Portray of the Destination
Located on the banks of the Tormes River, its surface area is 12.336 sq km, and its
population is 159,000 inhabitants. In spite of its rigorous weather (cold and dry winters and hot
summers), Salamanca’s many attractions guarantee the visitor a very pleasant stay, as the city is
focused on tourism and leisure activities.
During 2002 Salamanca was the “European Capital of Culture”: music, dance, exhibitions,
street shows... Activities in Salamanca cover a broad spectrum: from the latest cultural trends to
mere entertainment. Salamanca’s creative gastronomy and its popular festivities complete its
attractive touristic panorama.
We would like to thank the “Comunicación y Turismo” tourism board of Salamanca for the
photographs and text provided.
Visit:
www.salamanca.es
Geography
Located on the banks of the Tormes River, its surface area of 12,336 sq. km makes it the
third largest province in Castile and León, after León and Burgos. Snow covered mountain peaks of “
Sierra de Bejar”, deep valleys by the “Arribes del Duero”, green and yellow lands of crops, shady
forests full of mystery, lands of clear horizons, interweaving mountain valleys, small crystal
clear streams and majestic rivers… these are images the traveller will enjoy across the lands of
Salamanca.
This is so as in this western area of the Iberian Peninsula two characteristics prevail above
all others that make it unquestionably unique: its diversity and its environmental quality. This
has allowed the protection of a vast part of this territory, which has been included in the Natural
Habitats Network of Castile and León and in the European Network Natura 2000. Get ready for the
adventure of enjoying and discovering amazing places and landscapes of great beauty.
Climate
The weather in Salamanca is typically continental, with cold and dry winters and hot summers.
The average temperature is 3.7ºC in January, reaching in days of great snowfall many degrees below
zero. However, during the summer the average temperature is 24.2ºC, occasionally reaching a maximum
of 35ºC or even 40ºC.
When to go
We recommend to visit the city of Salamanca during spring or autumn, since the temperature is
milder. However the historic, geographical and cultural richness of the area invite the tourist to
visit it all year round, and enjoy its enchanting attractions.
History
The ancient Helmantike or Salmantica was located in the area inhabited by the Arevacos and
the Vacceos. Belonging to Lusitania and under the authority of Emerita Augusta, it attained a
notable growth in Roman times due to its position at an important crossroads, “Via de la Plata”
way, that connected Merida with Astorga.
It was a Visigothic settlement, invaded by the Muslims (8th century), it was repopulated by “
Serranos”, Castilians, Toresanos, Portuguese, Galicians, Mozarbs and Jews. Alfonso IX, king of
Leon, was the founder in 1218 of the “Estudio General”, which was the starting point of the
University. It was restructured by Alfonso X, king of Castile and Leon, in 1254. Considering the
date of its foundation, it was the first University in the kingdom, and for the quantity and
quality of the teaching imparted by its prestigious professors, it was one of the first in Europe.
It reached its highest splendour during the 16th century, when it became one of the major
centres of culture in Spain. Salamanca is a university town in the midst of a province of cattle
raisers and farmers. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the Faculty of Law became
prominent. Worth mentioning are the names of personalities like Miguel de Unamuno, Gil Robles,
Mariano Andres and Pedro Dorado Montero, among others. During the first decades of the 20th century
the population of Salamanca experienced a steady growth, expanding horizontally beyond the city
walls.
Traditions
Salamanca’s cultural wealth is reflected on its varied festival calendar: celebrations and
festivities take place throughout the year allowing the traveler to witness and participate in the
emotion of tradition. Thus, the winter days of the beginning of the year are more domestic in
character, as we see with the festivities of San Antón, San Sebastián, las Candelas or San Blas,
while women take control in the festivity of las Águedas.
The “Carnaval del Toro” in Ciudad Rodrigo precedes the Holy Week, which is especially
interesting in the capital, followed by a picnicking in the countryside of Lunas de Aguas. Arbors
and blessings of the fields in spring precede the Corpus Christi celebrations and its “Hombres de
Musgo” in Béjar, and the “Espantos” in Ledesma.
