> Spanish Courses at Salamanca > Salamanca CityAbout Salamanca
Salamanca is located in the province of Castilla y León, in the mid-western part of Spain. The city’s population is around 180,000 and although it is a smaller setting, Salamanca has much to offer like a bigger city.
Salamanca is renowned for being the home to the oldest university in all of Spain; it’s also among one of the oldest in Europe. This quaint city gets a lot of its modern culture and atmosphere from the University. When courses are in session, the streets are full of students and there are plenty of different cultural, exciting activities going on. Salamanca is also known has being the home to, what some say, is the purest form of Spanish.
Salamanca holds true to its heritage as most of the city center’s buildings are in the pure form of the old, traditional style. The city is a declared World Heritage site by UNESCO. There are mountains near the city, although the center itself is mostly flat. There are also many stunning lakes in the area, providing a serene, natural atmosphere.
History
Salamanca was first inhabited by Celtic tribes in the 2nd century. Later, the Greeks and Carthaginians moved in and were the first to establish a small village on the location of current day Salamanca. The name supposedly comes from a famous historian from Greece called Salamántica who resided in the village.
Along with the rest of Spain and the Iberian Peninsula, the Romans moved in. Today, there are still important structures from the Roman Empire in the city; there is a bridge and part of a city wall. In the 5th century the Roman Empire diminished, but unlike most other parts of Spain, Salamanca did not fall under control of the Visigoths. Some different Iberian clans took control, but Salamanca remained quite neutral and unnoticed.
With the Moorish rule over most of the Peninsula, Salamanca eventually caved into the hands of the Arabs in 712. Since it was positioned between the rule of the Moors and the Spanish kingdoms in the North it became and area under constant war.
In the early 12th century, with the start of the Spanish Reconquista, Salamanca was put under rule of the Christians. From then on, for many years, different tribes and groups of people lived around the city.
In 1218, King Alfonso IX founded the University of Salamanca. It was known all throughout Europe as a very prominent university. The city began to grow; it suffered for a period with some struggles of different rivalling groups, but in the end of the 15th century the city was mostly peaceful. The ‘Golden Age’ in Spain definitely brought benefits to this small, but growing city. Many new buildings and developments in the city occurred in this period.
In the early 1800s, Salamanca once again suffered through changing rulers. When Napoleon invaded Spain, although it was only 4 years, much of the heritage and growth that Salamanca had was depleted, the University was also almost closed.
At the turn of the century, Salamanca was once again rebuilt and recovered. The infrastructure of the city was updated as well as the addition and reconstruction of many roads and means of communication.
In the 1970s, the University experienced a change, in the early years it was more or less a luxury for only the upper class, but now the chance for higher education was given to the whole community. Many new buildings were constructed to house new students and faculties, but as seen today, much of it kept the traditional Salamanca design style.
Transportation
- Airport: Salamanca’s airport is located 15 kilometers east of the city. It shares the area with the military airport, therefore there are not many flights going and coming to the airport for passengers. Lagun Air operates a few flights to Spanish destinations from Salamanca, but there is limited public transport to and from the airport. Taxis are available to and from the city center when there are flights. There is also a small parking area. The nearest airport is Madrid-Barajas airport, located about 2.5 hours away. In Salamanca it is possible to get to Madrid by train or bus.
- Train: The train station is located in the city center on Paseo de la Estación de Trenes. There are connections from Salamanca to the other capital cities in Castilla Leon along with Madrid and a few other cities in Spain with the RENFE network.
Travel by train is often the fastest way, although not the cheapest, to get from Salamanca to other Spanish cities. - Bus: In Salamanca there is also a main bus station with different companies that have routes to different cities throughout the Peninsula. Travel by bus is normally the cheapest way to and from Salamanca, but not always the fastest, especially during festivals and in the summer. There are also city buses that run through Salamanca, there are 12 different lines that go through the center and some areas surrounding the center.
Leisure
In Salamanca you can see some of the most amazing and best kept buildings and architecture from the Renaissance period. There is also a bridge that was built by the Romans and two Cathedrals; these monuments and spectacles allow you to understand and view a diverse piece of culture from Salamanca’s history.
Another major point of interest in the city is Plaza Mayor, the city center’s major square, which was created in the 18th century. It has been said to be one of the most beautiful in all of Spain. The center is based on Plaza Mayor and from there you can wander out to the surrounding streets to see many more monuments.
Being of major importance in the city, the University is quite interesting to discover by walking around and taking in all of the history and culture that it has within the architecture. There are also several museums in Salamanca with different artifacts and themes that can be worthwhile to check out.
Gastronomy
In Salamanca and the province of Castilla y León (as well as most of Spain) they are known for growing and eating their own agricultural products. Jamon Serrano is a very popular type of Spanish ham that comes from the region.
Between summer and winter in Salamanca, the menu changes quite a bit. In the colder, winter months stews and roasts are very popular. A well-known dish is Cochinillo al Fuego which is roasted suckling pig, also there are a meat pies like Hornazo and Chafaina which is rice mixed with different cuts of meat.
In summer, tapas are always a good, easy way to feed your hunger. Salamanca is full of tapas bars where you can sample many different regional foods. Some places you can even find traces of the Moorish history of Salamanca, through food.
Going Out
Although Salamanca is not a huge city, there are still plenty of options for going out at night because it is a university city. Often times, students meet in the city center in the squares and local bars for tapas and drinks. Each night of the week you can find something happening in the city center, plus swarms of locals, students and tourists.
Around Plaza Mayor and Gran Via in the city center you will find a variety of bars and pubs, each with their own distinct feel. Later at night, you can find students and locals in the discos that the city has to offer. One of the best things about going out in Salamanca is that since it’s a university city, prices at most bars are balanced out to fit a student’s budget or with special offers. In the Bordadores area of the city you will find many bars and cafes, sometimes with live music. To find music varying from the punk scene to hippie style, head to Plaza de San Justo.
