Salamanca is a Spanish city located in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon. It is home to the oldest university in Spain, the University of Salamanca, founded in 1218. In 1988 the city was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. It has an important architectural heritage, among which are its two cathedrals, the Old Cathedral and the New, the Casa de las Conchas, the Plaza Mayor, the Convent of San Esteban and the university’s Colegios Mayores. Since 2003, the Semana Santa in Salamanca has been declared of International Tourist Interest. Plaza Mayor, in the Baroque style, designed by architects Alberto and Nicolás Churriguera, is the most important public area and is located in right in the centre of the city. The most popular museums in Salamanca include the Museum of City History, Unamuno House Museum, the Museum of Automotive History of Salamanca, the University Museum (University Library) and the Bullfighting Museum.
Getting to Salamanca
Salamanca has a bus service that connects its outlying neighborhoods to the centre. Since 2010, there is a bike rental service called Salenbici. The modern train station in Salamanca, which opened in 2001, is located about 15 minutes from the centre of Salamanca, at the Alamedilla Stop. Some of the main destinations are Madrid, Barcelona, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Oporto and Lisbon. Salamanca Airport, located in the Matacán military base, is located 14 kilometers from the city.
Accommodation in Salamanca’s university residences
Most residences and colegios mayores in Salamanca are assigned to the two most prominent universities, the University of Salamanca and the Universidad Pontificia of Salamanca. It should be understood that these residences and colleges are designed primarily for students and not children or adults expecting a high level of luxury. However, with this in mind, they do meet a level of comfort that we expect most visitors to be happy with, and we will welcome any feedback where this is not the case.