SEGOVIA was on my travel list since I saw photos for the first time in my Spanish class 4 of the school. I even found a poster of the Château de Segovia to hang on the wall of my room. So when we made a two -week family trip to Spain, I knew that Ségovia had to be on our itinerary and we decided to make a day trip in Madrid segovia.
SEGOVIA is a charming UNESCO World Heritage City and we fell in love with its cute and twisted streets, impressive historic sites, friendly people and good food. Located just 90 kilometers north of Madrid, a day trip to Ségovia is easy to add to your Spanish route.
Segovia has something to call on the whole family, including a magnificent 2,000 -year -old Roman aqueduct, a fairy -type castle and a breathtaking cathedral. My eight -year -old child loved all things to do in Ségovia with the children and assessed him his favorite stop during our whole trip to Spain.
Segovia
By car
Going to Ségovia is really quite easy. If you have a car, it’s an hour’s drive on the highway. Abundant parking is available at the station and near the Roman aqueduct. From there, you can easily enter town.
By
One of the simplest ways to go to Segovia during a day trip from Madrid is on the avenue high -speed train, which is only 27 minutes from the Madrid Chamartin station. The trains are impeccable and very comfortable. If you plan to make a day trip in segovia from Madrid, you can just introduce yourself and try to buy a ticket, but many trains are sold, so it’s safer to buy tickets in advance.
F You find it difficult to buy train tickets directly in the United States, I tend to use Hair When buying train tickets in Europe for simplicity. I think it is worth buying in advance if you know your plans for the peace of mind of a guaranteed seat.
Keep in mind that there are several stations in Madrid and that your train to Ségovia will likely start from the Madrid Chamartin station. The station is large enough, so you will want to give yourself a lot of time to locate the right track for your train.
You will arrive at a very clean and modern station in Ségovia. Plan to stop at the tourist agent to get a card, a bus schedule or other advice on things to do in Ségovia. Since the station is slightly outside the city, you will have to take a very short and cheap bus or cheap route in the city center to a stop near the aqueduct. As we wanted to visit the castle first, then descend the hill in town, we decided to take a taxi at the Alcazar in Segovia, because it was the furthest site that we wanted to visit.
By bus
Another way to make a day trip in Madrid segovia is by bus. The bus will save you a little money, but will also take a little more time (most last 1 hour and 20 minutes against around 30 minutes on the high -speed train.) The buses leave from Moncloa station in Madrid and arrive at the segovia bus station.
Things to do during a day trip in segovia
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Visit the castle of Alcazar / Segovia
One of the best things to do in Ségovia is a visit to the Alcazar. It is said that the Alcazar of Segovia, as well as the castle of Neuschwanstein in Germany, were inspirations for the castle of Cinderella in Disney. Once you have spied on the blue-gray turrets of this fortress on a hill, you will see why.
After seeing the Moorish architecture in Seville and Granada, the Alcazar in Ségovia was our first overview of a medieval castle. The Alcazar of Segovia dates back to the 12th century, starting as a strong Arab before becoming a royal palace.
In 1474, Queen Isabella I of Castille and Leon were crowned at the Alcazar. As you may know, it has become an important figure in Spanish history. Before going on a trip, my daughter had read a book on Isabella and saw her like a powerful woman and leader. During the trip, she became aware of her blood side and had to reconcile her uniting the country with the atrocities committed against the Jews and the Muslims during the Spanish Inquisition.
After being a palace, the Alcazar later became a prison and then a military academy. Today is a museum open to the public. Inside the castle, you will find the armor of medieval knights, stained glass windows, beautiful tapestries and carved engravings of Spanish leaders.
If you are ready for the climb, you can climb 152 staircases from the Juan II tower for a panoramic view of the hill or a beautiful view of the city and the cathedral. After taking the time to explore the castle, we took a walk of 15 to 20 minutes in town.
