Valladolid is the capital of the Castilla-Leon province and an easily reachable option from Salamanca.
Spain's Valladolid is a hub of cultural interest and marks the birth place of José Zorrilla as well as where Christopher Columbus passed away. As the old capital of Spain, there are many monuments of decaying grandeur which serve as testament to the city's once elevated position. Today Valladolid is an industrial capital and high rise modern buildings stand next to gothic edifices.
The Plaza Mayor is particularly beautiful with its deep red paintwork. Valladolid's main square laid the foundation for building a Plaza Mayor in cities and towns all over Spain and Latin America.
The nearby Cathedral is also worth seeing - construction of which begun in the sixteenth century under the design of El Escorial architect, Juan de Herrera. The Cathedral was left completely unfinished until Alberto Churriguera completed work on the front facade in 1970.
Other religious buildings worth checking out are the churches of San Benito and Santa Maria la Antigua, and most notably, the stunning gothic masterpiece, la Iglesia de San Pablo.
Valladolid has some really worthwhile museums with extensive collections, the best of which are listed below:
Museo Nacional de Escultura - contains an incredible collection of sculpture, much of which dates back to the Spanish Renaissance.
Museo Patio Herrera - this is a great choice if you fancy a good dose of contemporary Spanish artwork.
Museo Oriental - the most exotic of the three has some truly beautiful artwork from China and the Phillippines.
