Segovia

June 2025 visit. Segovia will forever be pitted against its sibling city, Toledo. (Both are medieval towns that easily done as a daytrip from Madrid.) While I enjoyed Toledo more, Segovia is still well worth a visit. Over the last nine months of living here in Spain, my wife and I have visited a new locale in the country practically every couple of weeks, including thirty-one World Heritage Sites between Spain and the neighboring countries. We are finally feeling a bit "travelled-out", especially of Spanish sites, so keep that coloring in mind while reading my review.

Segovia has a lot of what you can find spread out in bits among other Spanish WHS's, but all in one place. And that's a good thing! It's a concentrated dose of beautiful Spanish history. The aqueduct of Tarracao, the medieval streets of Toledo, the cathedral reminicent of Salamanca, it's all present and convenient in Segovia. The castle (Alcázar) is truly beautiful and has an exterior that I will admit you will not find anywhere else in the country. The Alcázar has an audio guide tour that I quite enjoyed, and it has lots of interesting rooms to see without being too overly long like some of the royal palaces you can tour in Spain.

The town is known for its suckling pig (called "cochinillo") and it can be found at a variety of local restaurants. It's worth trying, I really liked it! A long Spanish lunch, a couple …

Once you have completed the loop of World Heritage cities around Madrid, the question arises which of these sites was the most impressive. My answer is Toledo and Segovia. Admittedly, this is not a groundbreaking new insight, most travellers would choose these two. But it is well justified. Segovia has everything you expect from a historic old town on the World Heritage List: outstanding monuments, a beautiful location, and a lively atmosphere.

The main landmark of Segovia is the Aqueduct, or rather its visible part, the Aqueduct Bridge. Above the Plaza Azoguejo, the aqueduct has a height of almost 30 metres. Impressive that it has survived 2000 years almost undamaged. It was in operation until 1974, certainly one reason why it has been so well preserved. Out of town, the visible part ends after about 700 metres at the small Casa del Agua, a purification basin of the aqueduct.
At Plaza Azoguejo, the water reached the old town. After climbing the steps to the Postigo Del Consuelo, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the construction. Up there the aqueduct disappears underground. You can follow the course of the water through the old town with the help of bronze plaques inserted in the pavement. Alternatively, you can turn left and enter the old town via Calle Real, passing the Casa de los Picos with its faҫcade made of diamond-shaped stones and the pretty Romanesque Iglesia de San Martin. No matter which route you choose, sooner or later you …

Segovia was one of my favorite day trips from Madrid. Maybe not quite as amazing as Toledo, but most certainly memorable. The city is perched on a plateau, with a castle jutting up from one end like a bowsprit, while at the other end an aqueduct tethers the city to the surrounding countryside. I spent an afternoon wandering the streets in spring 2019, but, should I ever return, I would set aside more time.

The Segovia Aqueduct is perhaps the most famous sight for visitors. This Roman built marvel towers over the Plaza del Azoguejo in the southeast corner of the city, and its double rows of arches are impressive from all angles. Though both were incredible works of engineering, I preferred the Segovia Aqueduct to the Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque that I visited two years earlier.

Continuing through old neighborhoods on the hill past the aqueduct, I took a fantastic tour of the Segovia Cathedral, in the middle of town. I somehow managed to visit in a lull between tour groups, so I had plenty of peace and quiet to admire the vaulted ceilings and ornate chapels of this Gothic cathedral. Perhaps it helped that I visited mid-day on a sunny day, but the interior was much brighter than I had been expecting. Unfortunately my schedule did not allow me time to take a tour of the tower, so that is reason enough to return.

The Alcázar, or fortress, of Segovia was the final highlight of …

Segovia has long been on my wish list, also because of some raving reviews on this website. On my first afternoon in the city I started with the three famous highlights:

I found the Alcázar more impressive from the outside than from the inside. This may be partly because of the fire in the 19th century after which they replaced the interior by ceilings and furniture from many buildings from all over the country. The cathedral I found more and more appealing the longer I stayed inside but I think I have developed a certain weakness for this strange late Gothic style that they call the Isabelline Gothic and that I find very similar to the Manueline Gothic in Portugal. Its interesting curved lines seem to be inspired from plants and perhaps they even inspired Gaudì. With this style the lady who expelled all Jews and Muslims from Spain left at least one good thing of which the Spanish can still be proud.

I also walked along the aqueduct up to the monastery of Saint Anthony which has very impressive mudejar ceilings. If you compare this aqueduct to other Roman aqueduct like the Pont du Gard it is constructed with much rougher stone blocks. Since I was on foot I didn’t get further along the aqueduct then the obvious aboveground section. The core zone however extends for many more kilometres and include the full length of its (partly disputable) course. If you have a car and some time …

Along with Toledo, Segovia is routinely ranked as one of Spain's best world heritage cities. There is so much to explore here, it would be a mistake to not allocate enough time. The Aqueduct, Alcazar, and Cathedral make up the main coordinates you navigate toward, while exploring small medieval streets, ruined monasteries, and the city wall which surrounds you.

The cathedral's upper stories require an additional ticket fee. For some this may not be worth it, the tour takes about an hour. However, the last 15 minutes of the tour are particularly rewarding as you get expansive views of Segovia.

In addition, Segovia's Alcazar also provides different options for the visitor. One allows the visitor to explore the palace and artillery museum, while the others gives access the Tower of Juan II (you can choose full entry). After viewing the cityscape from the cathedral, I opted out of the another vista and just visited the lower section.

The aqueduct is truly magnificent. I found it best in the evening before sunset. The swallows are a bit less active and the light more photogenic. 

There is far more to explore in Segovia than these 3 sites, but it would be a shame to miss any of these highlights. 

I visited this WHS in June 2015. I had been wanting to visit this site and I had included it in my personal Top 100 Unesco WHS Bucket List. Well, it certainly didn't disappoint. The main highlight is obviously the aqueduct which is really huge. Yet another Roman ruin/WHS you might think, but what I found special about this site is that it has become an essential part of the modern city. All the city revolves around this unique site and it lies at the heart of the city not at its margins like most other sites. I walked from the middle of the valley (where the aqueduct reaches 3-4 storeys high to the end the aqueduct which actually continues underground. The walk was pleasant and I would recommend walking up the few steps to the Mirador del Postigo to enjoy a great panoramic view of the city and the aqueduct with the Sierra de Guadarrama in the background. The cathedral can be viewed from Plaza Mayor as most other cathedrals in Spain. It reminded me of the Monastery of Batalha with its pointed spires and as you can see from the photo, every morning there are sunrise hot air baloon rides over the cathedral! Should I revisit I would love to give it a try. The third highlight of Segovia is the Alcazar which is worth viewing even from the inside. That said, I enjoyed myself more in the tranquil and pretty Poets' Garden nearby. Before heading back to …

Segovia is a great city to visit for several reasons, including its historic city walls, its imposing fortress that now houses a military museum, and its huge cathedral, one of the last Gothic cathedrals to be built at a time when Renaissance architecture was already widespread. The city's main claim to fame, and the reason it stands out from the many historic towns in Castile, is its fantastic aqueduct that runs right through the city centre. A masterpiece of Roman civil engineering, and one of the best-preserved ancient monuments anywhere, it served its original purpose until the 19th century. Segovia would be an easy day trip from Madrid, but I spent the night there and could enjoy its many sights for a bit longer.

I think Segovia may be my favourite WHS in Spain of the 19 that I have visited so far. The mixture of an amazing monument, charming cobbled old town and a great selection of restaurants and bars made this a thoroughly enjoyable place to be based for a day.

The aqueduct is rightly the most famous feature of the town, and its massive soaring presence is a great introduction to the city. I really enjoyed heading off in search of its start and then following it all the way into the heart of the city, which in-turn offers great views. The aqueduct isn't alone though in being a remarkable monument in the city centre. The first glimpse I had of Segovia was of the massive gothic cathedral, which is perched on a high point in the town and dominates the surrounding country side. It is nice inside, but I have seen rather a lot of Spanish cathedrals in the last few months so it felt like more of the same for me. The other stand out site was the Alcazar, a bizarre concoction of military stronghold and a faux gothic make over. It is well worth a visit even if it is just for the climb up and views from the tower which has a claim to inspiring Disney's Cinderella's castle.

