Salamanca (pop. at term-time 363,000) is Spain’s golden city. Once a battleground of Arabs and Christians, Salamanca has since become the home of the prestigious Universidad de Salamanca, in medieval times considered one of the four leading lights of the world. The city seems to radiate its own light, with massive buildings built of yellow Villamayor stone flaunting ornate facades that exemplify Spanish Plateresque architecture. Salamanca’s location is also golden. While accessible from Spain’s major transportation hubs, the city’s mild summers make it a welcome retreat from the heat that the rest of Spain’s interior can suffer. Salamanca remains steadfastly a university town; even in summer, thousands of students flood the streets, giving rise to a student scene that rivals those of major cities like Barcelona and Madrid.
Flights: Aeropuerto de Salamanca, Ctra. Madrid, km 14 Trains: Vialia Estación de Salamanca, Po.de la Estación To: Ávila (65min., 7-8 per day 6am-7:53pm, €8.05); Lisboa (6hr., 4:51am, €47) ...more
The majestic Plaza Mayor is the social and geographical center of Salamanca. Most hostels are to the south on Rúa Mayor and Plaza de Anaya, as are the University and most sights. From the train station ...more
Thanks to floods of student visitors, reasonably priced hostales and pensiones pepper the streets of Salamanca, especially off Pl. Mayor, R. Mayor, and C. Meléndez. Make reservations a week in advance ...more
Pork is the city’s speciality, with dishes ranging from chorizo (spicy sausage) to cochinillo (suckling pig). Try Salamanca’s hornazo, a type of meat-stuffed pie. Cafes and restaurants surround Pl ...more
The old lecture halls inside the university are open to the public. The 15th-century classroom Aula Fray Luis de León has been left in more or less its original state; medieval students considered the ...more
Salmantinos claim Salamanca is the best place in Spain para ir de marcha (to go out on the town). With some 5,000 bars, Salamanca is not lacking in supplies. Chupiterías (bars selling mostly shots), barres ...more
Guia del Ocio, a free pamphlet distributed at the tourist office and at some bars, lists movies, special events, and bus schedules. Posters at the Colegio Mayor, Pl. de Anaya, advertise university events ...more
The hushed, labyrinthine streets and 18th-century ramparts of Ciudad Rodrigo (pop. 16,000), a sleepy town just 27km from Portugal, harbor sandstone churches, Roman ruins, and medieval masonry. The town ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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