June 2, 2010
Segovia Spain: A Short Afternoon
Excursion from Madrid to Segovia
I had spent a great morning already, cycling through
Madrid with my expert guide Kaspar Winteler from
Bravo Bike Tours. As I was in the mood for a short
out-of-town excursion, Kaspar had given me some
suggestions, and one in particular had a nice ring
to it: Segovia, a designated UNESCO World Heritage
Site!
Segovia is another one of Spain's historic gems
So I made my way by subway from the Plaza de España
to the Principe Pio Train Station which is also
a hub for bus transportation. I quickly found the
Sepulvedana bus company and bought my ticket for
the bus from Madrid to Segovia. I left Madrid shortly
before 3 pm and arrived in Segovia at 4:30. The
high-speed train actually only takes half an hour
to get there.
Beautiful flowers along the pathway up to the main
square of Segovia
The bus let me off on the main throughway, so I
started a stroll towards the downtown area which
is located on a rocky promontory. I walked up a
series of fairly steep streets until I arrived on
the main square of Segovia where I sat down at one
of the outdoor restaurants. It was definitely time
for a late lunch and I enjoyed the view over the
Gothic Cathedral and the main square with its bandstand.
The main square of Segovia
Finally strengthened I was ready to explore the
city and walked northwards along the main street
from the cathedral. This part of town was surprisingly
quiet and very few people were walking on the street.
Past a variety of boutiques and quiet private houses
I ended up at the north end of town which is crowned
with an 11th century castle. The interior of the
Alcaczar of Segovia is a mix of Romanesque, Gothic,
Mudejar and Renaissance Styles and at one point
was home to famous Spanish Queen Isabella the Catholic.
Climbing the steep steps of the Alcazar of Segovia
With its turrets and steeply pitched roofs, the
Alcazar of Segovia was actually Walt Disney’s
inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle. Its shape
is very distinctive as its northern tip comes together
like the bow of a ship. Through medieval times,
this castle was one of the favourite residences
of the reigning family of the Kingdom of Castile,
and it also acted as an important defensive structure
through the Kingdom.
The Alcazar of Segovia
My goal was to make it up to the Tower of John
II. So I purchase an admission ticket at a side
building, crossed the bridge over the moat and climbed
up a series of long stone stairs to reach the top
of this rectangular tower. The 360 degree from the
top of the tower was absolutely breathtaking. On
the north side I was looking down on the castle’s
roofs, turrets and courtyards. And on the south
side I had an awesome view of the city of Segovia,
against the backdrop of the Sierra de Guadarama
Mountains.
What a gorgeous view of downtown Segovia from the
Alcazar!
After this amazing medieval excursion I walked
back through some more quiet streets, past many
of Segovia’s more than 20 Romanesque churches.
As I approached the main square things started to
get busier, and the streets on the south side of
town had filled up with people now. Restaurants
and bars were full of people, and boutiques and
shops were doing brisk business with the locals
and visitors.
Segovia has many beautiful spots
Down towards the bottom of the hill I then visited
the second main sight of Segovia: the Aqueduct of
Segovia. Built around the 1st century after Christ,
this aqueduct is one of the most significant and
most well-preserved monuments of antiquity and used
to transport water from the nearby mountains into
the city. At its tallest point, the aqueduct is
almost 29 meters (over 93 feet ) high. The structure
contains 36 pointed arches on two levels without
any mortar!
The Aqueduct of Segovia is huge and perfectly preserved
The public square underneath the aqueduct, the
Plaza Azuguejo, was teeming with people, doing their
shopping or heading off for a cup of coffee. From
here I headed into a pedestrian zone with lots of
outdoor restaurants, bars and shopping. The town
was definitely very lively now. I picked up an ice
cream and watched the local action before I took
the bus back into Madrid. The sun was just going
down as I rode over the mountains north of Madrid.
A great view of Segovia
After my ride back from Segovia to Madrid, I grabbed
the subway back to the Plaza de España. The
Gran Via, Madrid’s famous shopping street
was full of people and I watched the street life
for a little while before I retreated back to my
hotel to catch some rest for a few more hours in
Madrid before I would have to head for the airport.
Related Articles for Europe 2010:
Spain
Travel: Salamanca - A destination for Spanish language
learning
Madrid
Spain Travel: A sightseeing tour of Madrid's main
attractions
Madrid
Spain Travel: A Bicycle Tour in Madrid
Madrid
Spain Travel: An Excursion from Madrid to Segovia
Madrid
Spain Travel: The Palacio Real, the Rastro and Buen
Retiro Park
Rome
Travel: A sightseeing tour of Rome and a trip to
Ostia
Rome
Travel: A walking tour of Rome's main sights
Rome
Travel: A bicycle tour on the ancient Via Appia
Rome
Travel: A train trip to Frascati
Rome
Travel: A panoramic bicycle tour of the Vatican
and Old Rome
Rome
Travel: A train trip to Orvieto, an ancient hill
town
Asturias
Travel: Arrival in Oviedo - the capital of Asturias
Asturias
Travel: Pre-Romanesque Santa Maria del Naranco &
the La Balesquida Festival
Asturias
Travel: A visit to Gijón, the largest city
in Asturias
Asturias
Travel: A bicycling adventure on the Bear Trail
Asturias
Travel: Exploring Bermiego, Quiros, San Martin de
Teverga & the La Huerta Cave
Asturias
Travel: Exploring Cangas de Onís and Covadonga
Asturias
Travel: Discovering the Picos de Europa
Asturias
Travel:The Tito Bustillo Prehistoric Cave and a
scenic walk in Ribadesella
Asturias
Travel: Exploring Llanes, a mountain drive &
hospitality at La Posada de Babel
Asturias
Travel: Exploring the Asturian coast, Colombres
& the Cares mountain valley
|