Zamora (Spain)

Zamora is a city in Castile-Leon, Spain.

The town of Zamora lies on a rocky hill in the northwest of Spain, near the frontier with Portugal and is crossed by the Duero river, which some 50km/30mi downstream reaches the Portuguese frontier. With its 24 Romanesque churches of the 12th and 13th centuries it has been called a "museum of Romanesque art".

Get in

By Plane

The nearest commercial airport is Villanubla, located just a few kilometres out of Valladolid, the capital of the Castile-Leon region. Valladolid lies some 90 kilometres from Zamora. This small airport is served by flights run by Iberia, Air France and Ryanair. The low-cost carrier travels to and from London-Stansted airport, Brussels-Charleroi airport and Milan-Malpensa.

By Road

Long forgotten by all governments, no highways connected other capitals to Zamora until a few years ago. It is now possible to get to/from Valladolid (and therefore Madrid). The construction of other highways linking the town with Benavente, its neighbour Salamanca, etc. are now underway.

See

A wise stop before going sightseeing would be the local Oficina de Turismo, located halfway of one of the main arteries of Zamora, Tres Cruces Avenue. You can get free maps of the town, region, etc as well as directions and suggestions on where to go and what to visit.

• Cathedral of Zamora: Romanesque dating back to the 12th century, taking only 23 years to build.
• Castle of Zamora: Built in the Middle Ages, offering magnificent views of the city.
• San Juan de Puerta Nueva church (12th century, featuring a stained glass circular window, symbol of Zamora);
• San Claudio de Olivares church (12th century carvings on the columns);
• Museo de Semana Santa de Zamora: Opposite the Santa María la Nueva church, devoted to the Semana Santa de Zamora processions which are celebrated with particular ceremony in Zamora. The museum displays a large collection of pasos, the figures which are carried in procession through the streets by various 'cofradías' or brotherhoods.

For further information and pictures, check out the English Wikipage on Zamora.

Do

• Have a picture of you taken at the statue of local hero Viriato in Viriathus Square, near the Parador. Pretend or seat on the ram /tup or carnero below.

• The Miradores situated on the historic centre provide an excellent spot for photographers wanting to take their own postcard-quality picture of the Roman Bridge. Another must-spot for picture taking is the River Walk, with some of the best views of popular monuments like the Cathedral or the Bridge.

Buy

As the local saying goes: "Zamora no se ganó en una hora" (Zamora was not conquered in an hour) so forget your car and take a stroll on Zamora. Shopping areas are mainly centred on Tres Cruces Avenue, Santa Clara Street and parallel-running San Torcuato. If you prefer Malls, the biggest one is the Centro Comercial Valderaduey, named after one the local rivers or as it is known by locals, Eroski. The other one is called 'Vía de la Plata'. Almost all shops in town accept major credit cards (Visa, Master Card, Spanish 4-B and 6000). There are plenty of Cajeros Automáticos or ATMs scattered around town.

Typical souvenirs include items featuring elements from Semana Santa or Easter. Local wines and cheese, as well as chickpeas from Fuentesaúco always make a good buy. If you're more into the vintage-style buying, check out the weekly mercadillo, a street market held every Tuesday morning. The traditional site was just outside the Train Station, now moved to the parking lot of the Football Stadium Vía de la Plata (either a good 30 minute walk from downtown Zamora or one of the only occasions where local transport would be worth it). The mercadillo is set to return to its original location outside the Estación del Ferrocarril, but no deadline is available as of May 2007.

Eat

The excellent raw materials used in the local cuisine really stand out. Staple ingredients include the pulses, the famous chickpeas from Fuentesauco or 'garbanzos', the exquisite cheese made from sheep´s milk, honey from Sanabria, asparagus from Guareña, peppers from Benavente, steak from Aliste, mushrooms, game, cold meats, cakes and sweets... Apart from the tasty roasts, also worth tasting are the rice dishes from Zamora. Traditional dishes include bacalao a la tranca (a cod dish), el pulpo a la sanabresa (an octopus dish), dos y pingada (two fried eggs with fried ham, usually served in Easter) and '"presas de ternera" (a veal dish). For dessert there is the rebojo Zamorano, a very tasty though hard type of bun, and "las natillas almendradas" (Spanish style custard with almonds).

Tapa culture in Zamora is deeply-rooted. To further promote it, the contest De Tapas por Zamora was established in 2006 and is held in May-June. Participating bars create a special tapa for €1 for the contest, and locals have to choose a winner while entering a raffle sponsored by local businesses.

Spanish site for the Yearly Tapas Festival.

The best-known tapa in town is the pincho moruno, grilled pork meat with herbs on a skewer, served at Bar Lobo, between San Torcuato Street and Tres Cruces Avenue. It has the ability of drawing people from all over the country merely to get a taste of it.

Another excellent stop would be Dolfos, with both loads of sweet and sour options to choose from. Just mind the steep flight of stairs on the way in/out.

Drink

The Toro wines (very dark, almost black, nowadays made using modern techniques - with a rapidly growing reputation for their taste and quality). Popular local brands include Colegiata, Bajoz and Fariña.

Online Spanish-language store for Vinos de Toro.

Sleep

The city has 18 hotels, 4 of them in the four-star range.

• Parador Nacional de Turismo Condes de Alba y Aliste: Located at the historical centre of the city, in Plaza de Viriato, near the Cathedral. The building dates to the mid 15th century. This four-star accomodation boasts two conference halls, an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by greenery and a restaurant serving traditional local cuisine. Its 52 rooms are fitted with A/C, a safebox and minibar, among others. Tel: +34 980 514 497

• Hotel Dos Infantas: This 4-star hotel is situated only a few steps from one of the main (if not the main) streets in Zamora, Santa Clara Avenue, full of shops suitable for all budgets. It was fully renovated in 2001 and its 68 rooms offer all the services expected in a top-quality accomodation. Tel: +34 980 509 898

• Hotel Meliá Horus: Located in a pedestrians-only area of Zamora, this 4-star hotel is located just outside the traditional local market, the Mercado de Abastos. It has a total of 45 rooms (7 of which are junior suites), with all the services expected in a top-quality accomodation. Tel: +34 980 508 282

• Hotel AC Zamora: Another hotel offering 4-star accomodation. It is situated in the University district, only a few minutes from both the Bus and Train Station. Hotel AC was the last hotel to be built in the city, offering 75 rooms and a fitness centre equipped with a Turkish bath ideal to relax from an exhausting morning of sightseeing. Tel: +34 980 557 940

• Hotel NH Palacio del Duero: Situated in the artistic centre of the town, just by the river Duero and next to the Romanesque Church of Santa María de Horta. It was built on the remains of an old Convent of the order of Jerusalem erected in the 14th-15th century and an old wine factory. Some of the equipment used and features of the convent can be seen on the entrance to the restaurant, where you can indulge in an impressive three course menu for €20, except on Saturday nights.

E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: +34.98.0508262 Fax: +34.98.0533722

If you don't mind driving a bit, you can book a room at Hotel Convento I, a four-star accomodation in the nearby village of Coreses and experience the second-most luxurious hotel in Spain. Halls are decorated with paintings and furniture recovered from castles, convents, etc. One of them features a reproduction of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City, Rome (Italy). Spa facilities have been recently added to the complex. Don't be surprised if you find yourself having lunch next to a Spanish celebrity there. Tel: +34 980 500 422

Get out

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