18 FABULOUS THINGS TO DO IN SALAMANCA FOR A WONDERFUL WEEKEND.
We had a feeling we would enjoy Salamanca. It has all the right ingredients. Firstly, there’s no airport, which is always a good indicator that it won’t be overrun with tourists. There’s an abundance of historical sights. It claims to have the oldest university in Spain, which suggests a certain intellectual air. And when we came to book our accommodation, we were genuinely surprised by the value for money. All very good signs.
And just like tasting a cake for the first time, we know we like the ingredients separately. The butter, the sugar, the cream topping. But tasting it all together is another thing entirely. And we felt exactly the same when we visited Salamanca.
Before we knew it, a two day visit had turned into five. We briefly considered visiting nearby cities, but decided we needed all five days to savour every last crumb of Salamanca instead.
It is a city that has everything you need for a short break, and then some. We couldn’t quite tear ourselves away.
In this blog post, we highlight the best things to do, where to stay, and where to eat and drink in the city.
18 fabulous things to do in Salamanca
Here are 18 fabulous things to do in Salamanca, based on our personal experience.
1/ Visit the Cathedral (old and new)
Spain has some of the most spectacular cathedrals and Salamanca offers not one, but two. First, there is the old Cathedral – Catedral Vieja, which was built in the 12th to 13th centuries. Thankfully, when a new cathedral was constructed in the 16th and 18th centuries, the old one was not removed. And now, the two cathedrals sit next to one another, connected by a door.
We loved visiting the cathedrals because it really gives you a sense of how time has evolved in the city and the audio tour enhances the visit. Visitor tickets come with an audio guide included, so it’s a lovely chane to learn more about the old and new cathedral, and walking from one to another is really quite special.
Highlights for us were the choir section in the new cathedral with its unique choir stalls and elaborate organs, and the murals in the old cathedral.
One of the most famous facts about the new cathedral is that the facade has a number of unique carvings. Take your time to explore outside to see these – in 1992 an astronaut carving was added, see if you can find it on the north door.
If visiting at peak times, you may benefit from booking your ticket in advance.
Travel Tip: entry tickets to the cathedral also allow you to visit the Episcopal Palace. Much of the building contains art, as well as a few insights into Salamanca’s history. But the real standout is the virtual reality headset experience (included in entry), where you can see the cathedral and the city from a rather unique perspective.
2/ See the House of Shells
The House of Shells (Casa de las Conchas) is perhaps one of the better known attractions in Salamanca. It is famous because of the scallop shells that adorn the outside of the building, and a popular activity for tourists is to sit outside and count the number of shells.
Inside, is a public library and it’s very much a functional space. Although the courtyard is beautiful, the rest is a working library that tends to be crammed with students busily working away.
It’s well worth a stop by, but don’t expect to spend hours here.
Travel Tip: If you’re a Spanish speaker, look out for talks held at the Casa de las Conchas in the evening.
3/ The sky of Salamanca
Cielo de Salamanca is a painted masterpiece of constellations, hidden in the unassuming Escuelas Menores de la Universidad de Salamanca. The mural is attributed to Fernando Gallego, believed to have painted it in 1480. Rediscovered in 1901, it was moved to its current location in 1950.
Entry is free, and it rarely gets crowded. We ended up visiting three times because we loved it so much. It is an extremely peaceful space for a few quiet minutes.
Travel Tip: If it’s your first time to the city, it may be worth joining a group walking tour, which will take in the main attractions and give you a little more info on everything you see.
4/ The House of Lis
This museum is not to be missed for anyone interested in art or architecture, or even just pretty things. The Art Nouveau building was commissioned by Miguel de Lis and the stained glass windows are stunning. Inside, you can browse a large Art Deco collection, including jewellery, perfume bottles, sculptures, and toys. There is also a pleasant café.
Photography is not allowed, which we enjoyed, as it keeps visitors engaged in seeing rather than snapping photos. Tickets cost €7.50.
