SEGOVIA
Nesteled at the base of the
Guadarrama mountains, Segovia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well since
1985, so keep your camera ready!
A short trip from Madrid will
see you transported back in time to a city steeped in medieval history topped
by a castle (that natives say Walt Disney copied).
Apart from the astonishing Roman
Aqueduct (you will walk underneath it to appreciate its true size), the
spectacular mountain scenery, the "Alcázar" and the beautiful
Cathedral, you are assured of some of Spain´s finest cooking. Particularly
recommended is the traditional roast suckling pig (the city´s speciality), its
aroma is around every corner!
Segovia is an excellent starting
point to tour the province and visit among others:
- “La Granja de San Ildefonso”, just 11 Km far away
boasts the baroque Royal Palace with its cute gardens, an impressive
complex styled after Versailles (The three best days to come are July 25th,
May 25th and Aug. 25th). On the other hand,
close to “La Granja”, the Palace of Riofrio, another royal site which is
outwardly austere and sober, far from the shapes of the baroque. However,
inside we find one of the most important examples of baroque architecture
in Spain. Nowadays the Palace is home to a hunting museum, one of the most
important of its kind. The building is surrounded by a vast forest deer´s
home.
- Pedraza and Sepúlveda, medieval urbans setting
where every corner must be seen (both Declared Historic-Artistic Sites in
1951), as well as the Gorges of the Duratón River Nature Reserve (where
you can enjoy an amazing landscape hiking, biking or canoeing but always
accompanied by the huge griffon vultures).
(This tour is
especially recommended by ADREAMINSPAIN)