For miles around Segovia, the dramatic turrets and spires of the city’s enchanting cathedral and Alcazar complex can be seen splintering into the sky, set to the snowy backdrop of the Sierra de Guadarrama hills. They sit perched on a bluff close to Madrid, at the heart of one of Spain’s most beautiful UNESCO-attested old towns, presiding over the maze of ‘must see’ historical sites in the streets below.
The Old town is a treasure trove of medieval and renaissance palaces, churches and plazas, well crowned by its gothic fairy-tale cathedral. However ask any Segovia tour guide what the city’s best feature is, and they’ll point you straight to the ancient aqueduct that now sits somewhat anachronistically in the new town to the south of its UNESCO heart. Widely considered to be one of the best-preserved Roman relics in all of Iberia, this engineering gem has run through town since its construction sometime in the 1st century.
Segovia’s venerated historic position has also made it a focal point for religious festivities in Spain, with celebrations centring on the Plaza Mayor late in the year, and the grand procession of the Virgin of the Fuencisla taking place in late September.