Travel Tip: You can visit for free between 11:00 and 14:00 on Thursdays. We arrived at 11:30 and the queue was quite long. I’d recommend either arriving just before 11:00 or 12:30 onwards, when queues subside a little.
5/ See the university
The University of Salamanca is one of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1218, and wandering its buildings is an essential Salamanca experience. The main building (Escuelas Mayores) is where most visitors start. We also recommend Anaya Palace – the courtyard inside is adorned with Vítor markings.
Travel Tip: You can book a guided tour focused on the university buildings.
Salamanca is a city with secrets. The most famous is the frog on the university façade – perched on a skull. Legend has it that students who find it will have good luck in their exams. This is the reason you’ll see so much frog memorabilia being sold in souvenir shops around the city.
You’ll also see red “Vítor” markings painted across buildings. These celebrate students earning doctorates at the university and were traditionally painted using a rather unusual mixture involving bull’s blood.
Beyond that, keep your eyes open for coats of arms, religious carvings and symbols that are scattered all over the city.
7/ Explore the west side
One evening, we wandered west and discovered an area that contrasts with downtown. Plaza del Oeste sits at the centre, with a more modern, residential feel reminiscent of London’s Old Street. It’s worth a stop for a drink or a bite and to enjoy some fun street art. There are lovely wine bars and craft breweries dotted around.
8/ Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is often considered one of Spain’s most beautiful squares. Its scale and Baroque architecture are unforgettable. While the restaurants and cafés around the square are a little touristy, pausing for a coffee here is a rite of passage, even if slightly more expensive.
9/ Tapas crawl(s)
Salamanca has a thriving tapas scene. As I’m sure you might expect, we took our mission to explore and log our favourites, terribly seriously.
Our first tip – avoid anything too close to Plaza Mayor. That said, one of our favourite areas was just a few streets back – around Plaza de la Libertad. We loved Quid Divinum (refined bites), Taberna de Dionisos (an old school haunt with a fabulous wine lists and a huge toast sharing platter for €14), and Minutejo Centro (a studenty hangout, great for montaditos and beer.)
The second area that we enjoyed, is around Calle de Van Dyck – probably the most well known tapas street. We loved Van Dyck 50 and Jerry’s 2.0 van dyck – both are casual and well-priced.
Finally, in the downtown area, we tried Tapas 3.0, which is a little fancier. It’s great for larger bites and some unusual flavours. And one night, we stumbled upon the very relaxed Baviera 1964 – we loved this place which serves up €2 with a drink, but were surprised to find it didn’t have the best reviews. This experience was a good reminder to sometimes follow your nose, and not google reviews!
10/ Picnic with some local treats
Salamanca is rather a foodie city. And when we visited, we were keen to try two of their most famous snacking items.
The first is Hornazo – essentially a meat pie. It’s something you will see in delicatessens around the centre, most are fairly evenly priced. Aside from just being a terrific meat feast, the Hornazo has a cultural significance in Salamanca. It is traditional to eat Hornazo on Lunes de Agua (water Monday), which is the first Monday after Easter.
The second Salamanca treat that you must try is the “raqueta”. Oh how we loved this. A raqueta is a pastry, filled with cream. They should cost around €2-3 and are always absolutely massive – really they must be made for sharing. You can buy these from any baker in Salamanca – personally we avoided those on the Plaza Mayor.
Take your snacks and deploy to a picnic area. We loved sitting in Plaza de Anaya, where there are benches that just seem to beg to be sat on for a snack. You can also perch in the Plaza Mayor, or even head down to the river.
11/ Gallery Hopping
Salamanca has a few lovely galleries. Firstly, the Museum of Salamanca – which is actually mostly a collection of art (with a few museum artifacts thrown in.) It offers a range of paintings, many of which were previously shown at the Prado in Madrid. Entry is only €1.
We also visited Domus Artium 2002. A modern art museum to the east of the city. It’s a little bit of a walk, but as the museum is free to enter, we decided to go for it. The building is quite striking and inside is a cafe and a handful of exhibits. I suppose that a visit could be hit or miss depending on what’s being shown, but we very much enjoyed the Gabriela Bettini exhibit when we visited.
