Greetings to all!

Stopping in Merida on the way to Sevilla. I hear it's a great city to visit. I'm looking for any suggestions on getting around and what to see.

Gracias
Debbie

Hi granada94! My ladyfriend and I spent one FULL, LONG day touring around the ruins of Mérida . But before I get to that, I must say that the city of Mérida itself really isn't anything very special at all. The jewel of Mérida is the Roman ruins which are mainly localized in one part of the city with the exception of the ruined aqueduct which is REALLY something beautiful and awesome at the same time.

It's a shame you're going in February because all there is to see is OUTSIDE and it will certainly be quite cold. What you're likely to do is take one of the self-guided walking tours. BUT, really, if you're just stopping there for a few hours on the way to Sevilla you won't likely see half of what there is to see. We didn't even have time to go to the museum - which I hear is fantastic - because we spent the ENTIRE day (in April) walking all over to see everything else.

You would DEFINITELY want to start at the Teatro Romano and the adjoining Anfiteatro Romano. Really impressive structures. The Teatro Roman was completely reconstructed. You'll see photos of the thing as a big pile of pilar pieces.

If you're going from Madrid to Mérida and then down to Sevilla, you may (if you can) want to make a quick stop at the beautiful town of Zafra which is below Mérida and on the way to Sevilla.

Have a nice time visiting the Roman ruins of Mérida!

Saludos, MadridMan

http://www.iespana.es/paseovirtual/Merida/merida.htm

HI Madridman! Thanks for you input. I had the same feelings about Merida but I've lost the battle to a husband who works with a gentleman from Badajoz. In fact, the man was just there in December and brought pictures to work today for my husband to look over. He even sent home a huge packet of material for me to look over about Merida. My hubbie is now sold on a visit to see the ruins. I guess it's only fair since the poor guy accompanies me to Spain every year to visit friends in Granada who do not speak any English. I hope my stay in Merida is a pleasant one and I'm always up for a new place in Spain to visit. Afterall, Merida is followed by Sevilla and my friends in Granada. It's going to be a FABULOUS week. I really appreciate your input and especially this website. As an educator and a huge fan of Madrid and Spain in general.. it's kudos to you! Mil Gracias! Debbie

I'm with your husband and friend from Badajoz. You will love Merida and it might not be so cold. It's a fascinating place and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring all of the ruins with our kids. See it all! Don't miss the museum. Besides the collections, the building was designed by Moneo and is really beautiful.

Merida gets an undeserved bad rap because the city itself is not a big draw. I have had Spanish friends tell me there is not much reason to go there!!! Wrong! Despite not being enticing like Salamanca, it is very nice.

Hola Granada94, your choice of Merida on the A-5 is a good choice. When I make my monthly travels from Madrid to the Naval Base in Rota, I take the A-5 and go through Merida. It is an awesome place, my esposa came with me last month and we ended up spending nearly the entire day there, the Roman ruins are some of the best I have seen, and I spent a week in Rome last summer. There are quite a few neat towns to visit between Madrid and Lisbon on the A-5, take advantage of them. And now is a good time to visit, the weather is actually mild, about like winter in Seattle, and you don't have the big crowds.

Here is hoping that Merida knocks my socks off. It's still not my pick of stops but I keep hearing that it's worth the journey. I did Rome and Greece this past summer and I've seen enough ruins to last me a lifetime. I guess a few more won't kill me. I'll be sure to post my findings.

Thanks
Debbie