Step Back In Time With A Day Trip to Avila and Segovia

Disclaimer: Included in this post are links to tours I have personally taken or booked for clients on Viator. If you book these tours thru the links in this post, as a travel agent, I will receive a small commission.

Living in the US, many cities here are not anywhere near as old as the cities in other parts of the world. As I grew up in and currently live in one of the oldest cities in the US, one of my top reasons to visit Europe is to explore cities that are even older than my home city of Boston. 

These cities have buildings and structures that are still standing thousands of years later. From churches to castles to military forts and the walls that protected the cities, you can be transported back in time while exploring these cities. If you dream of visiting these walled cities and castles that inspired castles in Disney movies, this day tour to Avila and Segovia from Madrid is for you.

Avila

Located 70 miles northwest of Madrid is the medieval walled city of Avila. The city was founded in the 5th century BC, but it wasn’t until the 11th century that construction began on the walls that have made the city so famous today. It’s been said that Avila’s walls are some of the best-preserved walls in all of Europe. This is very evident when you arrive in Avila and see the walls bordering the city. It’s different from other cities, where large portions of the walls are no longer in existence. These well-preserved medieval walls just add to the charm of this ancient city in Spain.

While some of the city has stretched out beyond the walls, the main part of the city is within the walls. The walled part of the city consists of 77 acres, surrounded by these walls which reach up to 39 feet and include 88 circular towers.  The walls became a national monument in 1884. To gain access beyond these walls, you can enter thru one of the nine gates into the city of Avila. I won’t lie, walking thru this gate below, had me feeling like I was walking into a castle from a fairytale.

Once thru the gates, there is a lot to see. Take a walk thru this medieval town admiring the city streets and old buildings. Some highlights to make sure to visit are:

• Plaza del Mercado Chico - Shortly after we entered thru the city gates, we came to the main square in Avila. The Plaza del Mercado Chico is the main meeting spot for people in the city of Avila. In this square, you will find the Town Hall, the Church of San Juan Bautista, restaurants and shops. 

• Convent of Santa Teresa – Born in Avila in 1515, Santa Teresa was a nun in the city of Avila. Years after her death she was declared a saint in 1622 and then again centuries later she was recognized as the first woman doctor of the Roman Catholic Church due to her mystical ideas on mental prayer. The convent was built in 1636 on the site of Santa Teresa’s birthplace.

• Take a walk on the walls – Have you ever wondered what the view looks like from on top of the city walls? Well wonder no longer, because here in Avila, you can take a walk on a section of the walls. This was probably my favorite part of the time we spent in Avila. While you are up on top of the walls, you can imagine the guards who were up on top of the walls defending the city centuries ago. The walls were not just used to aid in the defense of the city, but they also controlled who and what came into the city, this kept diseases from spreading into the city from outsiders.

While the walls are mostly still in great shape, not all sections are safe to walk on, but the portion currently open to the public consists of 1700 meters of the 2.5-kilometer length of the walls. As you can see from the photos above the views from the walls are stunning. 

Before we head out of Avila to Segovia, please enjoy this video of part of my walk on top of the City Walls of Avila:

Segovia

After leaving Avila, we headed just under an hour northeast to the historical city of Segovia. The city of Segovia dates back 2000 years and was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. This historic city is also a walled city like Avila and includes a roman aqueduct, a castle that inspired a Disney film’s castle, old buildings and a historic Jewish Quarter. There is definitely no shortage of things to see in Segovia, below are the highlights:

• The Aqueduct of Segovia – Driving towards Segovia, we were presented with the site of a beautiful Roman aqueduct. 

The aqueduct was built in the late 1st century/early 2nd century as a means of bringing water from a nearby river to the city of Segovia.  The aqueduct of Segovia is not only beautiful, but it is considered the most impressive Roman structure in Spain. With over 20,000 blocks of granite held together without the use of mortar spanning over 2,000 feet across and 93 feet tall at its highest point, it’s also considered an extraordinary engineering accomplishment. The aqueduct is located at Plaza del Azoguejo, which is the starting point of most people’s visit to the city of Segovia. I recommend not only seeing the aqueduct from the plaza below, but to also take a walk up the stairs to the left or right of the plaza to get a different perspective seeing it from a higher and closer vantage point as well.

