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Segovia Tourist Guide

By , About.com Guide

Segovia aqueduct

Late afternoon at the Segovia aqueduct.

Image: Damian Corrigan

Overview:

With its famous Roman aqueduct and a stunning castle, rumored to have inspired the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Segovia is perhaps the most interesting of the day trips from Madrid.
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Best Time to Visit Segovia :

Segovia has its festival in late October.

Five Things to Do in Segovia:

  • See the Roman aqueduct. Segovia's aqueduct is two thousand years old and is still in immaculate condition.
  • The fairytale-castle Alcázar, said to have been the inspiration for the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
  • The Museo de Arte Contempraneo Esteban Vicente
  • Try cochinillo (roasted suckling pig) Segovia's local dish and in my list of the best Spanish dishes.
  • The Jewish quarter - starting at Plaza del Corpus Cristi

Hotels in Segovia:

For Hotels in Segovia, check out the following links:

How to Get to Segovia from Madrid:

Segovia is an easy day trip from Madrid and can be reached by both train and bus.

Read more here: Madrid to Segovia

Note: Segovia is also possible as a day trip from Salamanca, though there are few buses. Best to go via Avila.

Where to Next?:

Back to Madrid or on to Salamanca. Avila is only an hour from Segovia by bus (both can be done in a day if you don't mind leaving early and getting back late. El Escorial is also an option - retrace your steps on the C8 line of the Cercanía local train network and change at Villalba.

Car Hire in Segovia:

Compare prices from the big car rental companies on Kayak.

First Impressions:

If coming in to Segovia by bus don't make the mistake (that I did) of heading straight towards the cathedral (which is up on a hill and visible from the station). The nearest site of interest is the aqueduct, which is actually signposted from the junction at the bus station and is actually just around the corner, along Avenida de Fernández Ladreda (if you're coming by train, you'll have to walk along Paseo Conde Sepúlveda until you reach the bus station and then turn right).

Next to the aqueduct is perhaps the best Tourist Office I have ever been to. Incredibly helpful and with great tourist information on the whole Castilla y Leon region and other areas too, this is an essential stop and another reason for the aqueduct to be your first stop as these guys can plan your entire trip for you!

From the aqueduct, head up c/Cervantes, past Casa de los Picos, up to Plaza del Corpus Cristi, which is where the Synagoga Mayor (Main Synagogue) is situated.

From there it's up to Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral. Walk along the Cathedral and keep going, past the Witchcraft Museum on c/Daoiz until you reach the Alzcázar.

This route is the most efficient way to get to see Segovia's main sites if you are in a hurry. If you decide to take a different tour of the city, take a map and pay no attention to the road signs that direct you from Plaza Mayor to the Aqueduct - these are driving directions to guide cars around the one-way system and only complicate matters if you are on foot.

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