Portray of the Destination
A Royal Decree issued the 11th of October of 1884 declared the Aqueduct of Segovia as an Artistic Historical Monument; this title would also be received, some time later, by other buildings like the Tower of San Esteban, Monastery of El Parral, the Vera Cruz Church and the Alcázar -fortress-. In 1941, the declaration became extensive to all the old part of the city and in 1947 the set of orchards and groves surrounding it, were recognized as “Paraje Pintoresco” (Picturesque Site), and worthy of protection.
Finally, in 1985, UNESCO culminated the process declaring Segovia City as World Heritage. Everything in the city, houses and walls, palaces and temples, towers and trees that compete in majesty with the towers, they are linked and interlaced forming a singular framework of narrow streets and squares gathered together or unexpectedly opened to suggestive perspectives, in which it is difficult to establish the limits between gilded stones and a vegetation which the seasons dress in a matching, splendid color.
We would like to thank the "Patronato de Turismo" of Segovia for the information and photographs provided.
Geography
Segovia is a Spanish city, capital of the province under the same name, integrated in the Autonomous Region of Castile and León. It is located in the Iberian Peninsula, next to Valladolid, the regional capital, and to Madrid, the country capital, which allows easy access. The province of Segovia is one of the nine that forms the Autonomous Region of Castile and Leon. It limits to the north with Burgos and Valladolid, to the west with Ávila, to the south with Madrid, Guadalajara and to the east with Soria. Its coordinates are 40º 46' and 41º 35' of North latitude, 3º 13' and 4º 42' of West longitude. It has an extension of 6949 Km2. The altitude of the province varies from the 750 m in the extreme northwest to the maximum of the 2,430 m of the top of the Peñalara Peak. The natural landscape is defined by dry plains, territories of pine groves, valleys and large areas of mountain ranges. The main rivers of Segovia are the Eresma, Cega, Duratón and Riaza. Part of the Sistema Central mountain range extends from the northeast to the southwest with the mountains of Ayllón, Somosierra, Guadarrama and Malagón.
Climate
Its location, inside the Iberian Peninsula, and its altitude, 1,000 meters over sea level, conditions its climate, with four differentiated seasons: long, dry and cold winters and very hot but short summers. It is influenced by the proximity to the Guadarrama Mountain range, which highest peak, Peñalara, surpasses 2,400 meters over sea level. The mountain is covered in snow during a long part of the year, allowing the existence of several facilities for skiing.
When to go
One of the best seasons to visit the Castilian capital is during spring (due to its climatology), when the flowers blossom, and during autumn, when the green trees turn into a copper and gold polychrome mosaic. During this seasons the city offers its maximum beauty.
History
Segovia is city of ancient history. Some zoomorphic sculptures confirm remote Celtiberian roots; the magnificent Aqueduct and many other vestiges of the same period, their integration into the Roman empire; and the Visigoth necropolis found nearby, the establishment of Germanic towns. The absence of Muslim archaeological remains and the existence of one of the richest Romanesque sites of Europe support the historians’ thesis, who maintain that the city was abandoned after the Islamic invasion and repopulated, in the late 11th century, by Christians coming from the north of the Iberian Peninsula and from beyond the Pyrenees, lead by the son-in-law of king Alfonso VI, Raimundo de Borgoña, and by the first bishop of his reconstituted diocese, the French Pedro de Agen.
The Middle Ages final period was a time of splendour for Segovia: it colonised a vast territory, on which its region extended, with limits to both sides of the mountain range; it welcomed an important Jewish population confined in the “Judería” -Jewish; it laid the foundations of a powerful cloth industry that would be recognised in later centuries; it featured Gothic art that left in the city a remarkable series of monasteries and convents; it was the court of the Trastámara House’s Kings , and finally, on December 13, 1474, the citizens proclaimed Isabella, called the Catholic Queen, as Queen of Castilla.
Aristocratic families and proud cloth manufacturers competed throughout the 16th and 17th centuries in the construction of urban palaces to which Renaissance courtyards and gardens gave some distinction, together with magnificent baroque blazons. However, the defeat of the Castilian cities in the War of the Regions, in which the Segovian military troops, commanded by Juan Bravo, had an outstanding role, and the displacement towards the south of the Spanish economy as a result of the discovery of America, initiated a decay which could not be stopped by the Bourbon dynasty nor by the Royal Sites - La Granja, Riofrío- constructed in the area, nor with the Artillery Academy established in the city.
Traditions
Segovia has a great number of traditions and celebrations during the year. The most characteristic celebrations of the city are: Santa Águeda. Declared of regional tourist interest, is celebrated in Zamarramala, a district of Segovia, on the Sunday closer to February 5th, celebration of the saint, to whom the executioners cut her breasts, according to the tradition. It is a day in which the tradition establishes to hand over the leadership to women. Mayoresses are appointed, opening speeches can be listened to and "peleles" -dummies- are burned. Also typical processions and dances take place.
