Things to do in Segovia
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Acueducto
Segovia's most recognisable symbol is an extraordinary feat of engineering, made even more remarkable by the fact that it was first raised here by the Romans in the 1st century AD and not a drop of mortar was used to hold the whole thing together. The 728m granite block bridge you see today is made up of 163 arches.
The aqueduct was part of a complex system of aqueducts and underground canals which once brought water from the mountains 15km away, reaching as far as where the Alcázar now stands. At its highest point in Plaza del Azoguejo, it is 28m high.
Although no-one really doubts that the Romans built the aqueduct, a local legend asserts that two millennia ago a young …
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Alcázar
Rapunzel towers, turrets topped with slate witches’ hats and a deep moat at its base make the Alcázar a prototype fairy-tale castle, so much so that its design inspired Walt Disney’s vision of Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Fortified since Roman days, the site takes its name from the Arabic al-qasr (fortress). It was rebuilt and expanded in the 13th and 14th centuries, but the whole lot burned down in 1862. What you see today is an evocative, over-the-top reconstruction of the original.
Highlights include the Sala de las Piñas, with its ceiling of 392 pineapple-shaped ‘stalactites’, and the Sala de Reyes, featuring a three-dimensional frieze of 52 sculptures of kings wh…
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Catedral
Started in 1525 after its Romanesque predecessor had burned to the ground in the War of the Communities, Segovia’s cathedral is a final, powerful expression of Gothic architecture in Spain that took almost 200 years to complete. The austere three-nave interior is anchored by an imposing choir stall and enlivened by 20-odd chapels. One of these, the Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo, houses a magnificent Romanesque doorway preserved from the original church. The Capilla de la Piedad contains an important altarpiece by Juan de Juni, while the Capilla del Cristo Yacente and Capilla del Santísimo Sacramento are also especially beautiful. The Gothic cloister is lovely, while the…
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Iglesia de la Vera Cruz
This 12-sided church is the most interesting of Segovia's churches, and one of the best-preserved of its kind in Europe. Built in the early 13th century by the Knights Templar and based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, it long housed what is said to be a piece of the Vera Cruz (True Cross), now in the nearby village church of Zamarramala (on view only at Easter). The curious two-storey chamber in the circular nave (the inner temple) is where the knights' secret rites took place and where they stood vigil over the holy relic. For fantastic views of the town and the Sierra de Guadarrama, walk uphill behind the church for approximately 1km.
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Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Esteban Vicente
Occupies a 15th-century palace of Enrique IV, complete with Renaissance chapel and Mudéjar ceiling. Some 153 abstract paintings, lithographs and sculptures by Segovia-born artist Esteban Vicente (1903–2000), a fine painter of the abstract expressionist school, form the core of the exhibit. Vicente spent most of his life on Long Island in the USA, but left instructions in his will that his artwork be returned to his native town.
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Restaurante El Fogón Sefardí
Located within the Hospedería La Gran Casa Mudéjar, this is one of the most original places in town. Sephardic cuisine is served in either the intimate patio or splendid dining hall with original, 15th-century Mudéjar flourishes. The theme in the bar is equally diverse with dishes from all the continents, including cous cous from Africa and Argentinean steak from the Americas. Reservations recommended.
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Di Vino
Dine in snazzy modern surroundings on dishes that combine the traditional, like pierna de cabrito al horno (roasted leg of lamb), with the innovative, like the starter of bacalau bloody mary (cod-infused bloody mary) or risotto with artichokes and prawns. The restaurant prides itself on its extensive wine list. Reservations recommended.
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Casa Duque
They've been serving cochinillo asado here since the 1890s. For the uninitiated, try the menú segoviano (€31), which includes cochinillo, or the menú gastronómico (€40). Downstairs is the informal cueva (cave), where you can get tapas and full-bodied cazuelas (stews). Reservations recommended.
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Plaza Mayor
The shady Plaza Mayor is the nerve centre of old Segovia, lined by an eclectic assortment of buildings, arcades and cafés and an open pavilion in its centre. It's also the site of the catedral and the tourist office. The road connecting Plaza Mayor and the aqueduct is a pedestrian thoroughfare that locals know simply as Calle Real.
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Calle de la Infanta Isabel
Calle de la Infanta Isabel is one of those Spanish streets that you'd hate to live above and on a warm summer's evening, you'll definitely hear it before you see it; locals call it 'Calle de los Bares' (Street of the Bars) as it's the scene of serious carousing and general merriment, especially from Thursday to Saturday nights.
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Limón y Menta
The patisserie Limón y Menta, just off Plaza Mayor, is a good place to indulge in your ponche passion. This is a rich lemon-infused sponge cake coated with marzipan and topped in icing sugar with a distinctive criss-cross pattern.
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Plaza de San Martín
A little further on from Plaza Mayor is one of the most captivating small plazas in Segovia. The square is presided over by a statue of Juan Bravo and the 14th-century Torreón de Lozoya, a tower that was once an armoury and now houses exhibitions.
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Mesón de Cándido
Set in a delightful 18th-century building in the shadow of the aqueduct, Mesón de Cándido is another place famous throughout Spain for its suckling pig and the more unusual roast boar with apple. Reservations recommended.
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Iglesia de San Justo
The church lies southeast of the centre. From the Plaza del Azoguejo (home of the Centro de Recepción de Visitantes), head south down Calle de Teodosio El Grande and take your first left towards Plaza de San Justo.
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Casa-Museo de Antonio Machado
This is another museum that commemorates a native son: Antonio Machado is one of Spain's pre-eminent 20th-century poets. He lived here from 1919 to 1932 and his former home contains his furnishings and personal effects.
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La Almuzara
If you're a vegetarian, you don't need to feel like an outcast in this resolutely carnivorous city. La Almuzara features lots of vegetarian dishes, pastas and salads, and the ambience is warm and artsy.
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Iglesia de San Millán
Located off Avenida de Fernández Ladreda, this church is a time-worn example of the Romanesque style typical of Segovia, with porticoes and a Mudéjar bell tower.
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Bars & Discos
Bars and discos also cluster at the plaza end of Calle de los Escuderos and along Calle de Carmen near the aqueduct, but they don't launch into action until at least 22:00 (Thursday to Saturday only).
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Monasterio del Parral
Ring the bell to see part of the cloister and church; the latter is a proud, flamboyant Gothic structure. The monks chant a Gregorian Mass at noon on Sundays, and at 1pm daily in summer.
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Monasterio de El Parral
Ring the bell to see part of the cloister and church; the latter is a proud, flamboyant Gothic structure. The monks chant a Gregorian Mass at noon on Sundays, and at 1pm daily in summer.
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Iglesia de San Martín
Among the town's churches, this is pièce de Romanesque résistance with its segoviano touch of a Mudéjar tower and arched gallery. The interior boasts a Flemish Gothic chapel.
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Iglesia de San Andrés
The direct route to the Alcázar from Plaza Mayor is via Calle Marqués del Arco. About halfway along you pass a Romanesque church, the Iglesia de San Andrés.
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Cueva de San Esteban
One of the only restaurants in Segovia not devoted to suckling pig, this popular spot focuses on seasonal dishes, with a few Galician treats and an excellent wine list.
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La Taurina
An unpretentious place that has been churning out hearty traditional food since 1939. The mounted bull's head gives an idea of the carnivorous emphasis.
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Casa de los Picos
A grand Renaissance mansion with a diamond-patterned facade that's home to a school of applied arts, and hosts free contemporary art exhibitions.
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