My wife Maureen and I have been to Madrid quite a few times, and on our most recent trip, we decided to take a quick one-day excursion to the famous city of Segovia, Spain.
Segovia is a 27-minute high-speed train ride from Madrid Chamartín Station (not the larger, better-known Atocha Station), costing about €30 round-trip per person.
This medieval city is most famous for its huge Roman Aqueduct, which spans the entire city; you can’t take enough pictures of this ancient structure.
Segovia is known as a great city for walking, touring, and shopping. Its main square, the Plaza Mayor, is beautiful and filled with many restaurants; it is the place to ‘be seen’ in Segovia. It seems like the entire city is one large pedestrian-only walking zone, and it is very pleasant to ‘walk the city’. The view of the snow-capped mountains surrounding Segovia in winter is picturesque.
The Alcazar Castle Fortress of Segovia is not to be missed, and it is rumored to have been the original inspiration for the Disney castles. Also, not to be missed is the Gothic Cathedral of Segovia, which is larger than life in the city. You definitely get the feeling that Segovia is one big ‘old town’.
The Walls of Segovia are a fascinating site for exploration, offering excellent photography opportunities both of and from the walls. There is an ancient Jewish quarter in Segovia, and the city also features a significant number of historic monasteries within its limits.
Segovia is a perfect one-day excursion from Madrid, and this city may be equally beautiful as the medieval city of Toledo in Spain.
Another wonderful one-day side trip via train is the city of Salamanca, a well-known university town. As always on this trip to Madrid, we stayed at the Madrid Marriott Hotel Auditorium at the Madrid Airport. This hotel is Marriott’s largest hotel in Europe – a huge, beautiful convention-style hotel that always offers excellent rates for both seniors and airline staff.
