Royal Mint and Aqueduct Interpretation Centre

It is one of the few 16th-century industrial buildings still standing: it was built by Juan de Herrera, Philip II's architect, beside the Eresma, to mint coins using the power of the river. The ticket includes the museum, the temporary exhibitions and the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre.

What you see

It operated as a royal mint from 1586 to 1869, and Turespaña presents it as the oldest example of industrial architecture in Spain still standing. The best part is outside: in the outer courtyard part of the hydraulic system is preserved, with the dam over the Eresma, and the wooden channels and the wheels that drive the forge have been reproduced as in the 16th century. It is worth stopping to see how the river water entered the building and turned the machines, the so-called ingenios.

Inside, the museum explains how coins were minted, first at the city's old mint and then at this Real Ingenio, with rooms such as the engraving room and the room of scales and assaying. With the reform under Charles III, Francisco Sabatini replaced the wheel-driven minting machines with screw presses, and only the rolling wheels remained. There is an audioguide, and the guided tour helps to understand the machines.

In the same complex, the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre is a modern, interactive and multimedia space on the two thousand years of history of the Aqueduct.

Hours and price

Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00; Sundays from 10:00 to 14:30. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. General admission €5, €6 with a guided tour and €4 reduced; on non-holiday Wednesdays it is free. There are guided tours Wednesday to Saturday at 12:00 and 16:30, and on Sunday at 12:00. Phone: 921 475 109; email, [email protected]. Tickets can be bought on the Segovia Tourism booking website.

Getting there

Go down from the Puerta de San Andrés or from the Alcázar towards the river: it is on calle de la Moneda, on the other side of the Eresma. It is a good starting point for the walk along the Eresma valley, which continues along the Alameda del Parral towards San Marcos and the Vera Cruz. The return to the upper city is uphill: allow a quarter of an hour to the Alcázar or the Puerta de San Andrés.