bourbon Philip chose to be buried here rather than with his Habsburg predecessors at El Escorial. His tomb is in the adjacent church, included with your ticket.
Cost and Hours: Palace—€9, ticket valid 48 hours, audioguide-€4; April-Sept Tue-Sun 10:00-20:00, Oct-March Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon year-round; last entry one hour before closing; park—free, daily 10:00-20:00, until 19:00 in winter; tel. 921-470-019, www.patrimonionacional.es.
Getting There: La Sepulvedana buses make the 25-minute trip from Segovia (catch at the bus station) to San Ildefonso-La Granja (about 2/hour 7:30-21:30, fewer on weekends, tel. 902-119-699, www.lasepulvedana.es)
The best places are on or near the central Plaza Mayor. This is where the city action is—the best bars, most tourist-friendly and típico eateries, and the TI. During busy times—on weekends and in July and August—arrive early or call ahead.
$$$ Hotel Palacio San Facundo, on a quiet square a few blocks off Plaza Mayor, is luxuriously modern in its amenities but has preserved its Old World charm. This palace-turned-monastery has 29 uniquely decorated rooms surrounding a sky-lit central patio (Sb/Db-€100-170, superior Db-€160-220, Tb-€150-255, rates fluctuate significantly with season and demand, check online for best prices, includes breakfast, elevator, parking-€18/day, air-con, free Wi-Fi, tel. 921-463-061, Plaza San Fucundo 4, www.hotelpalaciosanfacundo.com, info@hotelpalaciosanfacundo.com, José Luis). From Plaza Mayor, take Cronista Lecea; it’s a four-minute walk directly to Plaza San Facundo.
$$$ Hotel Infanta Isabel, right on Plaza Mayor, is the ritziest hotel in the old town, with 38 elegant rooms, some with plaza views (Sb-€67-77, Db-€97-125 depending on room size, Sb and Db-€60 in winter, breakfast on the square-€9, elevator, valet parking-€12/day, tel. 921-461-300, www.hotelinfantaisabel.com, admin@hotelinfantaisabel.com).
$$ Hostal Don Jaime, opposite the Church of San Justo, is a friendly family-run place with 38 basic, worn, yet well-maintained rooms. Seven more rooms are in an annex across the street (S-€25, D-€32, Db-€50, Tb-€60, Qb-€70, show this book and get a free breakfast in 2014—otherwise €3.50, parking-€8/day; Ochoa Ondategui 8—from TI at Plaza del Azogüejo, cross under the aqueduct, go right, angle left, then snake uphill for 2 blocks; tel. 921-444-787, hostaldonjaime@hotmail.com).
$ Hospedaje el Gato, a family-run place on a quiet nondescript square just outside the old town, has 10 modern, comfortable rooms (Sb-€35 Sun-Thu, Sb-€50 Fri-Sat, Db-€50, Tb-€65, air-con, bar serves breakfast and good tapas, parking-€10/day, uphill from Hostal Don Jaime and aqueduct at Plaza del Salvador 10, tel. 921-423-244, mobile 678-405-079, fax 921-438-047, hbarelgato@yahoo.es but prefer phone or fax reservations).
Look for Segovia’s culinary claim to fame, roast suckling pig (cochinillo asado: 21 days of mother’s milk, into the oven, and onto your plate—oh, Babe). It’s worth a splurge here, or in Toledo or Salamanca.
For lighter fare, try sopa castellana—soup mixed with eggs, ham, garlic, and bread—or warm yourself up with the judiones de La Granja, a popular soup made with flat white beans from the region.
Ponche segoviano, a dessert made with an almond-and-honey mazapán base, is heavenly after an earthy dinner or with a coffee in the afternoon (at the recommended Limón y Menta).
(See “Segovia” map, here.)
