Cathedral of Santa María, Museum and Bell Tower
1 h 30EveryoneAll year; guided visits Friday to Sunday
Ciudad Rodrigo Cathedral, with its choir stalls, cloister and museum, and the guided climb up the tower at weekends · 1 h 30 · €8
Getting thereA-62 dual carriageway from Salamanca
From SalamancaAbout 90 km, one hour
Best timeMarch – June · September – November
Minimum time1 day
Overall difficultyEasy
What to do
What to do in Ciudad Rodrigo
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
The Wall Walk of Ciudad Rodrigo
1 hEveryone; no railing on some stretchesDog-friendlyAll year
The walk along the top of the medieval wall and the 18th-century bastions, with views of the River Águeda and the cathedral · 1 h · free
Border Fortifications Centre and Chamber Pot Museum
1 h 30FamiliesAll year
The history of the frontier fortress town, at the Puerta del Conde, and the San Cayetano chamber pot museum, on a single ticket · 1 h 30 · €5
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Ciudad Rodrigo, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Ciudad Rodrigo
Spring and autumn, with mild temperatures for the adarve. In February, the Carnaval del Toro fills the city. In summer, hot middays; in winter, dry cold but everything is open.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Who you're with
Ciudad Rodrigo for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Walls to Walk Along the Top and a Castle with a Garden
Ciudad Rodrigo is a walled city that you walk along the top of: that alone hooks children. Under-10s do not pay at the municipal centres and almost everything is close by.
- What works bestThe wall walk, with the…
- Where to stayParador de Ciudad Rodrigo, with…
- EatingThe Parador restaurant, with eggs…
- Worth knowingSome stretches of the wall…
What works best
- The wall walk, with the bastions and the river view
- The Chamber Pot Museum, which makes people of any age laugh
- The castle tower, €2, with gardens
- The fortifications centre, with guided visits four times a day
Where to stay
- Parador de Ciudad Rodrigo, with a park and a private play area
Eating
- The Parador restaurant, with eggs and farinato to share
Worth knowing
- Some stretches of the wall walk have no parapet: hold hands with little ones
- At Carnival, with the bull runs of the Carnaval del Toro, the Plaza Mayor is not for small children
What to do as a family
Where to stay
Where to stay in Ciudad Rodrigo
© ParadoresHotelParador de Ciudad Rodrigo
Why we like it: The castle of Enrique II de Trastámara, above the Águeda gorge, with renovated rooms, a garden and a private children's play area.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Ciudad Rodrigo
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
© ParadoresParador de Ciudad Rodrigo Restaurant
What to order: farinato with eggs, the Ciudad Rodrigo dish, and then morucha beef or Iberian pork.
Bar Castilla Restaurant
What to order: some raciones on the square, with farinato if they have it.
Nearby
Near Ciudad Rodrigo
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
40.49° N · 6.11° W
La Alberca and the Sierra de Francia
By carCar-free
40.27° N · 5.86° W
Hervás and the Ambroz Valley
By carBy bike
40.20° N · 5.81° W
Jerte Valley
By carCar-freeLuxuryOn foot
40.96° N · 5.66° W
Salamanca
By carCar-freeLuxury
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Enter the cathedral free on weekdays
From Monday to Thursday, 11:00 to 11:30, admission is free, except on public holidays.
- 2One ticket, two museums
The Fortificaciones and the Museo del Orinal can be seen on the same €5 ticket; under-10s go free.
- 3Climb the tower at the weekend
Guided visits to the bell tower run from Friday to Sunday, at 13:30 and 17:30.
- 4Watch the adarve with children
There are stretches without a parapet: hold their hands.
Ciudad Rodrigo is the last Castilian city before Portugal, 25 km from the border. That is why it was a fortress town: bastions, moats and ravelins were added to the medieval wall in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the whole complex has survived intact to this day. Inside there is a cathedral with its cloister, a 14th-century castle converted into a Parador, an arcaded Plaza Mayor and a dozen Renaissance palaces. In the war against Napoleon it was besieged twice, by the French in 1810 and by Wellington's British in 1812, and the impact marks can still be seen on the cathedral tower. It makes a full day from Salamanca, and the most satisfying plan for an autumn Sunday.
How do you get there?
From Salamanca, take the A-62 towards Portugal, about 90 km in an hour. From Zamora, about 150 km in a little over an hour and a half; from Ávila or Cáceres, a little over two hours. Park outside the walled enclosure, on the esplanade by the wall, and enter on foot through the Puerta del Conde or the Puerta del Sol: inside, the streets are narrow.
What to see in a day
Start with the cathedral, which opens at 11:00. Admission, with an audio guide, costs €8, and from Monday to Thursday between 11:00 and 11:30 it is free. From Friday to Sunday there are guided visits to the bell tower at 13:30 and 17:30, for €4.50. Continue through the old town: the Plaza Mayor and the Casa Consistorial, the Moctezuma palace with its free exhibition on Wellington and Napoleon, and the streets of palaces.
After lunch, climb up to the adarve (the wall walk) and go right round the city along the top of the wall: it is free and takes an hour, with the Águeda valley on one side. At the Puerta del Conde, the Fortificaciones de la Frontera centre explains the fortress town; the same €5 ticket also gets you into the Museo del Orinal, in Plaza de Herrasti. Finish at the castle of Enrique II: for €2 you can climb the keep and stroll through the Parador gardens.
How much time do you need?
One day is enough for everything above without rushing. With one night, sleep at the Parador and the next day continue to the Sierra de Francia, less than an hour away: La Alberca is the natural next stop. From Ciudad Rodrigo you can also reach the Real Fuerte de la Concepción, in Aldea del Obispo, in a short drive, though it is currently closed temporarily.
When to go
Spring and autumn are the best times: the adarve has no shade and in summer midday is hot. In February the Carnaval del Toro takes place, with bull runs, capeas and the Plaza Mayor closed off with barriers: it is the city's big festival and it fills up, so if you are not going for it, choose another date. In winter it is dry and cold, but the cathedral and the visitor centres open every day.
Eating in Ciudad Rodrigo
The city's dish is farinato, a sausage of bread, lard and paprika that is fried and eaten with eggs. Also Guijuelo ham, morucha beef and Iberian pork. The Parador restaurant, inside the castle, cooks traditional Charro dishes and opens every day at lunchtime. In the Plaza Mayor, the Bar Castilla is good for a coffee or some raciones between visits; it does not publish its opening hours, so call ahead.
Where to stay in Ciudad Rodrigo
The Parador, in the castle of Enrique II, above the river, has a park and play area for children and a restaurant open every day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you walk along the walls of Ciudad Rodrigo?
Yes, the adarve goes all round the city and is free. You climb up by ramps and stairs next to the gates.
How much does the cathedral cost?
€8 with an audio guide, €6 or €7 reduced, and free from Monday to Thursday from 11:00 to 11:30.
What is the Carnaval del Toro?
Ciudad Rodrigo's main festival, in February, with bull runs and capeas in the Plaza Mayor.
What do you eat in Ciudad Rodrigo?
Farinato with eggs, Guijuelo ham, morucha beef and Iberian pork.
How long does it take from Salamanca?
An hour along the A-62, about 90 km.
Where can you park?
Outside the wall, on the esplanades by the gates, and enter on foot.