Segovia, a Gem Just an Hour Outside of Madrid

Located about an hour’s drive north of Madrid, Segovia makes a great day trip for anyone interested in castles, cathedrals, and ancient Roman ruins!

We visited Segovia on our weeklong road trip adventure from Madrid. While we didn’t stay overnight, we got a good feel for the main attractions of the city. Segovia would make for a great day trip out of Madrid or, as we did, a stop on the way when doing a road trip.

However, if it’s your first time to Madrid, unless you’re staying well over a week, you’ll find plenty to do within the city itself.  See our post about visiting Madrid for plenty of ideas. On the other hand, if you are planning a longer stay, or you are a repeat visitor looking for something new, adding Segovia or Aranjuez can be something easily doable from Madrid either by train or by renting a car.

Segovia, Spain

Segovia’s history begins with an early Celtic settlement established in the 5th century BCE. It was conquered by the Romans and later by the Muslims. A Christian reconquest occurred in 1088, and Segovia became a major center in Castile. The city prospered when it became a royal residence and grew what was a booming wool trade at the time.

Key events in Segovia include Isabella I’s proclamation as queen in 1474 as well as being known for its early print works with the city’s first printed book being made in 1472.

Must-see attractions

Being in town for just half a day, we focused on the highlights which include a huge Roman Aqueduct, the famous Alcazar of Segovia, and the Segovia Cathedral. There is surely more to do in this charming little town, but it was already cold in November with an icy wind, and we focused on these centrally located highlights with the short time we had.

Segovia’s Roman Aqueduct

Impressively huge and nicely restored, the Roman aqueduct of Segovia was built in the late 1^st or early 2^nd century AD. Originally constructed to transport water 17 km from the Frio River to the city, it was in use right up to the late 20^th century. If only they could build things to last like that today!

Consisting of 167 arches, it was built with granite blocks without using any mortar! The whole old town of Segovia including this aqueduct was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Be sure to walk up the steps to get a good perspective of the aqueduct. We were really impressed.

Segovia Cathedral

The Cathedral of Segovia was the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain. The building of the cathedral was started in the 16^th century and continued through to the 18^th century.

The Basque-Castilian Gothic cathedral is referred to as “The Lady of Cathedrals”.  The cathedral is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for Segovia.

Hidden treasures in the cathedral include some beautiful religious paintings by old masters. Be sure to go around the outdoor terrace in the inner courtyard as there is a tapestry room and other treasures housed in exhibit rooms across on the other side. We almost turned back because of the cold and would have missed these. There wasn’t any clear signage either.

A ticket to the cathedral also includes entry to the Episcopal Palace which is just a short 3-minute walk away. Be sure to go in as you’ll get to admire a collection of church artifacts and the furnished State Rooms which still contain the original furnishings from the 17^th century.

Alcazar of Segovia

The Alcazar of Segovia has existed since at least the 12^th century and is listed as one of the most visited landmarks in Spain.

A short 10-minute walk from the cathedral, we simply left our car in the underground parking lot near the cathedral.

Once at the Alcazar, make sure you get the audio guide. It had a lot of information which is not included in the limited signage. Also, since the information was only in Spanish, we used the google camera translator app which worked quite well. You can download the languages to this app before traveling (and avoid roaming charges or using up your bandwidth!

Be sure to check out the impressively deep moat on the way in towards the front entrance.

While a lot of the palace was destroyed by fire, it has been rebuilt with exact replicas. The rooms are large and airy and there are many wonderful paintings and historic artifacts.

You’ll also get some great views.

Parking in Segovia’s Old Town

First off, there is not a lot of parking on the old town streets, but if you are lucky to find some, you can download and use the EasyPark parking app which makes the experience seamless. We used the same app when doing a road trip in Sicily, Italy, and it works great. Just remember to enter or update your rental car license plate number! No change or cash required, you even get reminders when time is running out.

We ended up finding a good underground parking near the cathedral which cost us €8 for about 4 hours. You’ll find public parking identified with a clearly identified P in blue. They are often built under public squares, and you’ll see a ramp heading underground.

Segovia is small enough that once parked we simply walked an extra 10 minutes to get from the cathedral to the Alcazar.

We also found it interesting that the parking lots used cameras to snap a picture of our license plate and put that on the ticket. On exit, there was no need to reenter the ticket as the system recognized the plate and knew we had paid at the machine.

Conclusion

We came for a day trip but if you’re staying a few days you may want to combine other castles in the area. But, do keep in mind that most are closed on Mondays. Here are a few that we found but haven’t had the chance to visit yet (since we were there on a Monday):

• Castillo de Coca: Known for its fantastic rooftop views and frescoed rooms
• Castillo de Pedraza: An atmospheric castle with beautiful grounds
• Castillo de Cuellar: A large castle that requires a guided tour for entry
• Castillo de Turégano: Offers excellent views of the surrounding countryside
• Casa Fuerte de las Cadenas: A fortress-house dating from the 13th to 15th centuries
• Palacio Real de Riofrio: A royal palace with extensive grounds

Everything was extremely reasonably priced in Segovia, Spain, with admission tickets often just €2-3, And parking about one euro per hour. The Roman aqueduct was free.