Salamanca: UNESCO Old Town, Art and Nature

Salamanca offers two ways to approach trip planning: its historic cityscape and the landscapes of the province. The Ciudad Vieja de Salamanca has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. The Old Town is home to important Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque monuments. There are also distinctive interiors, viewpoints and museums. If you’re looking for a hotel in Salamanca, first consider whether your stay will focus mainly on the city’s history and architecture, or also on the province’s landscapes and routes.

Old Town, architecture and history

The Old Town’s different building periods offer more than one historical perspective: Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque monuments are all part of its architectural heritage. The Escuelas Menores preserve a special detail. One of its lecture rooms has a ceiling painted by Fernando Gállego. This named artist and specific location add a distinct note alongside the Old Town’s broad architectural periods.

The Ieronimus interior route takes you through other facets of the cathedral’s history. It provides access to the terrace of the Torre Mocha and the Torre del Gallo; from the interior walkway, you can look out over the New Cathedral. The route continues to the Cuerpo de Campanas, where Salamanca can be seen in all four directions. Ieronimus also presents 900 years of the cathedral’s history and art. Here, the views and historical context go hand in hand, and the route is about more than simply looking out from above.

The museums also explore a range of subjects. Casa Lis is a museum of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Its decorative arts collection spans the final decades of the 19th century through to the Second World War. The Centro de Interpretación de las murallas salmantinas, Salmantica Sedes Antiqua Castrorum, presents the defensive system of the Iron Age city of Helmantiké and displays a section of the ancient city wall. The Huerto de Calixto y Melibea is located on the city wall below the cathedral towers. The Museo de la Industria Chacinera in Guijuelo offers another perspective, presenting the region’s ham-making tradition.

Landscapes and routes in the province

Across Salamanca province, the landscape shifts between valleys and forests, as well as plains, streams and rivers. In Salamanca, the banks of the Tormes form a river landscape of great natural value. Arribes del Duero Natural Park is one of the province’s major natural parks. The car is considered the best way to travel to Arribes del Duero.

The routes, too, highlight different geographical features. The Ruta Vía de la Plata runs from Seville to Gijón and passes through Salamanca; the province is also part of this route. The Camino de la Lengua Castellana is another of the province’s tourist routes. The Senda del Duero is a 115-kilometre linear hiking route. Of its 42 stages, the final ten pass through the Salamanca area. They lead to regional architecture and ethnography, as well as local customs, festivals and traditions. This route brings together nature and hiking with cultural themes.

Cycling and hiking are among the activities in the Sierra de Béjar, and the La Covatilla ski resort is nearby. Those including the province in their trip plans can weigh up hiking, culturally themed routes and other landscape experiences.

Plan your stay around your travel priorities

Those planning to focus mainly on architecture, the cathedral route and museums have different priorities from those looking to explore the province’s nature and hiking. Check a hotel’s location against the places you actually want to visit, and search according to your planned itinerary. This makes it easier to choose Salamanca in a way that suits your interests in city history, art or landscapes.

Discover more destinations: Mieza, El Maíllo, Molinillo, Villar De Ciervo, Tenebrón, Monsagro, Santiago De La Puebla, La Bastida, El Payo, Serradilla Del Arroyo, Ledrada, Valdefuentes De Sangusin, La Rinconada De La Sierra, Casafranca, Pedrosillo El Ralo, Aldeanueva De La Sierra, Zamayón, Villanueva De Los Pavones, Salvatierra De Tormes, Vecinos, La Maya, La Fregeneda, Huerta, Babilafuente, El Cabaco, Aldeagutiérrez, Gallegos de Solmirón, Pelayos, Aldeaseca de la Armuña, Villasrubias, Pastores, Moriscos, El Gejo De Los Reyes, Valdelamatanza, Pereña De La Ribera, Zarapicos, Carrasco, Aldea Del Obispo, Masueco, Anaya De Alba, Yecla De Yeltes, Sorihuela, Santibáñez De Béjar, Monleras, Madroñal, Fuenteguinaldo, Horcajo Medianero, San Miguel Del Robledo, Águeda Del Caudillo, Traguntía, La Vellés, Villares De Yeltes, Miranda Del Castañar, Alba De Tormes, Sotoserrano, Sancti-Spíritus, Aldehuela De Yeltes, La Atalaya, Vitigudino, Aldealengua, Cristóbal, San Miguel De Valero, Villares De La Reina, Fuentes De Béjar, Galindo Y Perahuy, San Esteban De La Sierra, Buenavista, Martinamor, Cepeda, Galinduste, Castellanos De Villiquera, Cereceda De La Sierra, Valverdón, Gallegos De Argañán, Olmedo De Camaces, Mogarraz, El Pino De Tormes, Larrodrigo, Sobradillo, Cabeza del Caballo, Santiz, Lagunilla, Candelario, La Hoya, Lumbrales, El Arco, Trabanca, Barbalos, Encinas De Abajo, Parada De Rubiales, Parada De Arriba, Morille, Hinojosa De Duero, San Pedro Del Valle, Aldeadávila De La Ribera, Valdemierque, Peñaranda De Bracamonte, Bermellar, Ledesma, Villanueva Del Conde, Navasfrías, Forfoleda, Sequeros, Carrascal Del Río, Sando, Fuentes De Oñoro, Calzada De Valdunciel, Linares De Riofrío, Béjar, La Peña, El Tornadizo, Topas, Santa Marta De Tormes, San Felices De Los Gallegos, Puerto De Béjar, Mozárbez, La Alberca, Guijuelo, Ciudad-Rodrigo, La Mata De Ledesma, Las Casas Del Conde, Matilla De Los Caños Del Río, San Pelayo De Guareña, Pelabravo, Cabrerizos, Herguijuela de la Sierra, Serradilla del Llano, Tamames, Villamayor, Saucelle, Calvarrasa De Abajo, Cordovilla, Peñacaballera, Salamanca, Endrinal, Navacarros, Guijo De Ávila, Berrocal De Salvatierra, Vallejera De Riofrío, Las Uces, San Pedro De Rozados, Vilvestre, Barruecopardo, Pinedas, Villoria, Vega de Tirados, El Manzano, Nava de Francia, El Bodón, Cantagallo, San Martín Del Castañar

For the full travel overview: Castile and León.