Mesón de Cándido, one of the top restaurants in Castile, is famous for its memorable dinners. Even though it’s filled with tourists, it’s a grand experience. Take time to wander around and survey the photos of celebs—from King Juan Carlos to Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith—who’ve suckled here. Try to get a table in a room with an aqueduct view (€35 fixed-price cochinillo meal includes starter, dessert, and wine; €22 cochinillo and wine only; daily 13:00-16:30 & 20:00-23:30, Plaza del Azogüejo 5, air-con, under aqueduct, call for reservations or make them online, tel. 921-428-103, www.mesondecandido.es, candido@mesondecandido.es). Three gracious generations of the Cándido family still run the show.
José María is the place to pig out in the old town, a block off Plaza Mayor. And though it doesn’t have the history or fanfare of Cándido, Segovians claim this high-energy place serves the best roast suckling pig in town. It thrives with a hungry mix of tourists and locals (€40 à la carte dinner, €25 cochinillo, daily 13:00-16:00 & 20:00-23:30, air-con, Cronista Lecea 11, call for reservations or make them online, tel. 921-466-017, www.rtejosemaria.com, reservas@rtejosemaria.es).
Restaurante Duque claims to be the oldest eatery in Segovia, open since 1895. The venerable institution is currently run by fourth-generation Marisa, who is spearheading a modern menu of tapas alongside the rustic, traditional dishes of her ancestors. You’ll find boisterous young people bellied up to the bar, while both locals and tourists enjoy the comfortable dining room (€32-39 three-course cochinillo dinners, daily 12:30-23:30, sometimes closes in afternoon, a few blocks down from Plaza Mayor across from “house of a thousand beaks” at Calle Cervantes 12, tel. 921-462-486).
(See “Segovia” map, here.)
Plaza Mayor, the main square, provides a great backdrop for a light lunch, dinner, or drink. Prices at the cafés are generally reasonable, and many offer a good selection of tapas and raciones. Grab a table at the place of your choice and savor the scene. Café Jeyma has a fine setting and cathedral view. La Concepción Restaurante is also good (€35 meals, closer to the cathedral). For a filling lunch on the plaza, try Restaurante José, which has a three-course fixed-price meal (€14, start with the delicate bacalao pimientos—red peppers stuffed with salt cod; includes wine, bread, and excellent cathedral views).
Narizotas serves more imaginative and non-Castilian alternatives to the gamey traditions. Dine outside on a delightful square or inside with modern art under medieval timbers. For a wonderful dining experience, try their chef’s choice mystery samplers, either the “Right Hand” (€41, about 10 courses) or the “Left Hand” (€37, about six courses); both include wine, water, dessert, and coffee. They offer a less elaborate three-course €13 fixed-priced meal, and their à la carte menu is also a treat (daily 13:00-16:00 & 20:30-24:00, midway down Calle Juan Bravo at Plaza de Medina del Campo 1, tel. 921-462-679, www.narizotas.net).
Cueva de San Esteban serves traditional home cooking with a stress-free photo menu at the door, hearty, big-enough-to-split plates, and—of course—cochinillo (daily 11:00-24:00, full meals served 13:00-16:00, 2 blocks past Plaza Mayor on a quiet back street, Calle Valdelaguila 15, tel. 921-460-982).
La Almuzara is a garden of veggie and organic delights: whole-wheat pizzas, tofu, seitan, and even a few dishes with meat (€10 plates, Tue 20:00-24:00, Wed-Sun 12:00-16:00 & 20:00-24:00, closed Mon, between cathedral and Alcázar at Marques del Arco 3, tel. 921-460-622).
Breakfast: In the morning, I like to eat on Plaza Mayor (many choices) while enjoying the cool air and the people scene. Or, 100 yards down the main drag toward the aqueduct, Café La Colonial serves good breakfasts (with seating on a tiny square or inside, Plaza del Corpus).
Nightlife: Inexpensive bars and eateries line Calle de Infanta Isabel, just off Plaza Mayor. For nightlife, the bars on Plaza Mayor, Calle de Infanta Isabel, and Calle de Isabel la Católica are packed. There are a number of late-night dance clubs along the aqueduct.
