Old & New Cathedrals of Salamanca
Do the Ieronimus walk — it takes you up into the galleries and onto the new cathedral's roof. The astronaut carved on the portal (1992 restorer's joke) is the photo.
Two cathedrals in one — a 12th-century Romanesque old cathedral glued to a 16th-century Gothic new one, sharing a wall. The Ieronimus tower route opens the roof.
At a Glance
- — You don't climb towers
Two cathedrals share a wall here, creating a strange, layered monument where Romanesque round arches meet the sharp, upward pull of Gothic spires. The real experience is the Ieronimus route, which takes you up into the rafters and out onto the roof, allowing you to walk among the gargoyles and bells with the city spread out below. Look closely at the carved portal of the new cathedral to find the famous astronaut, a modern repairer's mark that stands out against the centuries of stone, providing a quiet, humorous detail in an ancient space.
How it got here
Construction began on the older Romanesque cathedral in the twelfth century, during a period of repopulation in the Kingdom of León. Centuries later, the city outgrew the original structure and work on the much larger Gothic cathedral started in 1513, effectively swallowing part of the earlier nave. These stones carry the mark of architects like Juan Gil de Hontañón who worked on both the cathedral and the nearby university buildings. The survival of both buildings side by side explains the shift in aesthetic preferences from the massive, defensive Romanesque style to the soaring verticality of the late Gothic and Plateresque periods.
Where it sits
Salamanca sits on a bend of the Tormes River in the heart of the dusty Castilian plateau. The city occupies a windswept expanse where the gold-colored sandstone of the local quarries provides the material for nearly every public building. Winters bring harsh, biting winds from the northern mountains, while summer light lingers late into the evenings. Visitors arrive by train or bus from the capital, crossing the bridge to see the towers rise above the river bank. The streets narrow and darken near the cathedral walls, shielding pedestrians from the heat of the afternoon sun.
What to eat and drink
The plains of Salamanca yield products focused on the acorn-fed pig, specifically Jamón ibérico de bellota, a dry-cured ham from animals that forage in the nearby dehesa forests. Hornazo, a savory pastry stuffed with chorizo, hard-boiled egg, and pork loin, provides a heavy, traditional snack for long journeys. Farinato, a rustic sausage made from breadcrumbs, flour, lard, and paprika, appears fried alongside eggs in local taverns. Drinkers choose from the red wines of the nearby Arribes del Duero, which draw character from the thin, rocky soils along the Portuguese border.
Castilla y León: the whole region
The largest region in Spain, and the one that most rewards a car: a plateau of walled cities, Romanesque churches and vineyards, with Salamanca, León, Burgos and Segovia as four genuine anchors spread across four hundred kilometres. There…
Minimum 5 days · better 8-10 days · deep 2 weeks
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Experiences worth booking ahead
- Salamanca Walk - History Tour4.9 (96)2 hrsFrom €26
- Visit to the Ham Factory in Salamanca. Tasting and Masterclass4.9 (89)1.3 hrsFrom €33
- From Madrid: Ávila & Salamanca Guided Tour with Wall & Cathedral4.4 (273)11 hrsFrom €92
- Avila and Salamanca : Magic and Small Group History from Madrid4.4 (83)10 hrsFrom €149
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