Segovia: Things you shouldn't miss

Hi,

a buddy and I are going to be meeting in Madrid, and then traveling to some other cities, Segovia being oen of them. I am the one who's coordinating the Segovia trip, and was wondering if a few of you could point out one or more things that you think I should see there. Please only tell me about personal experiences.. that is.. about why *you* enjoyed it and what you enjoyed about it.

Feel free to be candid!

Saludos,
-Rick

Suckling Pig! Its cheaper in the afternoon, you can get a menue de dia (did I get that right)

As well I'd recomend a tour bus trip around the city, its reasonable at 5 euros. They offer comentary but the headphone jack wasn't working at the back so I didn't listen to it.

Getting there by bus is also faster than train (1 hour vs 2 hours) If you want go by train there and bus back, busses run every half hour home.

The aqueduct, it is big. Walk around it. Stop under it. Then remember there is no mortar holding it up when you look up. Just math and gravity is holding it up. Then remember the Romans built it.

I think the aqueduct is amazing and beautiful thing to see.

Bill

I like the castle in Segovia - as I recall you could do a lot of free exploring and it was fun to roam around and the views were superb!!

In the Alcazar (the castle) make a point to climb the tower all the way to the top. The entrance to the stairs is kind of hidden, but you can ask anyone who works there and they'll tell you where they are. The staircase is narrow and spirals all the way to the top. In the past I didn't have to pay extra to climb the stairs, but I was there this past April (with 35 High School Students!) and we all had to pay a few euros each to go to the top. But it is money well spent because the views are INCREDIBLE!!! Not only can you see the town but you can also see the mountains and the countryside around the town.

Tim Hortons Man, can you tell me about suckling pig? I saw this online.. and frankly, it looks gross. Can you put those to ease? Has anyone seen this in person and been.. what's the phrase.. grossed out?


And, for others, what else should we not miss in Segovia? Keep the ideas coming!

I think we're going to drive to Segovia in case we want to stop somewhere on the way. Would anyone recommend stopping at any particular restaurants or towns on the way?

-Rick

Wesrick,

The Suckling pig is great. You shouldn't be grossed out. I'd also recommend the lamb, which is typical of any part of Segovia. I actually like it better. Both go well with a good Ribera del Duero.

I'd also go to the cathedral and just walk around and enjoy the city as a whole. The good thing about going by car is that you could go to La Granja which has a magnificent 18th Century palace and gardens. It's only about six miles away and on the way back to madrid if you decide to go over the mountains, which I also recommend.

Murdy, can you be more specific in your directions as far as roads, highways, exits, etc.?

I am planning on taking a GPS, but I like to plan beforehand.

Murdy is spot on. La Granja is on the road towards Navacerrada from Segovia and is worth a visit, as is the Sierra crossing.

You could then descend via Rascafria and get a real feel for the Sierra, although if you don´t like windy hairpin ridden roads it may not be for you.

Just a few of points of personal opinion, to eat in Segovia and not have suckling pig would be to miss a great tradition. The lamb too is good, but for that I prefer to go to either Pedraza de la Sierra, on the road between Segovia and the N1 Burgos road, or Sepulveda, again just off the N1 road, around km 124 ish.

The name of the town is actually San Ildefonso de la Granja. This is important because you will sometimes see signs for just San Ildefonso. My road map is in my car, but I have another older one which indicates the road as being 601 (probably SG601). In any event, you can always ask. It's really close.

As Jamongris said, going over the mountains is worth the trip. On the way up to Segovia, you should probably take the highway (A-6) to save some time. A few miles past the tunnel you will see signs for the autopista (toll highwway) to Segovia. You can't miss it. Segovia is 90 kilometers (60 miles) from Madrid.

But if you go to La Granja, the main road takes you over the mountains. You can take one which goes to Rascafría (as Jamongris rightly suggested). That takes you through the Valle de Lozoya which is wonderful. If you keep driving you will run into the Burgos highway (A-1) at exit 69, which leads you back to Madrid. It's a great trip but you will need some time.

If time is pressing, you should probably go over Navacerrada (and its famous seven curves on the way up!), head down the mountain and look for signs that lead to Villalba, which takes you back to the A-6 (about exit 35). If you get mixed up, just keep going. All roads lead to the highways eventually!!

By the way, on the main highways to and from Madrid, the exits actually represent the kilometers you are away from the center of Madrid (actually La Puerta del Sol). So exit 69 means 69 kilometers from that point. All exits are related to kilometers, but the A-1 through A-6 are the main ones from Madrid.

Let me know if you have anymore questions, and good luck!

The lamb - I only eat it when I'm there... not because I am a lamb snob but because it's the only place I think it looks/tastes good.

mmh166, I think that does make you "a lamb snob". hehehee.. Just kidding.

If you stop at one of the Tourist Information Offices they'll give you a booklet of Segovia with a map inside which shows colored walking tours, hilighting spots along the way. I did this a year or two ago and it was quite interesting.

Saludos, MadridMan

Excellent.

Thank all of your for the great input. I'm putting it together into a word document that I can print and take with me. I'll probalby also go to a Tourist Info Office and put all of it into a folder to take with me. I like being prepared.

Thanks all!
-Rick

One further question, my brother and his wife will be visiting this fall and they'd like to go to Segovia. What is the best way of getting there, bus or train. I thought train because coming from Canada it would a unique experience for them but its a long walk from the train station to the old city and as far as I know there are no buses that drop you off near there.

If they take a bus from Madrid where would they catch it.

thanks

We took the train and really enjoyed the scenery and didn't have to worry about the traffic, etc getting in and out of Madrid. Yes the train station is just a little way out of town, but buses stop there frequently for a ride to town or you can catch a taxi!

I agree, it was nice going by train. We took the Saturday 10am train and it was packed, standing room only. Its a good walk to the old city but I didnt' mind we really enjoyed it and the locals got a laugh out of us trying to ask directions. At the train station there is a car rental booth and they gave us a map to the Tourist information, which was really helpfull when asking for directions.