Dessert: Limón y Menta offers a good, rich ponche segoviano (marzipan) cake by the slice for €3—or try the lighter honey-and-almond crocantinos (daily 9:00-21:00 but hours can vary, seating inside, Calle de Isabel la Católica 2, tel. 921-462-141).
Market: An outdoor produce market thrives on Plaza Mayor on Thursday (roughly 8:00-15:00). Nearby, a few stalls are open daily except Sunday on Calle del Cronista Ildefonso Rodríguez.
From Segovia to Madrid: You have three options: bus, fast train, or slow train. Even though the 30-minute AVE train takes less than half as long as the bus, you’ll spend more time getting to the AVE stations in Segovia and Madrid than to the bus stations, so the total time spent in transit is about the same. Cercanías commuter trains also run to Madrid, but take two hours and don’t save you much money.
Buses run from Segovia to Madrid’s Príncipe Pío Metro station; many stop first at Madrid’s Moncloa Metro station, where you can get off if convenient to your hotel (2/hour, departing on the half-hour, 1.25-1.5 hours; Mon-Fri first departure at 6:00, Sat at 7:30, Sun at 8:30; last return at 21:30; tel. 902-119-699, www.lasepulvedana.es). Consider busing from Segovia to Ávila for a visit, then continuing to Salamanca by bus or train.
If you’re riding the bus from Madrid to Segovia, about 30 minutes after leaving Madrid you’ll see—breaking the horizon on the left—the dramatic concrete cross of the Valley of the Fallen. Its grand facade marks the entry to the mammoth underground memorial (described earlier in this chapter).
The AVE train goes between Segovia’s Guiomar station and Madrid’s Chamartín station (8/day, 30 minutes). To get to Guiomar station, take city bus #11 from the base of the aqueduct (20 minutes, buses usually timed to match arrivals). You can also take the cercanías commuter train to Madrid, though this option is slower (9/day, 2 hours, leaves from Segovia’s inconvenient cercanías station, arrives in Madrid at both Chamartín and Atocha stations). To reach the sleepy, dead-end cercanías station, walk 20 minutes past the bus station along Paseo de Ezequiel González (which turns into Paseo del Conde de Sepulvedana); catch bus #6 (leaves from the bus station) or #8 (leaves from the aqueduct); or take a taxi. Train info: Tel. 902-320-320.
From Segovia by Bus to: La Granja Palace (about 2/hour 7:30-21:30, fewer on weekends, 25 minutes), Ávila (5/day weekdays, 2/day weekends, 1 hour), Salamanca (2/day, more with transfer in Labajos, 2.75 hours, Auto-Res bus, tel. 902-020-052, www.avanzabus.com).
From Madrid to Segovia: Leave Madrid on A-6. Exit 39 gets you to Segovia via a slow, winding route over the scenic mountain. Exit at 60 (after a long toll tunnel—about €3 depending on time of day), or get there quicker by staying on the toll road all the way to Segovia (add roughly €2 weekdays or €3 on weekends). At the Segovia aqueduct, follow casco histórico signs to the old town (on the side where the aqueduct adjoins the crenellated fortress walls).
Parking in Segovia: Free parking is available in the Alcázar’s lot, but you must move your car out by 19:00 (or by 18:00 Oct-March), when the gates close. Or try the lot northwest of the bus station by the statue of Cándido, along the street called Paseo de Ezequiel González. Outside the old city, there’s an Acueducto Parking underground garage kitty-corner from the bus station. Although it can be a hard slog up the hill to the Alcázar on a hot day, it beats trying to maneuver uphill through tight bends. There’s also the huge and convenient Padre Claret garage near the aqueduct (€1.55/hour).
