Travel Guide to Salamanca, Spain

This is the largest cultural center of Spain, a famous university region and simply a beautiful old town. Your rest in Salamanca will be pleasant and interesting. The choice of attractions in Salamanca is so wide that even mentioning them all is an uneasy task.

The house decorated with shells is surely one of the most unusual architectural places of interest. This beautiful mansion was built in 1514, and its facade is decorated with hundreds of real shell valves. Diocesan Museum is widely known as the oldest cultural institution of the city. Here you will find a collection of paintings and statues, the most valuable of which is the figure of the Virgin Mary made of ivory. It is also worth noting the ancient cathedral Catedral Vieja, the building of which took place in 12 - 13 centuries. The building is created in best traditions of the Romanesque style.

Another marvelous creation of the medieval architects is Catedral Vieja, which facade is decorated with elegant carvings. The altar of the church, which is adjacent to the architectural complex, will be particularly interesting to visitors. The altar is decorated with delicate hand-painted gilding. The altar is the creation of the famous sculptor Jose de Churriguera and his best pupils.

Mayor Square located in the city center is the best place for walking. The square often becomes the location of ceremonies and mass events. It is always very crowded; travellers are photographing in front of beautiful homes, and local residents relax, sipping coffee leisurely in outdoor restaurants. The Provincial Museum of Fine Arts is the most visited cultural institution. The nine halls of the museum feature works by famous Spanish painters of 16 - 20 centuries.