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Salamanca is a delightful Spanish city near the Portuguese border, a centre of cultural heritage and fine cuisine that offers a vibrant nightlife too. The city is also home to Spain's oldest university. Locals and visitors wander Salamanca's quaint alleys to contemplate its age-old buildings telling a story of influences through the centuries.
Spend an enchanting stay in Salamanca to discover its wonderful monuments under a warm sun, before relishing some tapas in one of its lively bars. Read Accor's recommendations to make the most of your break, and book a hotel on all.com to embrace the dynamic pace of this fascinating city that's alive both night and day.
The historic heart of Salamanca is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to grand monuments and ornate facades, remnants of its rich, eventful past. The stonework of its buildings appears golden in the evening sun, and this sublime light for your photos is what has given Salamanca the nickname the Golden City.
The University of Salamanca has been a hub of knowledge for centuries, and it was one of Europe's first universities. Look for the sculpted frog resting on a human skull hidden among other relief works in the stonework of its magnificent entrance – according to local superstition, it brings luck to any student who finds it. In the university's large, venerable library you can admire a wonderful fresco of zodiac signs, constellations and planets: try to find your star sign, while remembering to respect the library's silence for the sake of the readers!
The old and new cathedrals stand adjoined to one another just a stone's throw from the university, towering over the city. The Romanesque Catedral Vieja includes a 110m tower – the Torre del Gallo – with a spiral staircase; climb it to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Inside the church, admire the altarpiece, which displays over 50 paintings depicting biblical scenes. The Catedral Nueva includes a wide range of architectural features, and a surprise: a sculpted astronaut, added in 1992!
Salamanca's main square, Plaza Mayor, is bustling both night and day, and is considered one of Spain's most beautiful plazas. Ringed by Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, the square is lined with archways embellished with sculpted medallions. Its unmissable sites include the Ayuntamiento (town hall), San Martín church and the Teatro Liceo theatre. In the evening, many of the archways are lit up and the square, dotted with shops, bars and restaurants, really comes to life.
This impressive Gothic edifice is especially known for its facade covered in more than 300 shells made of stone, symbolising the Order of Santiago. Enter the building to marvel at its patio lined with decorated archways, its wrought-iron railings and its coffered ceiling.
The glazed walls of this modernist building enclose Salamanca's art nouveau and art deco museum. Here, you can not only admire statues, figurines and paintings by renowned artists from these two art movements, but also see goldsmithery by Fabergé and furniture by Majorelle.,Discover Salamanca from a new perspective by exploring the Barrio del Oeste – the city's western district – where you can follow a trail of street art created by young artists who aim to revitalise the area.,Each year, from October to December, the programme Las Llaves de la Ciudad (The Keys to the City) delights locals and visitors alike, offering the chance to enter areas of cultural heritage that are usually closed to the public and to go on guided, dramatised tours. This is a great time to book your hotel in Salamanca.
Dining in Spain isn't just paella and sangria – lots of other culinary surprises await you in the Castile and Léon region. Try some hornazo, a traditional meat pie from this area of Spain, filled with chorizo, boiled eggs, ham and sometimes marinated pork. Locals and travellers also like savouring tapas and assortments of cold meats, including the famous Guijuelo ham. In central Salamanca, the area around Plaza Mayor is packed with dining spots, while in the more modern part of the city, some of the best restaurants are on the street Calle Van Dyck. And for sweet delights, try Salamanca's popular chochos – little white sweets that are easy to recognise. Or for a sweet afternoon snack, be tempted by the famous chocolate con churros.
Salamanca is a city with two sides: by day, visitors enjoy the pleasantly relaxed pace of Spanish life. By night, the city springs to life and students bring a festive atmosphere to Salamanca's streets, especially along Calle Van Dyck, as well as the street-art-filled Barrio del Oeste district and the Plaza Mayor area.,