Eat roast milk pig
The whole city is famous for its roasted milk pig, but perhaps not more than Candido mesonwhich serves the whole pig and cooks it so tender that they cut it with a plate. Before visiting Spain, we look On the road again On PBS with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was an excellent introduction to Spanish cuisine and even had our excited daughter at the idea of trying new food. When I saw the episode in Segovia, I knew we had to visit this restaurant and try the roasted milk pig.
Meson de Candido sits in the shadow of the aqueduct with a magnificent outdoor coffee and interior restaurant. We still have a family joke about seeing this little pig apart on a tray in its complete shape. It was a little too much to manage my daughter, so we did not order the whole pig, just a regular portion of a leg on a plate.
If you do not get a reservation in Meson de Candido, there are many other places to try Rolated Pig in town, including Jose Maria.
Explore the Roman aqueduct
After enjoying our lunch, we started to explore the aqueduct. Built in the 1st or 2nd century, the aqueduct is 818 meters long and includes more than 170 arches. Built by hand without using a mortar, it is an architectural feat that even children marvel! I know you can see Roman ruins all over Europe, but it was the most impressive outside of Rome. In fact, I found it even more impressive than the aqueduct in Rome.
Certainly take the time to set up the stairs of Plaza del Azoguejo to see the aqueduct and the city from above.
Visit Segovia Cathedral
Returning to town to visit the stores, we quickly realized that the whole city was closed for Siesta. Fortunately, the cathedral was still open, so we entered inside to refresh ourselves. The last Gothic cathedral built in Spain, the Cathedral of Segovia is many similarities with those we have visited in Barcelona and Seville.
Built in the 16th century, the Catedral of Segovia touched the city. Located in Plaza Mayor, the cathedral is not far from the Alcazar, so if you start early, you can visit both in the morning before lunch. However, I liked to visit the afternoon when many city stores were closed.
There are 21 chapels beautifully decorated in the cathedral. However, our favorite part of the cathedral was the peaceful Gothic cloister surrounding the garden and the trees in the central courtyard. It was cool and calm in the cloister and we spent some time there relaxing and catching up on the writing of our newspaper. You can also consult the Hall chapter, which has many complex tapestries.
Browse the Jewish district
After the cathedral, we went to explore the Anderia, the old Jewish district, since we have been looking for the small remains of the Jewish community and Jewish history throughout our stay in Spain. The narrow and twisted streets of this district are very charming and we have seen some Jewish stores and restaurants.
We were happy to finally come across a Jewish educational center with multimedia exhibitions showing the fate of the Jews of Ségovia. Although there are not many Jews in Ségovia, there are evidence of their inheritance throughout the quarter.
Before returning, we checked the city’s stores for compulsory memories related to pork and we stopped in a bakery for some delicious snacks. At the end of the day, we caught a bus to the station.
We really liked to explore the city of Segovia. The streets are clean and picturesque, the landscape is beautiful and the sites are breathtaking. If you visit Spain, you shouldn’t miss a day trip to Ségovia!
We found quite easy to explore by ourselves, but there is also Guided tours options If you prefer. While many people make parallel trips from Madrid to Toledo, I don’t think many know Ségovia. It may be a good thing so it does not lose its charm, but I always highly recommend it to all those who have a day to lose in Madrid!
If you have more time spending in Ségovia, many people like to take a Ride at the hot air balloonBut we decided to do it when we were in Ronda in Andalusia. You can also do a day trip that includes Avila and Segovia.
Where to stay in Ségovia
If you plan to spend the night, there are many affordable options in and around Ségovia.
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Tamara Gruber is the founder and publisher of We3Travel. Former director of marketing and travel advisor, Tamara is a award -winning and expert travel writer recognized in family trips. Tamara is a member of Satw, Natja, Ifwtwa and Adventure Travel Trade Association, and headquarters to the Board of Directors of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimeTofly.com and the co-host of the Mavens Travel Podcast Podcast.