The Aqueduct and the Alcázar: Segovia

Posted on July 1, 2014

Once I finished my final exams, I took one last “excursion” outside of Sevilla before getting ready to head home. Some family friends had been traveling around Europe and were going to make a quick stop in Madrid before moving on to their next adventure, so I made plans to take the train up to Madrid and meet them. I took the AVE to Madrid, met them at the train station, and we did some sightseeing. Since I had already been to Madrid, and they had been traveling for weeks, we did mostly a walking tour and didn’t stop at too many places. I was surprised at how much I remembered about a lot of the sights in Madrid, and I had fun playing “tour guide”. I had a really good time hearing about all of their travel stories and learning more about the rest of Europe. I also had fun sharing interesting facts about Spanish culture with them.

However, there was one place I wanted to visit in particular. When I went with my friends to Madrid back in February, we saw the outside of the Catedral de la Almudena, but we didn’t go inside. I later saw a lot of cool pictures of the interior when I was reading online, and I decided that if I had the chance, I should try and see it. The Cathedral took 100 years to build and was completed in 1993. It has a Neoclassical and Neo-Gothic style, and because it was completed so recently, it has some beautiful, contemporary paintings on the ceiling inside. Fun fact: Felipe VI, the new King of Spain (after his father Juan Carlos I abdicated a few weeks ago) and his wife Queen Letizia of Spain were married in the Cathedral in 2004. It’s right by the Royal Palace and is still used for official ceremonies today. After we visited the Cathedral, we had lunch, and then walked back to the train station before we parted ways.

I then took the Cercanías train to get from the Madrid Atocha Station to the Madrid Chamartín station so I could take another train to Segovia. Once I got to the station in Segovia, I was surprised at how “in the middle of nowhere” the station was. You have to take a bus to get to the city itself, which was a bit of a surprise. However, it was simple, and not too hard to figure out.

Once I arrived in Segovia and checked into my hostel, Duermevela Hostel, I set out to go sightseeing. Because I was traveling in the middle of the week, the hostel was very quiet, and I ended up having my four-person room all to myself! That was a nice surprise!

The hostel had a great location that was right near the bus stop and also right near the Acueducto de Segovia. The Aqueduct of Segovia is leftover from the Roman Empire and is Segovia’s main attraction and symbol. It’s part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the “Old Town” of Segovia in general. Though the dates aren’t exact, it’s believed to have been constructed during the 1st century AD. It is huge; 93 feet tall at its highest point, and was originally used to carry water from a river in the nearby mountains, running over 9 miles before reaching the city. Perhaps the most fascinating thing is that the huge structure, with its double arches and numerous pillars, was made without using any mortar! I went to get a closer look at the aqueduct when I first arrived, and viewed it from many different angles the rest of the time I was in Segovia.

I then went to explore the city center a bit. I stopped to see places like the Casa de los Picos, various churches and plazas, the old Jewish quarter, the Cathedral of Segovia, etc. I got a great recommendation from the woman working at the hostel to walk part of the trail that goes outside the old city walls to get to a great viewpoint. This was really cool, as Segovia’s old town is built on a very tall hill, so I was able to get a neat perspective of the city and the surrounding area. I made it to the edge of town to the Alcázar de Segovia (the castle), but I arrived right when it was about to close, so I decided I would go the next morning. I did some more exploring and had dinner.

The next day I got up and went over to the Alcázar, but then climbed down some very tall stairs to take a path down the hill in order to get a better view of the Alcázar. This was really fun, as it was nice, quiet, and not yet too hot. The view of the castle from below was amazing, and worth the hike.

I then climbed all the way back up and went to the Alcázar. I was a bit early and it wasn’t open quite yet, so I relaxed in the garden outside before I was able to buy my ticket and go in. The Alcázar began as an Arab fort during the 1100s and was expanded and added on to many times over the centuries. In 1862 a fire badly damaged much of the structure, but in 1882 it was restored and later transformed into a military college. Today it’s a major tourist attraction and is home to a lot of art and historical artifacts. The Alcázar even inspired Walt Disney when he was designing Sleeping Beauty’s castle!

I also paid extra in order to be able to climb one of the towers for a good view of the city. This was fun, as the views were great, and I was the only one up there at the time, so I didn’t feel too rushed in the tiny stairwell, haha.

I headed back to the hostel but stopped for one final look at the aqueduct before I caught my bus back to the train station.

Segovia was the last city that remained on my list of “Places I HAVE to Visit While in Spain”. I had seen many pictures of the aqueduct in Spanish classes back in high school, and it was way more impressive in person than I anticipated it would be! I had a great time in Madrid getting to show off and be a tour guide, and then Segovia was beautiful and full of fun places to explore. It was a nice, relaxed final excursion, and a great way to mark my semester as coming to a close.

Phew! Now that I’ve finally finished all of my travel posts, I still have some other topics I want to cover. I plan to write a bit about some of the sights in Sevilla, Spanish food, linguistics, and a bit more about Spanish culture! Stay tuned…