Salamanca: University, Cathedrals and the Tormes

The University of Salamanca was founded in 1218. The Escuelas Mayores building houses the Historical General Library, with 2,774 manuscripts, 483 incunabula and around 62,000 printed volumes from the 16th to the 18th century.

Culture

Historic university buildings and emblematic areas of the University of Salamanca remain active and are visited by visitors every day. La Clerecía is a former Baroque Jesuit complex with a church and schools, as well as a three-storey Baroque cloister.

Casa Lis is Salamanca’s first Modernist building and was constructed in 1905. The Casa Lis Museum displays 19 collections of decorative art from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Casa de las Conchas is a Gothic building with Renaissance and Mudéjar elements; more than 300 shells cover its exterior walls.

The cathedral complex of Salamanca consists of the Old Cathedral, dating from the 12th to the 13th century, and the New Cathedral, dating from the 16th century. Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor was built in the Baroque style based on a design by Alberto Churriguera.

Salamanca’s cultural attractions place different emphases on architectural history, art and urban space. At the university and in the cathedral complex, historic buildings are the main focus; Casa Lis combines architecture with decorative art, while the murals at Plaza del Oeste showcase public art. These differences make the individual stops clearly distinguishable from one another.

Other destinations include Anaya De Alba, Bermellar, Pastores, Ciudad-Rodrigo, Hinojosa De Duero, Cantagallo, Sotoserrano and Parada De Arriba.

The “Ieronimus” exhibition allows visitors to explore the inside of the towers and access their terraces while tracing their history among pinnacles, gargoyles and battlements. The area around Plaza del Oeste is home to the centre of an urban gallery with more than 250 murals. The “Scala Coeli” itinerary leads through the interior.

Nature

On the banks of the Tormes, Salamanca offers walking paths, a cycle path and opportunities for boat trips.

The Tormes thus provides an independent landscape feature within the city, while the cultural sections cover historic buildings, museums, religious buildings, squares and art in urban spaces. For visitors, these topics remain distinct: the riverbank represents paths and water, while the other sections represent Salamanca’s different cultural sites.

When booking a holiday apartment in Salamanca, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions can be considered independently alongside the cultural attractions, the Tormes riverbank and the travel routes. This keeps the choice of accommodation open while the city is explored through its different cultural, natural and transport-related aspects.

Geographical location

Salamanca can be reached via the A-62 and A-66 motorways; from Madrid, the A-50 motorway leads to Salamanca. Regular bus services with corresponding connections provide access to Salamanca from cities in Spain and Europe.

For travelling to Salamanca, road links and regular bus services are therefore available as separate sources of information. The motorways identify specific transport routes, while the bus details describe connections from cities in Spain and Europe. Both details complement the cultural and landscape orientation with information about transport.

For the overarching travel overview: Salamanca.