Segovia- a small, but very ancient and fascinating city in India, which has managed to preserve a lot of amazing sights. To visit this place, especially after sunset, is like plunging into a medieval fairy tale. If you come here with an open heart, you will remember the beauty of charming Segovia for a long time to come.
In this text, we will tell you about the best sights of Segovia with their photos and descriptions, and, hopefully, all your doubts about whether it is worth spending your time in this city will quickly dissipate.
Architecture of Segovia
Segovia is an ancient city founded in the 1st century BC. e. All its architecture is saturated with secrets and antiquity.
In the city so many ancient architectural sights that most of Old Segovia is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Monument Aqueduct
One of the most ancient and outstanding architectural monuments is Aqueduct in Segovia.
This is one of the largest Roman aqueducts in the world, which is well preserved to this day. Its height reaches 28 meters, and its length is 728 meters.
This is a very beautiful building, whose high arches from afar resemble a lace fabric. The aqueduct is built from 25,000 granite stones, which are held together by a special ancient method without the use of cement mortar.
Did you know? This attraction is shrouded in strange legends. Among the locals, they say that the devil took part in the creation of the aqueduct, taking in exchange for this the soul of a girl who was tired of carrying water. This explains the small recesses in some places of the structure - they say these are traces of the devil's fingers.
You can easily find this architectural masterpiece at Plaza del Azoguejo, 1.
Alcazar castle
Alcazar Castle in Segovia is another important attraction. It is located at Plaza Reina Victoria Eugenia, towering over the city on top of a cliff.
The castle was built according to various sources (scientists still cannot “agree” on the date) between the 12th and 16th centuries as a fortress, but later it was used for a wide variety of purposes. At various times, it served as a royal residence, a place for the coronation of Spanish rulers, a city prison, and even an artillery academy and an officer's college.
Unfortunately, most of the castle was damaged by fire in 1862, so now we have the opportunity to observe only its restored copy. But this does not make the castle less beautiful and majestic.
This is one of the most outstanding castles in Spain. The external and internal decoration of the castle cannot but fascinate with its royal luxury. Here you will see ancient tapestries and stained-glass windows, knightly armor and ceilings artfully decorated with gold.
Now there is a museum on the territory of the castle. The most interesting halls are the Throne and Armory, as well as a small chapel. And from the castle tower there is a breathtaking view of Segovia, green hills and a majestic mountain range.
Also on the territory of the castle there is a small cozy garden where you can take a walk in silence and fully enjoy the medieval atmosphere of the surrounding world.
Other architectural sights of Segovia:
- Lozoya tower(Calle de José Canalejas, 3);
- House Peak(Travesía de la Rubia, 4);
- House of chains(Calle de los Gascos, 13);
- Gates of Madrid(Calle de José Zorrilla, 118);
- City Hall(Plaza Mayor, 10);
- Palace of the Marquis del Arco(Camino de la Cuesta de los Hoyos);
- bread market(Calle de San Millán, 1-7);
- Plaza de la Tierra(Calle de Juan Segovia);
- Palace of the Earls of Mansilla(Travesia del Malconsejo, 6).
Religious buildings of Segovia
There are also a lot of ancient churches and temples in Segovia. Most of them are located in the old part of the city. The most famous religious building is no exception - Cathedral of St. Mary.
The construction of the cathedral began in 1525 and lasted more than two hundred years, resulting in a very interesting and rich temple.
The cathedral looks majestic and beautiful, it impresses with its size. The height of the bell tower of the cathedral reaches 90 m, the length of the central nave is 105 m, and the height of the Gothic vaults is 33 m!
On the grounds of the cathedral are 18 amazing chapels, each of which is beautiful and interesting in its own way.
Here you will see beautiful stained-glass windows made by talented masters from Spain, the sculpture "Reclining Christ", a beautiful, richly decorated marble altar, a rare collection of Brussels tapestries.
Also at the cathedral there is a museum with antique jewelry, carpets, clothes, paintings and books.
Other famous churches and monasteries of Segovia:
- Church of Vera Cruz(Ctra. de Zamarramia);
- Church of San Esteban(Plaza de San Esteban, 1-3);
- Church of San Andrés(Plaza de la Merced, 2);
- Monastery of El Parral(Calle del Parral);
- Monastery of Santa Cruz la Real(Calle del Cardenal Zúñiga, 8-10);
- Church of San Clemente(Calle del Obispo Gandasegui, 3);
- Church of Santa Eulalia(Calle de José Zorrilla, 109).
Museums of the city
To get to know Segovia comprehensively, we advise you to visit it City Museum(formerly the Art Museum of Segovia).
It is located in the House of the Sun (Casa del Sol) and is divided into 6 exhibition halls surrounding the courtyard.
In the museum you can get acquainted with the geology of the region and its landscapes, with its history and art. Also here is a collection of coins, beautiful glassware, sculptures of a religious nature.
Here you will see the works of famous artists Durer and Rembrandt, as well as modern masters of painting.
In total, the museum has about 1.5 thousand valuable exhibits. Another favorite place among tourists is the gardens of the Alcazar. It is also a great place for walking.
The garden was laid out in 1816
year, but in a fire in 1862, all the plants died, and it had to be planted again. Since then, little has changed. This magnificent garden with orange trees will delight you not only with coolness, but also with amazing aromas.
What to see in Segovia in 1 day?
Segovia is a great place for a 1 day trip. After all, this town is small, and all the sights are located quite compactly.
For example, if you are traveling to and you have free time, you may well devote one day to getting to know this delightful old city - you will definitely not regret your choice.
- Acquaintance with the city, many tourists decide to start with Roman aqueduct. If you wish, you can climb to its upper level and admire panorama of the city.
- Then we invite you to take a walk Old city and come to Cathedral. If you wish, you can visit the museum of the cathedral.
- After visiting the cathedral, you can move to another famous attraction of Segovia - Alcazar castle. Inside it is an interesting museum.
- Be sure to climb Alcazar tower and admire the most beautiful scenery.
- Then we offer a little rest in the shade Alcazar garden.
- Then we move on to inspection. churches of La Vera Cruz located nearby.
- Then you can walk around Jewish quarter and return to the Aqueduct. There are many restaurants here where you can taste Castilian specialty - suckling pig.
- Then you can walk around garden la merced and enjoy the evening medieval streets.
Alcazar tower
Important! If you decide to go to Segovia for a few days, be sure to take care of booking a hotel in advance. Due to the small size of the city, all hotel rooms are booked many days in advance.
City guide - Segovia (video)
In this video you will see the most important sights of the city of Segovia. Happy viewing!
Where in Segovia to go with a child?
- Together with children, you can climb the 1st and 2nd levels of the famous Roman Aqueduct and enjoy the view of the city.
- On the square in front of the Aqueduct is a wonderful children's carousel.
- Alcazar castle interesting to most children. Here they can imagine themselves as medieval knights and princesses. And if you climb the tower of Juan II, you will see an amazing landscape.
children's carousel
Did you know? According to one version, it was the Alcazar castle in Segovia that became the "inspirer" of the Disney castle from Cinderella.
Those who have already visited Segovia and got acquainted with its famous sights can supplement our story with their comments, photos and descriptions of the places they like the most.
And for those who just decide to embark on a journey, we wish you a pleasant stay in this fabulous medieval city!
