Segovia

Segovia: Roman Aqueduct, a Fairytale Castle, and the Best Suckling Pig in Spain

Segovia is 90 kilometres north of Madrid by road, about an hour by the high-speed Avant train from Chamartin station, and it repays the journey with three things that most Castilian cities cannot match simultaneously: a 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct still standing in the centre of the city, a medieval castle so visually extreme it allegedly inspired the designs for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle, and a restaurant tradition for roast suckling pig (cochinillo asado) that is specific, serious, and the correct thing to eat here.

The Roman Aqueduct

The Segovia aqueduct was built in the 1st or 2nd century CE by Roman engineers and stands 728 metres long with 167 arches, the highest reaching 28.5 metres. It was used continuously to carry water from the Sierra de Guadarrama until 1973. The construction uses no mortar: the granite blocks are fitted against each other by precision and gravity. After nineteen centuries of use, it remains structurally sound.

The aqueduct enters the city at the Plaza del Azoguejo, where the height of the two-tiered arches is most dramatic. Walk the road alongside it south from the plaza to see the full perspective; the scale registers differently on foot than from the square.

No entry fee; it is a public road and monument. The best photographs are from the Plaza del Azoguejo in the early morning before tour groups arrive, or from the walls of the old city looking back down toward it.

The Alcazar

The Alcazar of Segovia sits on a rocky promontory at the western end of the old city, where two rivers converge below. There has been a fortification here since the Moorish period (10th century), with the present structure built and modified through the 12th to 16th centuries. The ship-prow profile of the building is extraordinary from outside; the interior has been substantially restored (fire damage in 1862) and houses the Alcazar collections, including armour, tapestries, and royal portraits.

The Juan II tower can be climbed for views of the surrounding meseta and, on clear days, the Guadarrama mountains.

Entry approximately 6-8 EUR for adults; timed entry is not usually required except during peak summer weekends.

The Cathedral

Segovia Cathedral is the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain, finished in 1577, and is sometimes called “La Dama de las Catedrales” (the Lady of the Cathedrals) for its elaborate exterior. The interior is less ornate than you might expect from the facade; the nave is spacious and calm. The attached museum has a good collection of Flemish tapestries.

Cochinillo Asado

Segovia’s signature dish is a suckling pig (cochinillo, typically 21 days old or younger) roasted in a wood-fired oven. The result is crackling skin and soft meat; the restaurant serving dish is ceramic and traditionally the chef demonstrates the tenderness by cutting the pig with the edge of a ceramic plate rather than a knife, then throwing the plate to the floor. The broken plate is often given to the guest as a souvenir of the meal. This is not theatre in the patronising sense; it is a genuine demonstration of the dish’s quality.

Meson de Candido near the aqueduct on Plaza Azoguejo has been serving cochinillo since 1900 and has a long reputation; it is also now a tourist institution with corresponding management and prices. The food is still good; the experience is formal and oriented toward group bookings.

Restaurante Jose Maria on Calle Cronista Lecea, slightly further from the main tourist route, is considered by many local residents to be equal or better quality at similar prices. The dining room is also worth seeing.

The correct accompaniment: Ribera del Duero red wine, served at room temperature. Segovia is at the northern edge of this wine region; the wine shops on Calle Juan Bravo and the surrounding streets stock local producers not widely seen outside Castile.

Getting There

Renfe Avant trains from Madrid Chamartin to Segovia AV take about 28 minutes; the normal train (via the old route) takes about 2 hours. The high-speed station is outside the city; a bus runs to the old city. Buses from Estacion Sur in Madrid take about 1.5 hours and arrive at the bus station near the centre.

Segovia is well-managed as a day trip from Madrid; the last Avant trains back leave early evening. Staying overnight gives you the cathedral and aqueduct at sunset and sunrise without the day-trip crowds.