The pretty town of Zamora is only an hour away from Salamanca and makes a lovely day trip. Spain's Zamora has maintained a strong medieval feel to it and is sprinkled with attractive buildings to admire as you stroll around, including 24 Romanesque churches, a cathedral and a castle.
The scene of both Moor and Christian invasions, Zamora is home to an eclectic culture which is especially apparent in the delicious cuisine, characteristic of the region. There are also a whole host of museums which focus on different aspects of the culture and history of Zamora.
The enormous Cathedral is the picture postcard image which we see of Zamora with its beautiful dome and golden coloured stone tower. It was thrown up in record time between 1151 and 1174 and was originally Romanesque style. Today, the main facade is actually Renaissance and contains a lot of intricately carved stonework.
Right next to the Cathedral is the Castle from where you can get some truly stunning views of the town and surrounding areas.
Of the 24 Romanesque churches, they are all worth visiting but some of the most highly reccommended are the following:
Culture vultures can delve into Zamora's museums, including the unusual Museo de Semana Santa containing artefacts and history related to Easter Week in this region.
The Museo Provincial is the place to go if you want to learn about the history of Zamora city and the whole region, as well as admire some interesting archaeological findings and fine art.
The Baltasar Lobo museum is the only one to be entirely dedicated to the life and works of this famous Spanish sculptor and painter, whilst the Catedralicio contains a varied selection of religious art, sculpture and tapestries.