The city center has lots of parking spaces, but they’re not free. If you want to park in the old town, be legal or risk an expensive ticket. Buy a ticket from the nearby machine to park in areas marked by blue stripes, and place the ticket on your dashboard (€1.80/hour, pay meter every 2 hours 9:00-14:00 & 16:30-20:00; free parking 20:00-9:00, Sat afternoon, and all day Sun).
Segovia to Salamanca (100 miles): Leave Segovia by driving around the town’s circular road, which offers good views from below the Alcázar. Then follow signs for Ávila (road N-110). Notice the fine Segovia view from the three crosses at the crest of the first hill. The Salamanca road leads around the famous Ávila walls to the right. The best wall view is from the signposted Cuatro Postes, a mile northwest of town. Salamanca (N-501) is clearly marked, about an hour’s drive away.
About 20 miles before Salamanca, you might want to stop at the huge bull on the left side of the road. There’s a little dirt lane leading right up to it. As you get closer, it becomes more and more obvious it isn’t alive. Bad boys climb it for a goofy photo. For a great photo op of Salamanca, complete with river reflection, stop at the edge of the city (at the light before the first bridge). The only safe parking in Salamanca is in a garage; try the underground lot at Plaza Santa Eulalia, Plaza del Campillo, or Lemans (closer to recommended Petit Palace Las Torres). See the Salamanca chapter for more information.
Yet another popular side-trip from Madrid, Ávila is famous for its perfectly preserved medieval walls, as the birthplace of St. Teresa, and for its yummy yema treats. For more than 300 years, Ávila was on the battlefront between the Muslims and Christians, changing hands several times. Today perfectly peaceful Ávila has a charming old town. With several fine churches and monasteries, it makes for an enjoyable quick stop between Segovia and Salamanca (each about an hour away by car).
On a quick stop, everything in Ávila that matters is within a few blocks of the cathedral (which actually forms part of the east end of the city wall).
The TI has good, free maps and information (Mon-Sat 9:30-14:00 & 16:00-19:00, Sun 9:30-17:00, on Calle San Segundo, just outside the wall gate near the cathedral, tel. 920-211-387). Another TI, with a friendlier staff, is located outside the wall, opposite the Basilica of San Vicente. They sell handy €.50 maps and €1 mini-guidebooks in English, which provide details on the palaces and churches. If you want to see more than the highlights, consider the general Descubre Ávila, which outlines 10 walking-tour itineraries in the old town (daily April-Oct 9:00-20:00, Nov-March 9:00-18:00, public WCs, tel. 920-354-000 ext. 370, www.avilaturismo.com/en).
Sightseeing Train: A clunky tourist train departs from outside the wall by Puerta de San Vicente, choo-choos into town, exits at the westernmost gate, loops by the Monasterio de la Encarnación (where St. Teresa lived), and then shudders along back to the north wall. Check the próxima salida sign for departure times, which are usually hourly (€4 day pass, daily 9:00-18:00, narration in Spanish unless you specify English, mobile 630-945-021).
Approaching by bus, train, or car, you’ll need to make your way through the nondescript modern part of town to find the walled old town.
By Bus or Train: There are lockers at Ávila’s bus station (use the newer-looking locks), but not at the train station.
The cathedral and wall are 15 minutes by foot from the bus station, and 20 minutes from the train station. City buses #4 and #1 run from the train station to the Basilica of San Vicente (to find the bus stop, exit the station, walk one block, and turn right at the first street). When you arrive at the basilica, check the posted return bus schedule to ensure you can make your train connection.
By Car: Drivers can use the public parking east of Puerta del Alcázar, just south of the cathedral, or at Parking Dornier (€1.25/hour).
Built from around 1100 on even more ancient remains, Ávila’s fortified wall is the oldest, most complete, and best-preserved in Spain. It has four gates and three entrances, allowing visitors the chance to walk almost three-quarters of the wall: One entrance is just off Plaza de Santa Teresa (Puerta del Alcázar). The best one, which leads to a longer walk, starts from inside the TI on Calle San Segundo, by the gate closest to the cathedral (Puerta del Peso de la Harina) and takes you to the third and fourth gates: Puerta del Carmen (exit only) and Puerta Puente Adaja (on the end farthest from the cathedral—look for the door marked subida a la muralla).
