Off the Beaten Path

Are you longing for the sunny land of Spain, but want a side trip that goes beyond the ordinary Spanish destinations? Perhaps you have seen the major cities and want to soak up some history in an exciting and fascinating place. Although Spain offers many choices for that small-town exploration, there is one city that delivers a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience. This elusive destination is Segovia (pronounced with a "b" in the place of "v"), an ancient city inhabited by the Celtic tribes in ages past and now one of Spain's most beautiful offerings. Segovia is a city where history is never hard to find, and culture colors every block. You'll undoubtedly find the change from Madrid's or Seville's beating heart of action to Segovia's churches and places of reflection to be welcome.

Cultural Beginnings

Segovia had its beginnings as a Celtic settlement until it was conquered, like much of the known world, by the Roman armies. When Moorish armies were subduing and reconstructing Spain's Andalusian region to suit their own tastes, Segovia remained untouched by foreign influences and sports mostly Spanish colonial architecture. The baroque and classical elements of many of Segovia's famous buildings show that the city had no trouble keeping up with the architectural demands of the times. In an age where cathedrals reaching to the skies were a mark of importance, Segovia's cathedral wasted no time in constructing their own "miniature heaven" to add to Spain's impressive churches.

Scattered among the famous sights in Segovia are smaller sites with just as much history. A view of the city with the cathedral towering over the smaller dwellings reveals that the Castilian landscape hasn't changed much in the last four hundred years. Before you sit down and decide which attractions to fit into your schedule, make sure that visiting the Alcazar of Segovia is the first priority on your list. There are enough things to see in the castle and on the grounds that spending a few days scouting out this chunk of history would probably not allot you enough time to see everything.