Spain Day 6 - Segovia
On Thursday we took a day trip from Madrid to the nearby town of Segovia, which was one of the things I was looking forward to the most for our trip. We had been made aware of Segovia from one of those "25 places to visit before you die" click-baitey articles, specifically because of the Alcazar castle there. Don't get me wrong, the castle is really cool, but I think the Roman aqueduct completely stole the show in Segovia.
Getting to Segovia consisted of taking a commuter train to a regular train to a bus, which dropped us off right in the square with the aqueduct. It was an amazing sight to behold - built in the 1st century (you know, like year... 98 or so) and used until the mid 1800s! The aqueduct towers over the main square, was originally built without mortar, and is just over 93 feet at its tallest point. It is a truly stunning piece of architecture and history, and I am so glad I got to see it with my own eyes.
The old city of Segovia is built on a plateau in a beautiful and hilly part of the country. The Alcazar castle sits at the tip of the plateau overlooking a valley with the city stretched out behind it. Between the aqueduct and the Alcazar is a beautiful gothic cathedral (re)built in the mid-16th century, the last gothic cathedral to be built in Spain. Inside are many chapels separated from the main section by ironwork gates, some from the original cathedral that was destroyed. Each boasts an impressive altarpiece, elaborately carved and painted. There are also two gorgeous organs, a collection of tapestries, and the architecture of the cathedral itself is spectacular.
At the end of the city, the castle looms over the edge of a cliff. Inside are the elaborately decorated rooms you would expect, with some really fantastic tile and ceiling work. The castle had been used as a military school for quite some time, and also houses a neat museum of the royal artillery school and military academy, as well as the national military archives, which are not open to the public. They were very focused on the science of military, and had some interesting books in the museum as well, from physics to chemistry.
On our way back to the main square and aqueduct to catch the bus/train combo back to Madrid, we ambled through the Jewish quarter of the city, and took in some amazing views of the valleys and hills of the surrounding countryside from the city walls. I would, without hesitation, recommend Segovia as a fantastic day trip from Madrid, despite the multi-method transportation to get to where you need to be.
Once back in the city, we looked for a restaurant to have Charlie's birthday dinner! We ended up at a nice place where Charlie had braised beef cheek and I had ox (so beef basically) with pimientos de padron (fried padron peppers) that were to die for.
Getting to Segovia consisted of taking a commuter train to a regular train to a bus, which dropped us off right in the square with the aqueduct. It was an amazing sight to behold - built in the 1st century (you know, like year... 98 or so) and used until the mid 1800s! The aqueduct towers over the main square, was originally built without mortar, and is just over 93 feet at its tallest point. It is a truly stunning piece of architecture and history, and I am so glad I got to see it with my own eyes.
The old city of Segovia is built on a plateau in a beautiful and hilly part of the country. The Alcazar castle sits at the tip of the plateau overlooking a valley with the city stretched out behind it. Between the aqueduct and the Alcazar is a beautiful gothic cathedral (re)built in the mid-16th century, the last gothic cathedral to be built in Spain. Inside are many chapels separated from the main section by ironwork gates, some from the original cathedral that was destroyed. Each boasts an impressive altarpiece, elaborately carved and painted. There are also two gorgeous organs, a collection of tapestries, and the architecture of the cathedral itself is spectacular.
At the end of the city, the castle looms over the edge of a cliff. Inside are the elaborately decorated rooms you would expect, with some really fantastic tile and ceiling work. The castle had been used as a military school for quite some time, and also houses a neat museum of the royal artillery school and military academy, as well as the national military archives, which are not open to the public. They were very focused on the science of military, and had some interesting books in the museum as well, from physics to chemistry.
On our way back to the main square and aqueduct to catch the bus/train combo back to Madrid, we ambled through the Jewish quarter of the city, and took in some amazing views of the valleys and hills of the surrounding countryside from the city walls. I would, without hesitation, recommend Segovia as a fantastic day trip from Madrid, despite the multi-method transportation to get to where you need to be.
Once back in the city, we looked for a restaurant to have Charlie's birthday dinner! We ended up at a nice place where Charlie had braised beef cheek and I had ox (so beef basically) with pimientos de padron (fried padron peppers) that were to die for.
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