Easter has been declared celebration of regional tourist interest. The Palm Sunday procession, and the “Procesión de los Pasos”, on Good Friday. Also the “Procesión del Santo Entierro”- the Holy Burial procession-, from Zamarramala to Vera Cruz districts.
San Lorenzo (around the 10th of August), is the celebration of one of the most popular districts of the city. Santos Pedro y Juan (final of June) are the most popular festivies in the city and have been celebrated since the 15th century
Gastronomy
Within the kitchens of the Segovian capital, whether in restaurants or houses, the regional, natural foods of fertile surrounding lands have been improving along centuries, turning them into exquisite recipes. The province territories contributes generously with good products, beginning by the most popular food, the bread, elaborated with wheat from the fields, or milk, the basic element for the province’s cheeses.
The tender “lechazo” (lamb) or the tasty “cochinillo” (pigglet) are part of the meat specialities of the capital’s restaurants, together with the thousand products obtained from the slaughter of pigs that takes place in the towns of the province during the coldest months.
The mountain range rivers nearby provide exquisite trout, and the generous orchards provide a varied and rich season supply, example of the miracle that the gastronomical alchemy carries out in its furnaces.
The menu can be completed with specially made desserts by confinement nuns and experienced bakers: rosquillas -bagels-, soplillos, florones, ojuelas, tortas -scones-... and, mainly, the famous and exquisite -ponche segoviano-.
Famous wines elaborated within the province, such as the “Nieva” white wines and “Valtiendas” red wines, are the perfect combination for a meal.
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 Oficial Currency is the Euro(€); Weight and Measure system: Decimal Metric System.
Currency Exchange
1 Euro (EUR)=1.20 Dollars, 1 Euro (EUR)=0.68 Sterling Pounds (GBP)
Prices
In comparison with other European Union countries, and perhaps due to its high tourist vocation, Spain is one of the cheapest countries. Obviously, prices vary depending on the season being higher in summer and lower in winter.
Useful Info
Official nameSegovia
CountrySpain
Time ZoneGMT+1
Official LanguageSpanish
Surface area53,580 inhabitants
Population163,6 Km2 (63.2 sq. mi)
Political RegimeConstitutional Monarchy
Public holidays
January 1st: New Year; January 6th: Epiphany; Middle April: Good Thursday and Good Friday; April 24th: Castile and León Autonomous Region Day; March 16th: Celebration of Saint Joseph; May 1st: Labour Day; August 15th: Our Lady of Asunción; September 8th: Our Lady of San Lorenzo; October 12th: National celebration of Spain; October 25th: Celebration of San Frutos; November 1st: All Saints Day; November 6th: Day of the Spanish Constitution; December 8th: Our Lady of Inmaculada Concepción; December 25th: Christmas Day.
Religion
As in all Spain, Segovia is mainly Catholic, although option diversity and freedom of worship exist.
Religion90% Catholics, 8% Muslims, 2% Jews
Arrival / Departure
Segovia can be accessed by multiple routes: by bus, through a highway, by flitht and by train. Most basic ones are: train, bus and car.
By train, there is only one line, the Segovia-Guadalajara line, passing through Madrid. This mean of transport is advisable for people without haste and willing to travel having a look to the landscape, since the journey lasts two hours from Madrid-Atocha. In addition, there are trains only every two hours: the first train leaves at 6:03 and last one at 20:03.
Segovia can also be accessed taking a bus in Ávila, Valladolid or Madrid. By car, the state highways that lead to Segovia are the N-110, the N-601 and the N-603. From Madrid, the easiest way is to take the A-6 (La Coruña) and to take the way out 60 (San Rafael and Segovia). There is an alternative way, through the “Puerto de los Leones” which avoids the tunnel toll, and theoretically will also end up in San Rafael (way out 60 but on the other side of the toll). Another alternative route is to turn in Villalba and to travel through Navacerrada and “La Granja”(N-601).
Safety
Security is a priority, as well as in all of Spain. In this territory, the Castilian institutions count on several services which aim is to make the coexistence easier and to help during emergencies.
Visa
The 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.
Clothing
Considering the climatological features of this city, it is advisable to take thin clothes during the summer period and warm clothing during the winter.
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50 Hz. Sockets are usually of two round plugs.
Radio and Television
Segovia Radio Stations are:
40 PRINCIPALES (93,6 FM);CADENA COPE - SEGOVIA (103,3 FM); CADENA DIAL (94,8 FM); ONDA ZERO SEGOVIA (98,3 FM); PUNTO RADIO (99,8 FM); R.N.E. (Radio Nacional de España) (Radio 1: 97,0 FM - Radio 3: 95,8 FM - Radio 5: 91,5 FM); RADIO SEGOVIA (SER) (1,602 A.M. 104,1 FM).