Summer provides an endless number of celebrations among which we can enjoy the offerings of
La Alberca, Mogarraz and San Martin del Castañar, or the festivities of “encierros” (running of
bulls through the streets) and bullfights in Vitigudino, Lumbrales, Macotera, Aldeadávila de la
Ribera, Fuenteguinaldo or Los Santos. “La Santa Cruz”, the festivity of Santa Teresa in Alba de
Tormes, All Saint's day and the Immaculate Conception and the “Petitorio” of Christmas in Sequeros
are the most noteworthy festive events, before ending the year with the Midnight Mass of Macotera
and La Robra in El Cabaco.
Gastronomy
The cuisine of the province of Salamanca enjoys a well deserved reputation. Its dishes are
creative and delightful, abundant and appropriate for the cold winters. The most typical of the
innumerable specialities of Salamanca are the “chafaina”, rice with small pieces of sausage and
meat, the “ chichas”, made with pork meat, the “cochinillo” (roasted piglet), the “hornazo”, pastry
filled with meat, sausage, ham and boiled eggs.
Among its delicious pastries we should mention the “chochos”, big white anise sweets, and the
“bollo maimon”, a round cake made with eggs, cornstarch and sugar.
Basic Dictionary
YES: si
NO: no
HELLO: hola
GOOD BYE: adios
GOOD MORNING: buenos días
GOOD AFTERNOON: buenas tardes
GOOD NIGHT: buenas noches
PLEASE: por favor
SORRY: lo siento
THANK YOU: gracias
DOCTOR: médico
PHARMACY: farmacia
NUMBERS: 1: un. 2: dos. 3: tres. 4: cuatro. 5:
cinco. 6: seis. 7: siete. 8: ocho. 9: nueve. 10: diez. 11: once. 12: doce. 13: trece. 14: catorce.
15: quince. 16: dieciséis. 17: diecisiete. 18: dieciocho. 19: diecinueve. 20: veinte. 21:
veintiuno. 22: veintidós. 30: treinta. 40: cuarenta. 50: cincuenta. 60: sesenta. 70: setenta. 80:
ochenta. 90: noventa. 100: cien. 1000: mil.
DAYS OF THE WEEK: MONDAY: lunes. TUESDAY: martes.
WEDNESDAY: miércoles. THURSDAY: jueves. FRIDAY: viernes. SATURDAY: sábado. SUNDAY: domingo.
COMMON WORDS: BIG/SMALL: grande/pequeño. HOT/COLD:
caliente/frío. OPEN/CLOSED: abierto/cerrado. GOOD/BAD: bueno/malo. NEW/OLD: nuevo/viejo. PUSH/PULL:
empujar/tirar. ENTRANCE/EXIT: entrada/salida. LADIES/GENTLEMEN: señoras/señores. FAR/NEAR:
lejos/cerca. LEFT/RIGHT: izquierda/derecha. TAXI: taxi. BUS: autobús. MEALS: BREAKFAST: desayuno.
LUNCH: comida. DINNER: cena. MENU: menú. WINES: vinos. DESSERT: postre. THE BILL: la cuenta.
COMMON SENTENCES:
DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?: ¿Habla inglés?
I DON'T UNDERSTAND: no entiendo
WHERE IS IT?: ¿donde está?
HOW MUCH IS IT: ¿Cuánto es?
WHAT TIME IS IT: ¿Qué hora es?
COULD YOU HELP ME: ¿Puede ayudarme?
Currency
The local currency is the Euro, divided into 100 cents. The bank notes are: 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 Euros. The coins are: 1 and 2 Euros and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent.
Currency Exchange
1.00 U$S (US dollar)=0.82 Euros
1.00 GBP (Sterling Pounds)=1.45 Euros.
Prices
Compared with other countries of the European Union and maybe due to its strong emphasis on
tourism, Spain is one of the less expensive countries for travelling. Prices obviously vary
depending on the time of the year, being higher in summer and lower in winter.