An interesting paseo scene takes place along the wall each night—make your way along the southern wall (Paseo del Rastro) to Plaza de Santa Teresa for spectacular vistas across the plains.
Cost and Hours: €5, includes audioguide in English; July-Aug daily 10:00-20:00; April-June and Sept-Oct Tue-Sun 10:00-20:00, closed Mon; Nov-March Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon; last entry 45 minutes before closing.
Viewing the Wall: The best views of the wall itself are actually from street level. If you’re wandering the city and see arched gates leading out of the old center, pop out to the other side and take in the impressive wall from the ground. Drivers can see the especially impressive north side as they circle to the right from Puerta de San Vicente to catch the highway to Salamanca.
The best overall view of the walled town of Ávila is about a mile away on the Salamanca road (N-501), at a clearly marked turnout for the Cuatro Postes (four posts). You can reach the Cuatro Postes by catching city bus #7 (€1) at the stop in front of the Basilica of San Vicente—it goes through the old town, then out to the Cuatro Postes viewpoint, back to San Vicente, and on to the RENFE train station. Bus #7 doesn’t run on weekends; ask at the TI for walking directions (about 30 minutes each way), or take bus #1 to the stop nearest the Hermitage of San Segundo and walk five minutes to the viewpoint.
While it started as Romanesque, Ávila’s cathedral, finished in the 16th century, is considered the first Gothic cathedral in Spain. Its position—with its granite apse actually part of the fortified wall—underlines the “medieval alliance between cross and sword.” You can tour the cathedral, its sacristy, cloister, and museum—which includes an El Greco painting.
Cost and Hours: €4, audioguide in English-€2; Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 12:00-15:00; generally closes one hour earlier off-season; last entry 45 minutes before closing; Plaza de la Catedral.
Built in the 17th century on the spot where the saint was born, this convent is a big hit with pilgrims (10-minute walk from cathedral). St. Teresa (1515-1582)—reforming nun, mystic, and writer—bought a house in Ávila and converted it into a convent with more stringent rules than the one she belonged to. She faced opposition in her hometown from rival nuns and those convinced her visions of heaven were the work of the devil. However, with her mentor and fellow mystic St. John of the Cross, she established convents of Discalced (shoeless) Carmelites throughout Spain, and her visions and writings led her to sainthood (she was canonized in 1622).
A lavishly gilded side chapel marks the actual place of her birth (left of main altar, door may be closed). A separate room of relics (outside, facing the church on your right, Sala de Reliquias) houses a shop that shows off Teresa’s finger, complete with a fancy emerald ring, along with one of her sandals and the bones of St. John of the Cross. A museum dedicated to the saint is in the crypt at the side entrance and is worth a visit for devotees.
Cost and Hours: Convent—free, daily 9:30-13:30 & 15:30-19:30, until 19:00 in winter, no photos of finger allowed; museum—€2, April-Oct Tue-Sun 10:00-14:00 & 16:00-20:00, Nov-March Tue-Sun 10:00-13:30 & 15:30-17:30, closed Mon year-round, last entry 30 minutes before closing.
If St. Teresa were alive today, she’d love this place, which explores modern mysticism from a Catholic perspective. Pick up the English handout that explains the art and texts, then take the elevator down on a “journey to the inner realms of the Self.”
Cost and Hours: €2.50, Tue-Sun 10:00-13:30 & 16:00-17:30, closed Mon, last entry 30 minutes before closing, tel. 920-212-154, www.avilamistica.es.
These pastries, made by local nuns, are more or less soft-boiled egg yolks that have been cooled and sugared (yema means yolk). They’re sold all over town. The shop Las Delicias del Convento is actually a retail outlet for the cooks of the convent (€3.60 for a small box, Tue-Fri 10:30-14:00 & 17:00-20:00, Sat 10:30-14:30 & 16:30-20:30, Sun 10:30-18:00, closed Mon, hours and closed day vary by season, a block from TI at Calle de los Reyes Católicos 12, tel. 920-220-293).
