Segovia is a lovely town, an easy day trip from Madrid, which has several amazing attractions to entice tourists. It is extremely compact and walkable. As an excursion, it can be combined with a visit to El Escorial or to Avila to fill a whole day. Or one can savor the ambience of friendliness by spending the entire day here.
This walking tour begins at the Roman Aqueduct, built in the 1st century AD and still in use in the late 1800’s. The magnificent arches extend to almost 100 feet high, making this an imposing structure. Notice the characteristic mortarless construction — very impressive. Take Cervantes street through the city walls into the city center noticing the Casa de los Picos with its diamond-shaped stones. This street becomes Calle de Juan Bravo and leads to the Plaza Mayor, the city’s main square and delightful place to sit and sip a coffee, wine, or beer. Just before the square, on the right is one of Segovia’s more interesting churches, Iglesia de San Martin.
From the square head up Calle del Marques del Arco to the beautiful Cathedral, Spain’s last great Gothic church. The blend of pinnacles, dome, light stone and imposing location make for an incredble combination. The interior is also worth a look.
Continue along the street to the western end of town for the piece de resistance, Segovia’s spectacular Alcazar. This fairy-tale-like castle, especially when seen from below, influenced the designers of Cinderella’s castle in Disneyland. Tour the castle to see the sumptuous rooms and display of weapons and be sure to climb the tower for wonderful views.
When finished bear to the left and take Paseo de San Juan de la Cruz. Bear left into the square to see the Iglesia de San Esteban, with its five-story tower. Return to the paseo which has now become Valdelaguila and continue eastward as the road changes names several times before reaching the Plaza del Conde de Cheste and the Romanesque Iglesia de San Juan de los Caballeros which is also worth a brief stop. Walk back out of the square and turn left to return to the aqueduct and the starting point of the walk.
