Segovia is located a little north of Madrid in the area of Castile and Leon. I was able to spend a few days in Segovia following my time in Santiago de Compostela. It was about a 5 hour train ride from Santiago to Segovia and the route is very scenic passing through the countryside.
Parts of Segovia were designated a UNESCO World Heritage City https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segovia in 1985 and are worth a visit. I was staying at a beautiful property in the old city which was a complex of buildings of a former convent. The Eurostars Convento Capuchinos was a few minutes from the Plaza Mayor and Cathedral, Alcazar and the old city walls. The views I was greeted to from my very spacious room were stunning. http://www.eurostarsconventocapuchinos.com/EN/hotel.html
One day I wandered into one of the shops mid way between the Cathedral and the Alcazar to browse upon some locally made jewellery. I ended up having a very nice conversation with the shopkeeper who recommended some walking trails that were more scenic and used by the locals as well as a nice little restaurant called San Marcos in the valley below the Alcazar that was very popular with the local Segovians. http://www.sanmarcosrestaurante.com
Plus I did purchase some very unique pieces of jewellery that are fast becoming my favourites http://www.montondetrigomontondepaja.com
I easily found the walking trails on the outside of the old city walls going through the valley. The view from the bottom of the valley looking up at the walls and the Alcazar are just as amazing if not more so, than from above.
Following the path along the river and crossing a few bridges I came upon the University and then continued onwards to the Roman Aqueducts. Massive structures perfectly preserved in the middle of the city; fabulous!
The Plaza Mayor was about 5 minutes walk through the narrow winding streets from the hotel. By luck I went early to the plaza on a Thursday morning and found the local market buzzing with activity. Apparently it is only held on Thursday’s and it is where Segovians go to get their local produce. I found some fresh fruit to snack on as well as a few pastries (of course 🙂 ) The vendor selling olives had the longest line up and as I approached I could see why – the selection of fresh olives was amazing.
The Segovia Cathedral is of late Gothic style and very imposing as one approaches https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segovia_Cathedral
It has 22 side chapels enclosing a massive cloister. I must say every Cathedral I saw in northern Spain seemed to outdo the previous one which is hard to believe.
The Alcazar or fortress, is a short walk from the Cathedral and Plaza Mayor to the point on the edge of the old city walls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcázar_of_Segovia
The structure has held various purposes throughout history as is visible from the decor inside the castle. There is ornate detailing of the walls and doorways and stained glass throughout. I also opted to do the extra tour walking up to the top of the tower. On a beautiful sunny day the view was breathtaking at 360 degrees.
The area near the Roman Aqueducts I found to be the busiest with tourists and people as well as traffic which can drive beside the ruins to get to other areas of the city (my taxi had to drive this street to get to my hotel which was in the old city close to the Plaza mayor). I enjoyed the Plaza Mayor more as it was not as busy, and moreso when walking on the quiet side streets away from the Plaza centre. A few minutes from the streets you can find quite walkways with benches to sit and rest and ponder your next adventure.
