Planning a trip to Spain and want to go to a city with amazing historical sites and is really beautiful? Segovia is one of our favorite Spanish cities and it never disappoints!
As you come over the last hill on the road to Segovia you see the town perched atop a hill like a diamond glittering in the sunlight signaling what a beautiful Spanish city it is. The Gothic Cathedral, foreboding Alcázar, and seemingly impenetrable city walls beckon you toward the city and its sights with promises of history and adventure. Originally a Celtic settlement, Segovia was later built up by the Romans and it was they who built the amazing aqueduct that still spans the valley floor below the walled city.
UNESCO World Heritage Site Segovia
In fact, it was the aqueduct which led to Segovia’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The most vividly striking section of the aqueduct sits in the heart of the city with the old town rising up behind it, the so-called Puente de Diablo. Legend has it that the devil had become enamored with one of the towns beautiful princesses and struck a bargain–he would have the maidens hand in marriage if he could build the bridge across the valley in one night. Fortunately, he failed at the task with one last stone left unplaced as the first crow of a rooster rang out in the morning air.
Even more unbelievable is the skill and engineering that must have gone into the design and construction of the aqueduct in ancient times. Standing under one of its many archways, it’s hard to imagine how it could have survived the centuries of weather, warfare, and earthquakes, but in reality it has been threatened more in its past century then in the nearly two thousand years before.
The construction of city parking garages, pollution, heavy traffic passing beneath its arches, even later day conservation efforts have all had severely damaging effects, but the aqueduct is one of the major draws to stunning Segovia and the city has gone to great lengths to protect it. The traffic that used to pass under its magnificent arches has been rerouted and the entire plaza around it is now a pedestrian zone.
But there’s far more to stunning Segovia than the Roman aqueduct which survived after the Roman empire crumbled. The town continued to grow and prosper eventually coming under control of the Arabs who built a new fort upon the old Roman ruins. Later, after the town had been reclaimed by Spain, a major building boom saw expansions of the city walls and the Alcázar became a palace for the King and Queen.
It is an impressive structure sitting atop a craggy outcropping at the edge of the old city. We enjoyed strolling through the leafy green park and the views from the Alcázar of the city are incredible. There’s a small café that sits on a terrace near the walls and from its al fresco tables you can enjoy a relaxing cafe con leche and the marvelous views.
A relative late-comer to the city, the Gothic cathedral was built in the sixteenth century and dominates the old city sky line. This is a massive building and it’s almost impossible to take your eyes off of it when it’s lit up in the evening dusk. It takes some time to explore the 18 ornately decorated chapels of the cathedral but the cool air is a welcome respite from the hot sun outside.
After visiting the cathedral you can enjoy a drink, some tapas, or a full meal at one of the many restaurants surrounding the Plaza Mayor just outside. Of course, this is also a perfect location for people-watching, one of our favorite past-times.
As usual, we were on a road trip when we visited Segovia and this had some advantages and disadvantages. Having a car meant we were able to explore the area around the city. Driving out to the end of the aqueduct was an adventure in itself, and finding the best vantage point for the perfect landscape photograph of the city was a challenge we enjoyed living up to. But driving in the old city is extremely restricted and parking is hard to come by.
Our hotel was just around the corner from the church off a street leading into the Plaza Mayor. We were able to drive in and drop off luggage and passengers, but we had to park the car in the same parking garage that had threatened the aqueduct during its construction. Once the car was parked, it was a 10 minute walk through the old city to get back to the hotel. Of course, the views along the way were stunning so it really wasn’t too big of a problem.
Practical Information for Visiting Segovia
Driving to Segovia out of Madrid takes about an hour on the highway north out of the city. You can also take the train out of Madrid or a number of different buses. It is fairly easy to get around once you get to Segovia with most of the sites within the walls of the old city.
We stayed in a beautifully restored 15th century building called the Hotel Spa La Casa Mudejar, located right off the plaza mayor and near to the cathedral and other sights. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and great value for the money.
Check out the links below for additional information:
Have you been to see the stunning sights of Segovia? What’s your favorite town in Spain?
Author Bio: Jim Vail, is a travel, food, and video creator and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 15 years. For many years he lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands, and he’s visited over 90 countries.
If you enjoyed Segovia...
Sand In My Suitcase
Sunday 24th of May 2015
Segovia looks like it has a lot going for it. Your photo of the Alcazar is quite stunning. We're hoping to visit Spain maybe in the fall (Madrid and Seville, etc.) - we'll look into adding Segovia in our itinerary too. Thanks for sharing!
Corinne Vail
Monday 25th of May 2015
Janice, It is hard to hit all the great places to visit in Spain, but yes, go to Segovia. We loved it! The old part of the city is the perfect size for wandering and enjoying the sights.
Suze the Luxury Columnist
Friday 22nd of May 2015
I'm truly impressed by the number of stunning sights - the aqueduct, the castle, the Alcazar...makes me want to visit. My favourite Spanish town so far is Barcelona, have you been there too?
Corinne Vail
Saturday 23rd of May 2015
Suze, We have! We love Barcelona! I love walking down Las Ramblas and heading to the market, but then there's Gaudi...always so much to do!
Tom Bartel
Friday 22nd of May 2015
We've been to Segovia a few times, and I can never stop just standing in that square near the restaurant that has the roast lamb and pig and take in those aromas and stare at the aqueduct and think to myself, "I could live here. It would be a good life to be always in the company of such greatness as the Spanish ability to roast meat and the Roman ability to move water."
Jim Vail
Friday 22nd of May 2015
Oh man, we missed the roast meat restaurant! Guess we have a good reason to go back!
rhonda albom
Friday 22nd of May 2015
Beautiful photos. Segovia is one of my favorite cities in Spain. The aqueduct was one of the most amazing things I have seen.
Jim Vail
Friday 22nd of May 2015
Rhonda, it is amazing isn't it? There's not many like it left in the world. Although, I have to say it's only my third favorite. Second place goes to Pont du Gard in France, and first place goes to Olba in Turkey.
Anabel
Thursday 21st of May 2015
Wow, stunning! I don't know Spain very well at all - we've done a couple of walking holidays, but they were at Easter so we didn't have time to tack on any city sight-seeing. Big mistake, obviously!
Corinne Vail
Friday 22nd of May 2015
Anabel, I do believe there are a lot of hidden gems in Spain, but it is hard to get to everything in any country. If only, if only...