I had no intention of visiting Segovia, but I met some people in Madrid who were originally from Segovia, and they invited me there with them for a night. Gladly, I went along.Segovia is only about an hour's bus ride (€6, one way) from…Read More

I had no intention of visiting Segovia, but I met some people in Madrid who were originally from Segovia, and they invited me there with them for a night. Gladly, I went along.

Segovia is only about an hour's bus ride (€6, one way) from Madrid's Principe Pio station. What a beautiful city! No wonder my new Spanish friends take the weekend to go home.

Highlights include the aqueduct, built by the Romans 2,000 years ago, the cathedral, and the castle. It's a rather touristy town, so you'll find more than enough souvenir shops and the like. There's a tourist information office right by the aqueduct.

My friends get tired of going out in Segovia, because, they say, it's always the same bars, same people—typical of small-town life. So, it seems that while the town is touristy by day, the nightlife stays fairly local. Indeed, I only met two Americans, and they were living in Segovia for the summer to work on their Spanish.

If you have a spare day, Segovia is worth a stop.Close

Although it was said of Granada, not Segovia, I would echo the words "Give something to the poor blind man, because there’s nothing crueler in life than to be blind in Granada." Equally as unjust it would be to be sightless in Segovia.…Read More

Although it was said of Granada, not Segovia, I would echo the words "Give something to the poor blind man, because there’s nothing crueler in life than to be blind in Granada." Equally as unjust it would be to be sightless in Segovia. You can’t miss the aqueduct. I highly recommend starting up the road that passes by the Hotel Acueducto at the "starting" point of what’s left of the structure. I brought a group of high school student here in 2004, and we walked from the train station purposely to this point first. When we got to the six-foot high structure, the students were noticeably disillusioned as I told them, "Here it is. Isn’t it great?!" As we walked the length of it and turned that last corner, though, the jaw dropping made it all worthwhile!

The self-directed walking tour is easy. Just walk up the calle Cervantes to the Plaza Mayor and find yourself at the cathedral. Gawk, jaw agape, at the splendor, and then move towards the Alacazar. As you walk note the narrowness of the streets, and how they’re all one-way now. Think what it must have been like just fifteen years ago when cars could come and go on many of these old streets in either direction. There was then, and still is now, only one traffic signal in the old part of Segovia.

There are two things left to see in Segovia once you get to the castle. After "doing the tour", I recommend you look off to the north and below. You’ll see a little church on the outskirts known as the Vera Cruz. Visit it and see the Romanesque bell tower, partial extant frescoes on the walls, and out front, according to the caretakers, the erosion-induced unearthing of bone fragments of those buried in the church yard during the bubonic plague. Legend always outpaces fact for interest level. The second thing you should do with time is to walk, don’t drive, the 1k to Zumarramala. That’s the little town on the "horizon" up the street from Vera Cruz. There’s a plaque on the first building you’ll see there that, in essence, reads "I know of no one who, having come to this place, has not been conquered by its unmatched beauty." Truer words were never spoken. The castle at this point looks like the gargantuan bow of an Herculean ocean liner. Take your time. This is something that was more than 500 years in the making. Give it a few minutes at least!

Alas, the rain fell shortly after we arrived in Segovia by train from Madrid's Atocha station. We had just walked from the train station to the aqueduct (a 15-minute walk) when the rain drops were released from the heavens like an answer to my…Read More

Alas, the rain fell shortly after we arrived in Segovia by train from Madrid's Atocha station. We had just walked from the train station to the aqueduct (a 15-minute walk) when the rain drops were released from the heavens like an answer to my husband's prayers. Just yesterday we had bemoaned the 100-plus heat in Madrid. It was a perfect day for a stroll in the rain amidst the backdrop of the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage town of Segovia.

The rain turned to hail and then stopped long enough for us to snap pictures by the impressive aqueduct. No mortar was used in this testament to 1st century AD construction and engineering. Did I really see hail here in Segovia in the middle of June??! We bypassed the Meson de Candido beneath the aqueduct and opted to dine instead at Casa Duque (Calle de Cervantes), ducking in just as the rain began to pour again. We ordered six set menus (28€ per meal) for seven of us, and they brought out an entire roasted suckling pig for us to admire and photograph before carving it up and serving it to our stomachs. It was the best pig I’ve EVER had (and there are plenty of food connoisseurs/snobs amongst us), even better than at Botin’s in Madrid! The portions were HUGE and the service was excellent, jolly and witty. When asked about the pig, our waiter gave us an entire biography of Antonio, the 20-day-old piglet. We roared with laughter, tipsy from the wine and liquor-soaked desserts. No one seemed to mind that we were just hanging out inside the restaurant for the rain to stop. I’d definitely come back for the food again.

