This fascinating city is just a two hours drive from Madrid, so if you want to get to know one of the most beautiful World Heritage Cities in Spain, why not arrange a day out in Salamanca?
What To See In Salamanca
Salamanca University is one of the oldest and best preserved in Europe. You will be amazed by the architecture and the impressive 160,000 leather bound volumes that fill the university library. You’ll feel transported to a spectacular film set where you are one of the characters in a historical mystery! Salamanca’s University attracts more than 2,000 foreign students a year, giving the city a lively, international vibe.
When we speak of the Cathedral of Salamanca in fact we are referring to two churches joined together. First, there is the old cathedral dating from the 12th-13th centuries; and then the new one from the 16th century. The construction of the old Cathedral started in the 12th century and was finished in the 14th century. It was a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles. The new Cathedral, attached to the old one, was built in late Gothic and Baroque styles.
In the New Cathedral, you can explore several chapels, the 18th-century choir in the middle with an impressive organ, high ceilings and countless stained-glass windows. One of the fascinating facts about the cathedral is that the bell tower was affected by the Lisbon earthquake and ended up at an angle, so a decision was made to reinforce it with stone to increase its stability. And so it remains right up to the present day: leaning but safe.
Admission to the cathedral is €4.75 or €4 for students. OnTuesdays admission is free from 10am to 12pm.
GaliciaStyle 