Mérida is the capital of the Extremadura region in south-western Spain and houses the seat of government of the autonomous community. In 1993 the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, owing to its great historical interest and monumental status.
Mérida retains its roots as a quiet and out-of-the-way city, but functions nonetheless as a capital, which has brought about large-scale economic and urban development. Besides being an institutional point of reference, it has also become an important tourist attraction all over the world, owing to its impressive archaeological monuments. The city houses a great number of structures, which help to keep alive the history of many centuries past, and apart from that, the city is also home to various museums, including the Museum of Prehistory and the Geological Museum of Extremadura which houses an impressive collection of minerals and fossils. The Museum of Water, located in Proserpina, is around 5 km (3 miles) from the city centre, explaining with use of extensive diagrams and video recreations how a Roman city like Mérida obtained water and its use in private homes, industry and agriculture. Mérida’s National Museum of Roman Art offers a large collection of Roman objects discovered at the archaeological site. Your stay in Mérida will help you discover the city’s past and find out what life was like in the ancient times.
Accommodation in Mérida’s student residences
The city’s student residences are all assigned to one of the campuses of the University of Extremadura and several of them offer accommodation to passing guests in the vacation periods. It should be understood that these residences are designed primarily for students and not children or adults expecting a high level of luxury. However, with this in mind, the halls 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.
Getting to Mérida
The Airport of Badajoz is the nearest to the city and is located around 45 minutes away by motorway. The Mérida train station is located in the city centre and offers direct services to Badajoz, Ciudad Real, Seville and Madrid. The city also has an urban bus service, which links all its different districts. The high-speed AVE train route from Madrid to Lisbon will soon pass through Mérida, which will greatly increase the city’s accessibility.