• Lunch at Jose Maria Restaurante - One of my favorite things to do when I travel is try the local food, when in Segovia, you must try cochinillo (suckling pig).  Having cochinillo for lunch is not only delicious but also an experience.  So, what exactly is cochinillo? The pigs come from nearby farms and are only a few weeks old. The pigs’ innards are removed, and they are minimally seasoned and cooked over an oak fire.  Being that the pigs are so young, the cochinillo comes out so tender that the pig can be cut with a plate. And this is exactly how the cochinillo is served to you. They bring the cooked whole pig out by your table and start cutting it with a plate.  It’s quite the experience to see. As a warning, they do also cut the head of the pig off with the plate right in front of your table as well, if you might be sensitive to seeing something like that. The cochinillo feeds between 4 and 8 people depending on its size and it’s served with such sides as potatoes and salad. I must say, the cochinillo was the most delicious meal I had while visiting Spain, so definitely give it a try if you visit Segovia.
• Alcazar of Segovia – The one place in Segovia that I was really looking forward to seeing was the Alcazar.

As someone who grew up dreaming of being a princess, I have loved castles from a very young age. And this castle had a connection with Disney, so it really piqued my interest. Back when Walt Disney was getting ready to animate such classics as Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, he took a trip to Europe to do research on castles.  One of the castles he visited was the Alcazar of Segovia and this became the inspiration for the Evil Queen’s castle in the animated film, Snow White. The front of the castle, which is inaccessible, will definitely remind you of the castle in Snow White. And even though Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany was the inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle, the turrets of the Alcazar of Segovia also gave some inspiration to Cinderella’s Castle in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. 

Other than the outside of the Alcazar, there were many other spots within the castle that reminded me of Snow White.  On one of the outdoor balconies, I felt like I was looking at the wishing well from Snow White. This photo just screams Disney to me!

It’s not known exactly how long the Alcazar has been in Segovia, it’s first mention was in the early 12th century, but many believe it’s been there much longer than that. The Alcazar was first used as a military fortress but later became a place for the royal treasury, archives and armory. At one point it was even used as a prison. In 1764, the Alcazar became the home of the College of Artillery and remained so for almost 100 years until there was a fire that destroyed the roof and parts of the interior of the Alcazar in 1862. 

Going inside the Alcazar, you will see it’s past displayed in front of you. There are many different rooms to see inside of the Alcazar and they will all take you back in time. Some of these rooms include:

• The Throne Room – Like many castles around the world, the room where the King and Queen conducted formal business and presided over official ceremonies, is a must see. In this room you can see the King and Queen’s throne, they weren’t nearly as ornate as I’ve seen in other castles.

• Hall of Kings – This room featured ornamental depictions of the many Kings in Spain over the years. It’s definitely a very impressive room to see.

• Hall of the Galley – This room is named after the ceiling in the room which is in the shape of a ship’s hull. At the far end of this room is a beautiful painting of the coronation of Queen Isabella I in the 15th century.

• Armory - With the Alcazar’s history of being used as an armory, it’s no surprise that there is in fact an Armory to see while touring the Alcazar today. 

• Museum of the Royal College of Artillery – As mentioned previously, the College of the Artillery was located at the Alcazar of Segovia for close to 100 years, so it makes sense that there is a museum dedicated to the College in the Alcazar today.

Throughout the castle, you can also see beautiful stained-glass windows and views of the surrounding countryside.

A walk around the grounds of the Alcazar is also a great idea. You can really get some wonderful photos of the Alcazar of Segovia from all different angles to truly capture the fairytale vibes of the building.

• Plaza Mayor and Segovia Cathedral – The main square of Segovia is called Plaza Mayor. Here you can find many restaurants and cafes to enjoy a meal at. This is also the location for many of the festivals that occur in the city of Segovia and where Spanish holidays are celebrated in the city.  It is also the location of the Cathedral of Segovia. Construction on the gothic style cathedral began in 1525 and continued until 1768 when it was completely finished. You can visit the cathedral where guided tours of the cathedral and tower are available.

• Take a Walk Thru the City – A walk thru this old city is a must. The streets are filled with beautiful old buildings to see.

If you dream of visiting older walled cities and seeing castles that will remind you of fairytales, a day trip from Madrid to Avila and Segovia is the day trip for you. You can book this day trip here.

For another great day trip from Madrid, check out my post on Toledo.

If you are needing help in planning your Spain vacation, Beyond The Miles Travel would be more than happy to help you. 

Pin for later: