Dreamy Segovia

I know that photos can’t give a place or a view any justice, but at least they are worth a thousand words. For me, one of the hardest parts of keeping a blog are organizing and choosing the photos that create even a sliver of my experience. I still cannot eliminate under 30 pictures after a trip~so at this point, I give up and just include them. 

Since moving to Madrid, Segovia has been my favorite and most picturesque city to visit. It’s no wonder too, since it is also an UNESCO World Heritage city. Segovia in the fall with all its warm hues is even more stunning; pure eye candy for my camera. Over an hour outside of Madrid, you can easily hop on a bus in the morning for a 15 euro roundtrip ticket, and return that evening after a full, yet relaxed day. Our original plan was to visit El Escorial, but after discovering the monastery is closed on Mondays we hopped on a bus to Segovia despite the weather app’s drizzle warning.

We quickly met new friends after taking our seats on the bus. Our crew of three grew to six with another American auxiliar, one from Wales, and her friend visiting from London. Upon our arrival at the “bus station” which was just a street, we wandered off in the direction of the Alcazar. We had the cathedral in the distance as a guide, and cut through a colorful leafy pathway to reach the city center.

Due to the unpredictable weather, we decided the Alcázar should be our first destination. The Alcázar sits at the edge of a cliff overlooking the photogenic landscape. We literally gasped upon reaching the castle. Once you emerge from the narrow streets, you see this:
It is said that Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle in Disney World was modeled after the Alcázar de Segovia. While there is no reliable source for this claim, Disney artists did travel throughout Europe to explore castles for inspiration. Some job, huh? I can definitely see a resemblance when looking at this photo: 

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While I’d like to say that the Alcázar is an ancient construction, it is actually a reconstruction due to a fire that destroyed most of the castle in 1862. Some call the reconstruction, “over the top,” but I think it’s lovely. Fun fact: Queen Isabella of Spain ascended the throne in 1474 and was married to Ferdinand of Aragon in the Alcázar de Segovia. The ceilings and the windows overlooking the landscape were my favorite details. 

Since we were students, we got into the palace and the tower for a mere 5 euros. Once you reach the top of the tower, you have a lot of room to look out at the scenery in between the parapets. My favorite view was that of the Catedral de Segovia in the distance. 

Everyone was dying of hunger by the time we had climbed up and down the tower, so we ventured off towards the Aqueduct for some cazón and hamburguesas de buey. We passed through many narrow streets and beautifully patterned buildings. 

Before I get to the aqueduct, I will quickly include the Catedral de Segovia, which I visited the week after this photo was taken. 

The Catedral de Segovia was the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain (1525-1768). To me, the exterior is more memorable, but the interior is just as magnificent. 

The Aqueduct of Segovia was built in the 1st century A.D. under the Roman Empire and is one of the most important and well preserved Roman aqueducts in Europe. It’s hard to miss with its impressive height. You can climb stairs next to the aqueduct to capture various angles, or you can admire it from below. For years, I’ve only seen the aqueduct in my Spanish textbooks and now I have my own memory of this slice of history.

Segovia is an absolute must-see of Spain! I know I will be visiting again.