Useful Info
Official nameSalamanca
CountrySpain
Time ZoneGMT + 1
Official LanguageSpanish
Surface area12,336 sq.km
Population159,000 inhabitants
Political RegimeConstitutional Monarchy
Public holidaysJanuary 1st: New Year
January 6th: Epiphany, the Magi
March 19th: Saint Joseph
March or April: Holy Week
April 23rd: Day of Castile and Leon
May 1st: Labour Day
June 12th: Day of San Juan de Sahagun
August 15th: Assumption of the Virgin
September 8th: Our Lady of La Vega
October 12th: National Day of Spain Our lady of el Pilar
November 1st: All Saints Day
December 6th: Constitution Day
December 8th: Immaculate Conception
December 25th: Christmas.
ReligionAs in the rest of Spain, the population is mainly Catholic.
Arrival / DepartureAccess to Salamanca is easy and offers many possibilities. Either by air, chosing between its own
airport and that of nearby Madrid, or by road, as Salamanca is serviced by the entire road network
available in Spain.
SafetySalamanca is aware of the great number of tourists it receives, it is a priority for the local
authorities as it is in the rest of the country, to ensure the security of travellers.
Nevertheless, the general advice offered to tourists travelling everywhere, should be considered.
Thus, we recommend carrying only the necessary money for each outing and not all your funds, as
well as being extra careful in crowded places to avoid being robbed of your property.
VisaThe European Union tourists do not need visa to enter Spain. Neither those citizens of the United
States, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and the rest of the Latin American countries, though a return
ticket must be bought. Travelers from Australia, Anguilla, Bermuda, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea,
Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Israel, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Montserrat, New
Zealand, Saint Helena, Singapore and Turk & Caicos do not either need visa provided that they
do not stay more than 90 days in Spain.
ClothingThere are no defined rules about clothing; clothes change according to the season, place and
circumstances. People in Spain do not dress very formally to work or to share leisure time with
others; most of the time they wear comfortable, casual clothes. It is important to remember that
during the winter months, especially January, temperature may become very cold so that warm clothes
will be necessary.
Electricity220 volts, 50 hz. Sockets are usually for two round pin plugs.
Radio and TelevisionIn Salamanca you can enjoy the national television channels: TVE1, TVE2, Antena 3, Tele 5, Cuatro
and La Sexta, and the regional channels: CETELMON TV and Iris Televisión.
Some of the radio stations you can tune are: RNE, Cadena SER, Cadena 100, Radio Clásica,
Cadena COPE, Onda Cero, 40 Principales, as well as the regional stations: Salamanca, Rock &
Gol, Radio Oasis and Onda Cero among others.
TelephoneThe Spanish phone code is 34 and the Salamanca code is 923. To make a phone call to another country
you must first dial 00 and then the international code of the country you would like to call to and
finally dial the subscriber phone number. For phone calls within Spain a special code is not
required.
The most important mobile phone operators are Amena ( www.amena.com), Movistar/Telefónica
Móviles (www.movistar.tsm.es), Vodafone (www.vodafone.es) and Ono (www.ono.es). Telephone booths
are very common along the streets and they work with coins or phone cards. There are also the
called locutorios, they are establishments with many phone booths, where coins or cards are not
needed, just pay in cash the phone call after the conversation. In many of this kind of places it
is also possible to send and receive faxes and there are computers with internet connection as
well.
Police092
Ambulance923 300 711
Fire Brigade080
Tourist health care services923 296 000 or 923 296 001
Newspapers and MagazinesAll of the main newspapers from Spain, like Abc, El Mundo, El País, La Razón, La Vanguardia, are
available in Salamanca, but there are also important regional newspapers like: La Gaceta Regional
(www.lagacetadesalamanca.es), El Adelanto (www.eladelanto.com) y Tribuna (www.tribuna.net).
As to magazines: “Época”, “Semana”, “Interviú”, “Primera Línea” and “Tiempo de Hoy”.
