Mention Madrid and you’ll probably be thinking of all the shopping and eating the city has to offer. But what if you want to do more than these?
As someone who enjoys a mixture of the bustling city life (you can get your fill of that in Madrid) and gorgeous views of medieval city landscapes, I decided to book a day trip out from Madrid to the historical cities of Avila and Salamanca via KKday. I also realised that given Madrid’s rather centralised location within Spain, it is a perfect place for embarking on day trips outside the city.
Our day started early at 7.30am as we made our way to the common meet-up point where an air-conditioned vehicle with an expert guide awaited. From a punctual departure of the bus to an extremely clear briefing on our activities for the day, I left feeling excited for the adventure in store for me.
The beautiful city of Salamanca was our first stop for our day trip out of Madrid. Photo © Katherine Goh.
The ride took about two hours, and our first destination was Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage site city. Our tour guide kicked things off by taking us on a walking tour. Unlike some walking tours which can be rather long and bore you to tears, our guide was extremely engaging. Furthermore, she spoke fluent English and Spanish, which allowed her to cater to different groups of people on the tour.
This ‘Victor’ sign was seen everywhere in Salamanca. Photo © Katherine Goh.
Salamanca is best known for its University, which had its origins in the 12th century. Given the significance of this place, it was no wonder that our walking tour started right from there. Our guide shared with us the history of this city, how lessons were conducted in the university back then and also introduced some fun facts. In the past and even till today, the people of Salamanca would actually buy frogs as a gift to students as a symbol. This was to remind them of the importance of studying and not to be distracted. So do not be too surprised when you see frog toys being sold all across the shops in Salamanca!
Our walking tour also took us to the historical centre of the city and to the sandstone-built Plaza Mayor, which has often been regarded as Spain’s most beautiful grand square. As I roamed within the city, I could not help but be in awe of the glorious medieval and baroque architecture all around me.
Plaza Mayor in Salamanca. Photo © Katherine Goh.
Our final stop in Salamanca was at the New Cathedral of Salamanca. This Cathedral was constructed between the 16th and 18th century, and was restored in 1992 after the devastating effects of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. From my personal visits of other cathedrals, reconstruction work would aim to keep the architecture like the original. But here in Salamanca, the guide pointed out something very amusing and interesting to us — the artisans engaged in the restoration project of this cathedral had carved strange figures – astronaut sculpture and a faun with an ice cream – onto the building façade. The artisans in Spain definitely have a sense of humour!
Spot the astronaut! Photo © Katherine Goh.
With little time to spare towards the mid-afternoon and after a quick lunch break, we had to proceed on a one-hour journey to our next destination – Avila.
Founded in the 11th century to protect the Spanish territories from the Moors, Avila is indeed the epitome of medieval austerity with its 87 high semi-circular towers and nine gates surrounding the city. While we were on the bus on our way to Avila, we could already see the majestic views of the towers from afar. What’s more, since 1985, Avila has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Avila, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was our second stop. Photo © Katherine Goh.
One of the main highlights of our tour was the visit to the Avila Cathedral. Considered the first Gothic cathedral in Spain, the Avila Cathedral currently sits on the remains of an original building that was devoted to El Salvador. You can expect to see beautifully designed interior including the 13th century sacristy, with a star-shaped copula and gold inlay, as well as medieval religious icons all over the cathedral. We were also given an audio guide, which allowed us to visit different parts of the cathedral and hear all about the history behind it. I especially enjoyed the tranquil atmosphere within the cathedral, walking around and basking in the splendid views it had to offer.
The interior of the Avila Cathedral. Photo © Katherine Goh
At the end of tour, we headed back to Madrid and found ourselves back in the city at 6.30pm, right on schedule. The tour had lasted for almost 10 hours, but surprisingly I did not feel exhausted. In fact, I left feeling accomplished – covering the best sights and sounds of two medieval Spanish cities all within the span of one day had made it all worthwhile.
For more information on the Avila and Salamanca day tour, visit kkday.com.