When the rain again relented, we made our way through the cobblestone paths and stopped to admire the cathedral long enough for our cameras to do their work. Our ultimate target was the Alcazar, the said inspiration of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle. The views from in front of the Alcazar were breathtaking. You can see the countryside with a little church, monastery, quarries, lush greens, and different reddish earthtones layered in the land. What texture! I felt ridiculous snapping away at our cameras before such a breathtaking scene, so I indulged in a few moments to let the history of the place unfold and peel away the landscape before me. Images from Gladiator, Excalibur, Cinderella, and other period epics kept flashing across my mind. Sure enough, upon entry into the alcazar, the knights in shining armor appeared to greet us. Again, I’m distracted from my reveries by the flashing of our digital cameras. I can’t resist snapping away, in case I never have the chance to set my eyes on this place again.

We played and laughed from room to room in the Alcazar, letting our imaginations loose in the weapons room and enjoying more landscape views from the top of the castle. Too bad they don’t open up more towers and turrets. Segovia is a little gem of a visit.

I first set foot in Segovia in 1989. Much has changed since then. Back then, you could drive your car under the aqueduct. Today, the entire boulevard from the aqueduct to the other end of town is pedestrian and commercial. I…Read More

I first set foot in Segovia in 1989. Much has changed since then. Back then, you could drive your car under the aqueduct. Today, the entire boulevard from the aqueduct to the other end of town is pedestrian and commercial. I lived on the first "boca calle," San Francisco, up from the aqueduct, and was able to see the structure from my window daily.

Having been fortunate enough to return on a few additional occasions, I offer the following recommendations to you. Segovia is unique in its history, architecture and positioning. However, what will draw you in is its small-town flavor amidst it all. It is absolutely worth your detour whenever you’re near... or far.

Segovia has both old and new comforts. The old comforts are seen in the preservation of the Alcazar. This once castle used by Spain's royalty now sits as a gem on the terrain of Segovia. The new has blended well with the old. Hotels, stores,…Read More

Segovia has both old and new comforts. The old comforts are seen in the preservation of the Alcazar. This once castle used by Spain's royalty now sits as a gem on the terrain of Segovia. The new has blended well with the old. Hotels, stores, travel agencies, and restaurants are all lined up as you walk towards the alcazar. It is interesting to see this blending of worlds. Not far from the castle are the Roman aqueducts. This impressive man-made structure stands as a testament to the greatness of the once powerful empire!Close

In Segovia, we rode on the train type Regional. The tickets were free seats, so I had to take place for such a long way. With the approach to Segovia kinds of windows wonderful - mountain peaks covered with snow, green valleys against the backdrop…Read More

In Segovia, we rode on the train type Regional. The tickets were free seats, so I had to take place for such a long way. With the approach to Segovia kinds of windows wonderful - mountain peaks covered with snow, green valleys against the backdrop of the same white tops. Around the station, we asked an elderly Spaniard, how to get to the Plaza Mayor, to say something in Spanish, in parallel on the map showing the routes of buses, we decided to go outside Conde Sepulveda, rises. 10-15 minutes later a rapid pace, we reached a pointer to the aqueduct.
Approaching the Plaza del Azoguejo we opened view of the aqueduct - a breathtaking view. A huge ancient structure near the small model houses in Spain. After admiring the beautiful views of the aqueduct from the bottom, top, side, we went on. By the way, this area also has an information center.
Our next point was the Alcazar. Along the way we beheld the church of San Martín and the Cathedral. Guide to major attractions - Alcazar. Be sure to buy a ticket «Completa» for 6 euros per person., Which allows to visit the tower itself Alcazar (separately visit the Alcázar is 4 euros).
There were the old city, having a lot of impressions and hungry, we stopped for dinner in Restanrante «LaZaro», near the Plaza Mayor. Since Spain is famous for its piglets (this also shows a large number of carcasses of pigs in the windows of restaurants and toy pigs in the souvenir shops), it was impossible not to try this delicacy. mmm ... Yum.Close