Postal ServiceThe Spanish Postal Service is efficient. Letters within Europe usually take between three and five
days. Sending a special delivery costs no less than 2.5 euros. The post offices in the city are
located in:
- Maestro Soler, 26-28 , Tel: +34 923 272 054;
- Av. París, 2-4 Tel: +34 923 221440;
- Av. Portugal, 75 Tel: +34 923 220 391 (open monday through friday from 8.30 AM to 8.30 PM,
Saturdays from 9.30 AM to 1.00 PM, Sundays closed);
- Gran Vía, 25-29 Tel: +34 923 281 457 (open monday through friday from 8.30 AM to 8.30 PM,
Saturdays from 9.30 AM to 2.00 PM, Sundays closed).
Health Care ServicesThe health care system in Salamanca, as in the rest of Spain, is good; there is a wide network of
health centres which provide medical service in both primary care and specialized assistance. There
is no alert whatsoever; the only precaution, actually, has to do with the rigour of the sun and its
harshness, which can even cause sunstroke.
Health care attention in Salamanca is provided in:
-
Hospital Clínico Universitario. Paseo San
Vicecnte, 108. Tel.: 923 291 100
-
Healthcare setting Virgen de la Vega. Paseo San
Vicente, 58. Tel.: 923 291 200
-
Hospital privado de la Santísima Trinidad (with
medical insurance). Paseo Carmelitas, 74-94. Tel.: 923 269 300
-
Cruz Roja. Cruz Roja, s/n. Tel.: 923 221 032
-
Cruz Roja´s ambulances: 923 222 222 (for
free)
-
Healthcare centre La Alamedilla. Av. Comuneros
27-31, Tel: 923 126591.
AirportSalamanca’s airport is called Matacán, and it is both a civil and military airport, with a
predominance of the military. It is located to the east of Salamanca, at a distance of 15 km on the
road that connects Salamanca with Avila. The only means of transport to and from the airport is the
taxi. The civil terminal receives few flights as Barajas airport in Madrid concentrates most
flights.
To reach Salamanca from Barajas the “Autores” buses run every hour or half an hour, from 7 AM
to 10 PM. The “express” journey takes two hours and a half. Address: Ctra. de Madrid. Km. 14 37181,
Matacán/Salamanca, Telephone: +34 923 329 600.
Public TransportThe main means of transport to Salamanca is by road or by train. Buses and trains run frequently
between Salamanca and Madrid, and the distance is covered in little more than two hours.
RailwayIt is also possible to travel to Salamanca by train. Trains depart from Chamartin station in
Madrid. The journey is around two and a half hours long, with a frequency of seven services per
day, and the fare is 14.55 Euros in tourist class. The train arrives in the railway station of
Salamanca, where a modern Shopping Center called “Vialia” makes it more attractive to come by
train. The location of the station is: Paseo de la Estación, s/n, Tel: +34 923 240 202.
BusIn Salamanca there are 13 urban bus services that run during the day and one during the night, all
of which provide a comfortable means of transport within the city.
Information office: Plaza del Mercado, 7 37002 Teléfono: +34 923 216 243.
CarThere is no motorway from Madrid airport to Salamanca, so the fastest way is: from Barajas
following the signs to the A6 highway (Corunna), way out more or less at Km 100 and take the
national highway N-501 towards Avila. From Avila, follow the same N-501 to Salamanca.
Car RentalsThe following are some of the car rental offices in Salamanca:
-
Autocares Sanalón: Tel: +34 923 226202, Fax: +34
923 226202, e-mail: info@autocares-sanalon.com
-
Avis Salamanca: Paseo de Canalejas, 49, Tel: +34
923 269753, www.avis.es
-
Europcar: Calzada de la Medina, 7-9, Tel: +34 923
250270, Fax: +34 923 243554, www.europcar.es
-
National Atesa: Tel: +34 923 187998, Fax: +34 923
188001, www.atesa.es
ShipThere is no access by ship to the city of Salamanca.
Spanish embassy in the destination Taking pictures See climatewww.worldweather.org
Currency converterwww.xe.com/ucc
A dinnerApproximately 35 Euros.
A coffeeApproximately 1.50 Euros
The Bus1.10 Euros.
The taxiApproximately 1.65 Euros when the meter starts running + 0.75 to 0.90 Euros per km. Night way and short distances: aprox. 5 €.