Ávila is cold in fall, winter, and early spring, so you’ll likely need to turn up the heat in these hotels.
$$$ Hotel Palacio de los Velada is antique and classy and faces the cathedral. Located in a five-centuries-old palace, it has 144 elegant rooms surrounding a huge and inviting arcaded courtyard (Sb-€150, Db-€190, third person-€30 extra on weekends, lower rates Mon-Thu and for 2-night weekend stays, higher on holidays, rates fluctuate wildly—check website for latest, air-con, elevator, Plaza de la Catedral 10, tel. 920-255-100, www.veladahoteles.com, reserves.avila@veladahoteles.com).
$$ Hostal Puerta del Alcázar has 27 basic yet spacious rooms right next to the Puerta del Peso de la Harina just outside the wall (Sb-€33-43, Db-€45-55, Tb-€77, Qb-€99, includes breakfast, air-con, free Wi-Fi, San Segundo 38, tel. 920-211-074, www.puertadelalcazar.com, info@puertadelalcazar.com). It’s home to a recommended restaurant.
$$ Hotel Arco San Vicente has a friendly staff and a great location two blocks from the cathedral and one block from the Basilica of San Vicente, with its handy stop for buses to the train station or the Cuatro Postes viewpoint (Sb-€35-40, Db-€45-65, breakfast-€6, air-con on second floor, elevator, free Wi-Fi, limited parking-€10/day, Calle López Núñez 6, tel. 920-222-498, www.arcosanvicente.com, info@arcosanvicente.com).
Ávila specialties include chuletón, a thick steak, and judías del Barco de Ávila, big white beans often cooked in a meaty stew. Around Plaza del Mercado Chico, the main square of the old center, are several good spots to try the stew or to have a reasonable fixed-price lunch (many of which include the judías).
La Bodeguita de San Segundo is good for a light lunch. Owned by a locally famous wine connoisseur, it serves fine wine by the glass with tapas such as smoked-cod salad and wild-mushroom scrambled eggs (daily 11:00-24:00, sometimes closes in afternoon, €2 bread charge, along the outside of wall near cathedral at San Segundo 19, tel. 920-228-634).
Hostal-Restaurante Puerta del Alcázar, filled with more locals than hotel guests, serves elaborate salads, fixed-price meals (€13-21 Mon-Fri, €16-21 Sat-Sun), and more. You can sit indoors or, even better, outdoors with cathedral views (Mon-Sat 13:00-16:00 & 21:00-23:30, Sun 13:00-16:00, San Segundo 38, tel. 920-211-074).
Picnics: The town’s market house is a good spot to pick up fruit and water (Mon-Thu 9:00-14:00 & 17:00-20:00, Fri 9:00-20:00, Sat 9:00-14:00, closed Sun, between Plaza del Mercado Chico and the cathedral). On Friday mornings, there’s a farmers’ market on Plaza del Mercado Chico.
Café: For a pleasant break from sightseeing, pop in to the courtyard of the recommended Hotel Palacio de los Velada for a drink (€3 coffee and hot chocolate).
The bus terminal is closed on Sundays, but you can purchase tickets when boarding the bus.
From Ávila to: Segovia (5 buses/day weekdays, 2 on weekends, 1 hour), Madrid (nearly hourly until 21:10, 1.5-2 hours, more frequent connections with Chamartín Station than Atocha; 9 buses/day, 6 on weekends, 1.5 hours; Estación Sur, tel. 914-684-200), Salamanca (8 trains/day, 1-1.5 hours; 4-5 buses/day, 1.5 hours). Train info: Toll tel. 902-320-320, www.renfe.com. Bus info: Tel. 902-020-052, www.avanzabus.com.