The thing I really liked about Segovia though was that these great attractions were surrounded by winding streets twisting up and down hill, littered with charming bars, some very …

Besides the aqueduct, the Alcazar and the cathedral, the churches of San Andres and San Martin are worthy of a visit for their architectural features.

Travelling by train I found that there are two stations in Segovia, both quite far from the centre. The high-speed trains arrive at the Guiomar station (bus #11 to the aqueduct) while the slower, cheaper trains arrive at the old Segovia station (bus #8 to the Calle Colon).

Very nice place with very nice food. In fact, the latter does not surprises me since it is not so far from Portugal. This place should be visited together with Salamanca and Avila. The aqueduct is amazing and the castle/palace is magical. I classify it as a castle/palace since I'm used to the portuguese castles that preserve their medieval look (Bragança, Guimarães, Almourol, Silves, Óbidos, Sintra, Lisbon, Leiria, and so may others).

I visited Segovia with my daughters the summer of 2007. One of my daughters was studying in Madrid and she arranged for a day trip to Segovia by Bus. She wanted us to see the Cathedral as it was her favorite of all those she had visited in Spain. We could not find words to describe how amazing it was to view the Aqueduct. Lastly, we visited the Alcazar. My daughter suggested walking down the walkway to view the Castle from Below. From there you can view the base structures of the Castle that originate from a river. Truly Spectacular! We will never forget the memories we made there.

Located about one hour by train from Madrid is one of the best locations for a daily trip. The town itself is absolutely great not only the old town. When i first saw the aquaduct as it pop-up behind a house i was really surprised and amazed. It is something nonforgetable. Walking just around the small streets of old town will give you the real sense of history. Catherdral from outside looks like from a fairy tale.

Please dont miss the Alcazar which is small as it is a former castle on a steep rock, but it is very interesting and very nicely decorated. For military fans there is a small exhibition of artillery.

Segovia, with its Roman aqueduct and its medieval architecture, defintely ranks among the best WHS I've seen so far. Although the aqueduct and the cathedral were wonderful in their own right, the Alcazar was the highlight of my visit. It was a lot bigger than I had imagined with many interesting rooms containing armour, Flemish tapestries and the like. At the time of my visit, there was also an exhibition displaying restored paintings and sculptures that I found quite amusing. The view of the cathedral and the surrounding areas from the top of the tower of Juan II is magnificant (see picture) although the climb up to the top is unpleasant at best (definitely not for the claustrophobic). Segovia is also home to many ancient churches although most were closed on the day we visited (Monday). It is possible to combine a visit to this city with Avila (another WHS) on the same day. It was a little rushed but I managed to see all the sites I wanted.

My wife and I just visited Segovia 3 days ago. We actually live in Valencia Spain, so it only took us about 5 or 6 hours to get there by car. We stayed just under two days and had a great time. The aquaduct was incredible, so was the cathedral and Alcazar. The cathedral took a few hundred years to build and when you are inside, you truly appreciate the architecture and the amazing attention to detail. We weren't supposed to take pictures inside, but couldn't resist. The food was great too. It was a wonderful experience.

My husband and I were in Segovia in June 2000. It is a truly magical place. We only stayed two days but managed to see all the sights as well as joining in with all the fun of a Spanish fiesta.The must sees are the Alcazar and the cathedral. The must feel is the aquaduct. So beautiful and amazing.We stayed at Hotel Infanta Isabel on the Plaza Mayor where everyone made us welcome. We loved this place so much we are visiting again this year en route to Portugal.

I enjoyed some wonderful days here. Segovia is a lovely town with a friendly atmosphere. Especially in the evenings when its inhabitants go for an evening stroll in the medieval streets.

Segovia is most famous for its aqueduct. It's really huge and remarkably complete.

What you really shouldn't miss also is the Alcazar, the Castle. Situated at the top of a hill it has a romantic quality. Inside the knights in armour await you.