Segovia: For Architecture and Food, Segovia, Spain

If you've ever been sucked into the cheesy princess movies, you'll know the fake-almost-countries always sound the same: Genovia, Aldovia, Belgravia... the list goes on.

Segovia, on the other hand, is a very real place, and although not a country, it is a city and region in Spain that deserves to be recognized as maybe the inspiration for all of the fake kingdom names! But Segovia is so much more than just a cool name: it has some of the best preserved Roman, Gothic, and Romanesque architecture, in addition to the Jewish quarter that has retained much of its original structure. The whole city is an UNESCO heritage site, and every turn brings you to another fascinating part of history. Please do take the time to read about the history of Segovia. It is beautiful and wonderful and very interesting!

But this is about what you can do there today! Google Maps has not yet figured out how to let tourists know that they can take the high-speed AVE train from Madrid to Segovia. When I searched on the map, I was directed to a +2 hour regional train from Madrid-Atocha to Segovia. It's best to start your journey to Segovia at Madrid-Chamartín instead, hopping onto the train that continues after Segovia to Valladolid. It takes twenty-seven minutes and costs €10,30 each way as long as you buy a round trip ticket from the start. If you want more flexibility in your travel schedule, you'll pay about an extra two Euros each direction. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).