Less than 60miles away from Madrid, Segovia manages to maintain the essence of an old Spanish city. Segovia was named a Unesco World Heritage site in 1985 and definitely lives up to that title. We spent a day in Segovia and discovered all the reasons that this is a magical city.
When I first booked our trip to Madrid & Barcelona, I began by reading blogs about things to do in Spain. One of the blogs I read had this wonderful format at the end of the blog that noted
1) Things I loved
2) Things I did but wished I didn’t
3) Things I wish I had done.
At the end of this particular blog about Spain, the blogger had A Day Trip to Segovia listed as a thing she wished she had done. This intrigued me and I started researching Segovia.
As soon as I saw the pictures, I knew I wanted a Day Trip to Segovia to be on my “Things I Loved” list, and I began planning our Day Trip to Segovia. Here are the things we loved the most about Segovia.
Getting there by Train
Getting there is also part of the fun. Segovia is about 60 miles from Madrid. We were exploring all the options, train, bus and car. We saw that a train or bus was going to take about 2 hours with stops. As we kept looking, we found the AVE or the fast train. This train was able to get us from the Chamartin subway station in Madrid to Segovia in 27 minutes. We had never traveled on a high-speed train before and traveling at 187 mph was definitely something we were looking forward to.
The Aqueduct (The Arches)
It is one of the most spectacular legacies of the Roman Empire in Spain. It is made up of 166 arches spanning the more than 17 kilometers of the aqueduct, which transported water from La Acebeda to the Alcázar (castle), defying the laws of gravity, since the only thing that keeps the structure standing is its balance of forces; no kind of mortar was used in its construction. Legend says that Segovia’s Aqueduct is the result of a pact between a girl and the devil in which she offered him her soul in exchange for water to reach her house before the crack of dawn.
The Cathedral
The apse of this temple, the construction of which began in 1525, marks the boundaries between the Plaza Mayor and the Judería Vieja (Old Jewish Quarter). Inside, the 16th-century stained glass windows and the Altarpiece designed by Sabatini are particularly noteworthy.
The Alcázar (Castle)
Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of two rivers near the Guadarrama mountains, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain. The Alcázar was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then. A deep moat with its drawbridge provides access to this fortress, which became the royal residence in the 13th century.
I was utterly intrigued by this castle. We rented the audio tour and listened as we wondered about the castle. We spent hours going room to room, admiring the views, and gazing at all the paintings, sculptures, armor and weapons. Be sure to wear
Suckling Pig
Segovia is most known for its gorgeous Cinderella castle and its incredible Roman aqueduct. But to food lovers around the world, it is also the best place to try the regional specialty, suckling pig. As we were walking to the castle on the far end of town, we just happened across a little restaurant with the most incredible smells wafting out the door. The restaurant was Mesón Don Jimeno. We decided to give this a try. We seem to have good luck with finding amazing restaurants.
Mesón Don Jimeno is a fantastic family-owned restaurant. Juana, the owner is very nice and her husband is in the back cooking. The sucking pig was fabulous and is served in an iron pot with french fries. We had one of, if not the best meal of our trip to Spain.
Segovia, Spain is one of the most unique places I have ever visited. You will get drawn into the magic of this city with is Roman arches (aqueducts), historic cathedral and Cinderella-like castles. If you are anywhere near Madrid, you definitely should put A Day Trip to Segovia on your MUST SEE list.
Enjoy!
Oh man, I didn’t go there! I’m bummed now. Oh well… thanks for the article!
Clara, that only gives you a great reason to return!
Those arches are phenomenal!
Molly, They really are. Just breathtaking! You don’t see too many cities that have something like this.
I would make this a day trip as well! Looks amazing!
Lisa, yes it was definitely worth it. I haven’t see that many blogs about it, so I was happy to write about it and get the info out there.
We have not been to Segovia, Spain. It would be wonderful to walk around and view this history.
Missy, yes if you get to Madrid or Barcelona area, this is definitely worth a day trip!
Wow, that architecture is breathtaking! Thank you for sharing. I will have to go one day!
Amanda, Yes that architecture really is breathtaking. I was in such awe and just stood to stare for the longest time. I hope you get to go one day!
gorgeous
Thanks, Jen.
This post makes me want to go to Spain soooo badly!
Yes, Bri. I hope you get to go. Segovia was really an unknown that we decided to take a chance on. It was amazing. I’m so glad we did go.
Stunning photos!! Looks like an amazing experience!!
Thanks, Briana. It definitely was.
I’ll have to add this when I visit Spain! Absolutely beautiful! I just started looking into our next travel destination and Spain is up there on this list. This was so helpful.
Kristi, I am so glad to hear that. We enjoyed Spain so much. We were trying to decide between Spain, Australia, or Japan. We found an incredible deal on lie-flat business class seats, so Spain won. We were so happy to have gone here. I hope you get to go.
I love Segovia, but haven’t been since I was a teenager. We did not get there the last time we went, but for sure I want to go back. Great layout in your post of the town and the suckling pig sounds amazing.
Thanks, Alison. I am so glad we went. That is really neat that you went as a teenager. I’ve never experienced anything like Segovia or suckling pig. The arches are already calling me back.
What great timing! I am going to Spain in October I will have to add this to the list!
Yes, Taci. Please look up Segovia and see if you can make it there. It is worth it!
What a magical place! That aqueduct is amazing and the castle is really interesting, too.
Thanks Heather. Yes, the aquaducts/arches are phenomenal. I hope you get to experience the magic of it all!
Just spectacular! So much to see, definitely on my list!
Great Tracey, I’m so glad it on your list. You will love to visit.
We have yet been to Spain and would love to. Enjoyed the post with great pics and cultural food recommendations!
Thanks Hera. I hope you get to visit. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Man this looks spectacular!! So much beautiful architecture!!
Thanks, Julie. Yes, the arches will blow you away. It was so much more than I was anticipating.
I am totally in love with the architectural design. Oh, my gosh. Absolutely stunning. I never realized how gorgeous Segovia was. Spain was never really on my radar, but may very well find its way higher on my bucket list.
Thanks, T.M. I hope Segovia does find its way to your bucket list. We had high expectations for this day trip, and it exceeded all of them. We were filled with awe and wonder…. without all the crowds in Italy!
Your pics are gorgeous and make me want to pack my bags to visit!
Thanks, Shirley. I love hearing that. I think that is the ultimate goal of any travel blogger…. to inspire others to get out there and see the world.
Wow, Spain looks amazing. Cannot wait to go in the near future. Your pics are great!
Thanks, Hera. I do hope that you are able to go to Segovia. You won’t regret it. It was breathtaking.
Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor!
Wow!
I am in awe of the sheer size of the aqueduct. The churches and castles are just beautiful!
Thanks, Trisha. I have to admit the enormous aqueduct was the main reason we chose to take a day trip to Segovia. Glad you enjoyed. Hope you get to visit one day.
Segovia looks incredible!! We will definitely go here next time we’re in Madrid. I’m a cathedral connoisseur and theirs appears to be *amazing*!! xx
Thanks Julianne. I appreciate your feedback. I love following your adventures and I would be so excited if you visited Segovia!