Salamanca, Spain – Modern City With Small Village Values

The Spanish town of Salamanca can be found in the province of Castilla y Leon. In the mid west of the country, and just one hours drive from the border with Portugal, it is a town that has 165,000 residents with a climate varying from cold and susceptible to rain showers in the winter months to one which is dry and more comfortable (in terms of temperature) during the rest of the year.

The town is famous throughout Spain as being the most popular of the university towns where more than 40,000 students migrate to each year to study. Dating back to 1218, the “University of Salamanca” is noted as being the university which is the third oldest in Europe. Salamanca is not just known for its university however, as there are many other monuments and architectural sights to see.

The buildings in the centre of town are all built from the golden “Villamayor” sandstone creating the feeling that they are of some other era – a time which has long since passed.

The town has forged itself a new identity in these more modern times and a mix of modern city, small village and university town all sit together in harmony. This gives the towns numerous visitors the advantage of a good, modern infrastructure coupled with a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Named as European Capital of Culture in 2002, the town also has the accolade of being a UNESCO World Heritage City and is an extremely popular destination for tourists from all over the world offering them a wide variety of fascinating things to see or do.

It is said that the Spanish spoken in Salamanca is the purest form of the language in the whole of Spain, making the town a popular destination for language students from foreign countries.

The fact that Salamanca is a university town means that there are no shortages for somewhere to go out at night. Students meet to chat, drink or eat tapas in the many squares or café bars and the relaxed daytime atmosphere of the city centre is continued into the night where it is combined with music emanating from the bars.

The Castilla y Leon region of Spain is renowned for its agriculture and the quality of the locally grown products. Many different types of sausage and the variety of Spanish ham, ‘Jamon Serrano’, are some of the more favoured of the regions delicacies. Other products include the cheeses of the region and the ‘specialities’ such as the Alberca beans and almonds grown in and around Alba de Tormes.

Due mainly to the variation of climate, the dishes served in Salamanca are largely dependant upon the seasons. Winter months see the serving of stews made with chicken, pork and meatballs, or other filling dishes such as “Morucha” beefsteak. The warmer temperatures in summer make the lighter tapas style dishes more popular especially the sausage or ham varieties.

A typical Salamancan meal is the ‘Hornazo’. This is a salty pastry made with ham, bacon, sausage and egg or you could try ‘Chanfaina’, rice which is mixed with sausage.