In Salamanca Episode 1

You could continue on the Ruta de La Plata from Salamanca up through the centre of Spain to the Bay of Biscay or west to Santiago de Compostela but we were not going further. The route further north does require going through the Cantabrian Mountains, likely not a good idea at this time of year, and we are out of time - and nerve! Cycling friends from Victoria, John and Darlene, will have completed the entire route and more this month in two stages over 2024-25 on their e-bikes. Even with e-bikes, that is a real accomplishment and we salute them as intrepid adventurers!

I didn’t feel like doing much the first full day we were in Salamanca. The long cycle getting there the day before in the cold and wind really knocked it out of me the following day and it continued to be a cold day in Salamanca so we stocked up on groceries, checked out the immediate neighbourhood and took it easy. Two good sleeps got me back on track.

What to say about Salamanca where were spent 4 nights? It is in the Castile and León region and has a population of about 200,000. It has amazing history, architecture and youthful energy and it is home to the oldest university in Europe. The old town is deservably a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The huge golden stone buildings are what immediately get your attention. Newer buildings seem to have been built in the same stone which makes for a more coherent building-scape than in many places where your eye is offended by the contrast with ugly-modern. The city is known for its large number of remarkable “Plateresque-style” buildings. They are BIG and as you walk around you are constantly looking upward to see all the building details.

I had to look up “Plateresque”. For anyone who cares, it means: “….highly elaborate, decorative style present on numerous buildings in Spain from the end of the 15th century to about the mid 16th century. It was a time when the country was transforming from late Gothic architecture inspired by northern Europe to Renaissance architecture of Italian inspiration. This coincided with the early years of Spain’s Golden Age, a period that extended to the end of the 17th century during which Spain’s accomplishments in politics etc. made it Europe’s most powerful country.” It combines “native (Moorish/Mudejar) ornamentation and Gothic flamboyance: i.e. elaborate floral, plant or other organic ornamentation frequently entwined like lace embroidery around human or animal figures, busts, shields and other heraldic emblems. Rather than “architecture,” then,.…Plateresque might more accurately be called surface sculpture since the ornamentation is in fact carved out of the stone.” From Spainthenandnow.com

The origins of the city date back about 2700 years ago, to the first Iron Age. Since then, it has been home to various peoples: Vaccaei, Vettones, Romans, Visigoths, Muslims, Jews and Christians. The Middle Ages saw the re-populating of the city and the establishment of modern-day Salamanca.

The University of Salamanca was founded in 1218 and our apartment seemed to be close to university buildings and residences, with lots of young people everywhere.

In this post, I will just write about two impressive places we visited: the Plaza Mayor and Scala Coeli.

The 18th C enormous Plaza Mayor (70 m x 70 m) was a short walk away from our apartment and it is really monumental, enclosed by beautiful three-storey Baroque buildings with balconies on the sides. It was constructed for bullfighting and was used for this purpose up until the mid 19th C. It has 6 entrances leading to different streets. It features 88 arches decorated with ornate medallions and arcades under which there are cafes, shops and restaurants. The city hall occupies one end. It is probably the most spectacular plaza I have ever seen and we had a lovely sit in the sun, when it finally appeared, at one of the cafes, just watching the ebb and flow of people and dogs through the square.

The Plaza Mayor is lit beautifully at night. Several times we saw people, students probably in costumes parading around and I managed to get a video of an entertaining little group. Like most public spaces in Spain, the Plaza is quiet in the morning; then from late lunch on until the wee hours, it really cranks up. Spain is a great place if you are a night owl as you will have lots of company. If you are not a night owl, do not book accommodation on a major square, as beautiful as it might be.

We didn’t go into too many buildings while we were there, mainly just enjoying them from the outside along with the street-life. But we did climb the two towers of Scala Coeli or “Staircase to Heaven”. Construction of this building started in 1617, by order of Queen Margarita of Austria and Philip III, as the main center for the formation of the Jesuits who would later be sent to the American colonies and the Protestant countries of Central Europe. This was so worthwhile for the stunning views over the city in every direction, the storks on the opposite tower and very few people due to the steep, winding ascent of 198 steps, which seemed like nothing much after all the hill climbing we did on the bikes. Not for the claustrophobic though as you can see from the narrow staircases you have to navigate.

But the views were amazing. We were just hoping the bells would not ring.

As you can see, Salamanca requires a big appetite to consume and digest! So I will do this in small bites. But if you ever have a chance to visit - highly recommended. But I would say only off-season. It is a busy place even now and in spite of many hotels and apartments, we were not able to find a thing available on a weekend when we first looked so we delayed our arrival to a Sunday.