12/ Indoor Market
The indoor market in Salamanca is quite small, certainly by Spanish standards. But there’s more than enough to keep you entertained as you browse the local cheese and fresh fruit.
There are currently two stalls serving food – both are well priced for a coffee and tostada, or a glass of wine and a pincho or two. We loved taking breakfast here before heading out for a day of sightseeing – it set us up just right.
13/ Wander the parks
Salamanca has some delightful green spaces. We very much enjoyed the small and beautiful planted park just behind the Cathedral (Huerto de Calixto y Melibea). It’s lovely for a stroll after lunch and to enjoy the views.
If you are interested in seeing a larger park, Jesuitas Park is rather pleasant (it’s ideally located close to Domus Artium 2002).
14/ Take a long lunch
As well as fantastic tapas bars, Salamanca has an array of restaurants that are ideal for a long lunch.Many will serve a Menu del Dia, a set menu for a reasonable price point.
El Pecado Restaurante is mentioned in the Michelin Guide, and offers modern Spanish food. For lunch, you can get the “market menu”, which is €29 if dining Monday to Friday, or €39 on the weekend.
Alternatively, both El Mesón de la Solana and El Bardo Conchas offer a more traditional Menu del Dia experience. Or, if you’d rather just graze and take in the scenery – grab a spot for drinks and bites by the Plaza Anaya. We loved Edelweiss (it has mixed reviews, but our experience was very positive) for the view of the Cathedral, good value food and tinto verano.
15/ Shop in independent store
Salamanca has its main shopping street where you’ll find the typical shops like Zara. But dotted around downtown, are also some fantastic independent stores.
There are fabulous delicatessens selling wine and lots of goodies. But the shops that kept catching my eye were the jewellery stores offering one of a kind pieces as well as some homeware stores. As you walk around, you’ll see different spaces that attract your attention.
16/ Cross the Roman Bridge
We walked to Salamanca and in doing so, arrived on the Roman Bridge. Because of this, I almost forgot to include it in this guide!
The Roman Bridge is one thing you should absolutely not miss in the city. Not only does it feel terribly historic (it’s Roman), and beautifully constructed (it’s Roman), but the views from the bridge back to the city are quite special. An easy low energy activity is to wander down to see it.
17/ Visit one of Salamanca’s Convents or Palaces
Salamanca has so much history – and honestly, you’d need many more days to see it all. If you enjoy historical buildings, I’d recommend adding either an additional convent visit, or palace visit to your itinerary. Popular choices are either Monterrey’s Palace, Convent of San Esteban or Convent of the Clares (discounted entry with a Cathedral ticket.)
18/ A hot drink with a twist
We stumbled upon Cafetín Scherzo by accident, just looking for a normal coffee. We were quite surprised when we were asked what sort of alcohol we wanted in it. This café is well known for its wide and wonderful selection of coffees and hot chocolates, made with an array of cream and sweet liqueurs. I’d recommend the Brad Pitt, or the Marylin Monroe.
Where to stay in Salamanca
We found when we visited that we were able to get some great deals on hotels in Salamanca. Especially if travelling mid-week, or off-season, hotels can be extremely good value.
Here are a few centrally located hotels that would work well if you were planning a few days in Salamanca:
BUDGET: We stayed at Hostal Concejo, a comfortable accommodation located on Plaza de la Libertad.
MID-RANGE: Salamanca Luxury Plaza, on Plaza Mayor.
LUXURY: Hospes Palacio de San Esteban, a chic design hotel.
If you are planning to visit for Easter, or other popular holidays, I’d recommend booking well ahead.
Getting to Salamanca
Salamanca is well connected but still feels slightly off the main tourist trail, which is part of its charm.
The easiest way to get there is from Madrid. Trains and buses run regularly and take around two to three hours, making it an easy addition to a longer Spain itinerary. Buses also take you direct to and from Madrid airport, which is super handy.
Once you arrive, the city is very walkable, so you will not need any transport to get around.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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