Salamanca is a city in Western Spain and is situated 50 miles east of the Portuguese border, it lies on several hills by the Tormes river. The old town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
The pictures we looked at when researching Salamanca really did not do it justice. It is an amazing city steeped in history but also has so many parks so if you get a chance we highly recommend a visit.
We cycled into the City over the Roman bridge which spans the River Tormes, it is estimated that it was constructed in the first century A.D. Nowadays it is a pedestrian bridge to preserve it.
It is also one of Spain’s most important university cities and attracts thousands of international students to the university which was founded in 1218 making it the oldest university in Spain. The university is renowned for producing teachers and apparently Christopher Columbus visited and lectured here.
We decided to ride our E bikes in from the campsite along the river which meant we could stop and really enjoy the views.
We can see so much more when with cycle into Cities and can get off the beaten track to find the hidden gems.
We visited Plaza Mayor which is one of the largest squares in Spain. It is located right in the heart of Salamanca with plenty of bars to choose from, also the tourist information office is located here.
The cathedral is very impressive and is made up of the ‘Old & New’ Cathedral. It’s construction began in the 15th century and lasted until the 18th century.
We cycled down to the Convento de San Esteban which is another great example of architecture and features Baroque and Renaissance elements.
We had a great time looking at all the stunning buildings and occasionally stopping for a drink to do some people watching.
