Salamanca, golden stone, two cathedrals and a square to stay in.

Salamanca is a city for walking. Everything you come to see fits within an old town of a couple of kilometres: the Baroque Plaza Mayor, the Casa de las Conchas, the Clerecía, the two cathedrals side by side, the University with its frog hidden in the façade and, at the far end, the Tormes with the Roman Bridge. The Villamayor sandstone, a yellow that turns golden as evening falls, gives the city its colour. And because it has been a university city since 1218, there are people in the street at all hours, in winter too.

How do you get there from Madrid?

By car it is 214 km along the A-50 motorway, about two hours. From Zamora it is about 65 km along the A-66, less than an hour; from Ávila, about 100 km along the A-50, around an hour and a quarter, and from Valladolid, about 120 km along the A-62, an hour and twenty minutes. From Cáceres it is a little over 200 km along the A-66, about two hours.

Without a car, Salamanca is one of the easiest provincial capitals. Renfe has daily trains from Madrid: the Alvia leaves Chamartín and takes around 1 h 36 min, and there is a medium-distance service from Príncipe Pío, slower. The railway station is on Avenida de la Estación, about twenty minutes' walk from the Plaza Mayor. By bus, there is a direct line from Barajas airport (T1 and T4) and from Madrid's Estación Sur; the bus station is on Avenida Filiberto Villalobos.

Where to park?

The historic centre is largely pedestrianised and the surrounding area has regulated parking (ORA). The sensible thing is to leave the car in a public underground car park on the edge of the centre or in one of the park-and-ride sites that the town council publishes, and not move it again until you leave. If you sleep here, the Hotel Rector has a private garage, the Hospes Palacio de San Esteban parking with limited spaces and the Parador a paid garage on the other side of the river.

How much time do you need?

One day covers the essentials: Plaza Mayor, Rúa Mayor, Casa de las Conchas, cathedrals, University and a walk to the Roman Bridge. With two days, you add the Ieronimus towers, the Casa Lis, the convent of San Esteban and the city at night, which is when Salamanca is at its most beautiful: the lit stone of the Plaza Mayor and the façade of the cathedrals is the image you leave with. If you have a third day, head south: La Alberca and the Sierra de Francia are an hour and a quarter away, and Ciudad Rodrigo an hour along the A-62.

A Sunday in Salamanca

Sunday changes the order of the visit. The Historic Building of the University is open only in the morning, from 10:00 to 14:00, so start there. The cathedral is open all day, from 10:00 to 18:00, and the Casa Lis from 11:00 to 15:00. The Casa de las Conchas, which is a public library, closes on Sundays: its façade can be seen just the same from the street. For lunch, Bambú and ConSentido are open on Sunday lunchtime, and it is wise to book.

When to go?

April, May, June, September and October are the best months: mild days and the long afternoon light on the stone. In July and August it is hot in mid-afternoon, but the nights are cool and the city is lively. In winter, Salamanca is on the plateau at almost 800 metres and freezes on many nights; in return there are fewer people at the monuments. Holy Week and the September festivals fill the hotels: book in good time.

What to eat

Salamanca is dehesa country. Ask for Iberian ham and cured meats from the province, morucha beef, the local breed of cattle, and pulses such as pedrosillano chickpeas. Tapas-hopping around the Plaza Mayor is part of the visit: Calle Prior, the Plaza del Mercado and the Plaza del Peso have bars for a round before lunch.