TV Channels, apart from national channels: CANAL 4 SEGOVIA, POPULAR TV SEGOVIA, TELEVISION SEGOVIA.
Telephone
The Spanish phone code is 34 and the Segovia code is 921. 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 mobile phone technology used in the Spanish territory is GSM but, in many cases, it is not compatible with some of the technologies used in other countries like the United States and Japan, for example.
The most important mobile phone operators are Amena – www.amena.com-, Movistar/Telefónica Móviles -www.movistar.tsm.es- and Vodafone-www.vodafone.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.
PoliceMunicipal Police: +34 921 43 12 12
AmbulanceRed Cross: +34 921 44 02 02
Fire Brigade+34 921 42 22 22
Tourist health care servicesPublic Hospitals: Hospital General de Segovia (Te. +34 921 41 91 00) and Hospital Policlínico San Agustín (Te. +34 921 41 92 88)
Newspapers and Magazines
The most popular newspapers in the city, in addition to national newspapers, are: “El ADELANTADO DE SEGOVIA”, general information newspaper. Founded in 1901. It is the most popular newspaper in the province of Segovia; especially among people under 45 years. “EL NORTE DE CASTILLA”, general information newspaper born in Valladolid, with editions in Palencia, Segovia and Zamora. It was implanted in Segovia in 1992. It is one of the most read newspapers among the citizens of Segovia.
Magazines: “EL COCHINILLO FEROZ” (monthly humor magazine); “PÁGINAS DE SEGOVIA” (monthly Magazine with information on local and provincial current issues); “PRENSA AGRÍCOLA Y GANADERA” (monthly Magazine specialized in agriculture and cattle raising); “REVISTA CULTIRAL DE ÁVILA Y SEGOVIA” (monthly Magazine specialized in agriculture and cattle raising).
Postal Service
The post office system is efficient. Letters within Europe usually take 3 to 5 days. A registered letter costs a minimum of 2.5 euros.
Post offices opening hours: from 8,30 to 20,30 on weekdays, Saturdays from 8,30 to 13. The Segovia city post office is located in: Pza. del Doctor Laguna 5 - Te: 921 461 949.
Health Care Services
Health centers in Segovia, like in all Spain, offer a permanent medical assistance to all the population of the area. They provide services that assure a direct and comfortable attention for the user.
Airport
The city of Segovia does not have its own airport, but it is well connected with different airports from around Spain such as:
Valladolid (Villanubla) 125 km away from Segovia. Telephone: +34 983 25 92 12/16. Fax: +34 983 56 01 80;
Salamanca, 164 km away. Telephone: +34 923 30 60 31. Fax: +34 923 30 60 82;
Madrid, 87 km away. Telephone: +34 913 93 60 00. Fax: +34 913 93 62 00;
Barcelona, 650 km. away. Telephone: +34 934 78 50 00. Fax: +34 933 70 62 03.
Public Transport
Segovia offers a magnificent connection with all the points of the country by its centric situation in the Iberian Peninsula. There is a short distance away from Madrid, the capital city, and there are also excellent accesses. The city of Segovia has recently renewed its urban transport services, updating the journeys between the different districts of the city and including a night service, which has made an important improvement.
Railway
There are different train services and lines to several points, within the province and the Iberian Peninsula. Segovia’s Train Station, is located on: C/Obispo Quesada, Telephone: +34 921 42 07 74.
Bus
The city of Segovia has recently renewed its urban transport service, updating the rides between the different districts of the city and including a night service, that has provided an important improvement which citizens where demanding for a long time.
The bus-station is located on: Paseo Ezequiel González, 12. Telephone: +34 921 42 77 07.
Car
The national and regional roads to access Segovia Province are: National Road Soria-Plasencia: N-110; National Road Madrid-La Coruña (San Rafael): N-VI; National Road San Rafael-Segovia: N-603; Regional Road Valladolid - Segovia - Madrid (by Navacerrada): CL-601 and M-601; National Road Madrid - Irún (Santo Tomé del Puerto): N-I/E05.
The motorway network begins in the Villalba junction, kilometer 39.500 of the A-6 road and finishes in the environs of Adanero, kilometer 209.100 with a length of 69.100. It crosses the Guadarrama’s Mountain range through two unidirectional tunnels that facilitate the transport towards the north of Spain.
Car Rentals
Segovia has two car rental offices :
AUPISA, C/Navacerrada, 14, 40006, SEGOVIA (SEGOVIA), Telephone: +34 921422032
AVIS, C/Jose Zorrilla, 123, 40002, SEGOVIA (SEGOVIA).
Ship Destination Tourism Office in Spain Spanish embassy in the destination Taking pictures See climate
www.worldweather.orgCurrency converterwww.xe.com/uccA dinner20-30 euros
A coffee1 euro
The Bus1 euro
The taxi2.10 euros when the meter starts running.
The UndergroundDepending on the Distance.
The trainDepending on the Distance.
