Segovia in 6 Hours, Segovia, Spain

One of the things I loved about staying in Madrid (besides the tapas) is its central location, making the Spanish capital a convenient jumping off point for daytrips. Thanks to the high-speed AVE train, there are a handful of cities that can be reached in less than 2 hours - Toledo (30 minutes), Ávila (1.5 hours), Valencia (1.75 hours), Cordoba (1.75 hours, and about 45 minutes more to Sevilla) and one that’s a little more off people’s radar, Segovia (30 minutes from Madrid’s northern Chamartin station, not to be confused with the main Atocha station).

Like much of the Mediterranean region Segovia was once part of the Roman Empire before it was reclaimed by the Spanish crown, and traces of its layered past have been thoughtfully preserved (and in some cases rebuilt) for tourists today. It’s hard to describe the city in one word as some of Segovia’s most distinctive sites are larger-than-life, while other spots hint at a laid-back European charm. And considering how close it is to Madrid, Segovia feels a world away. Here’s a snapshot of our visit.

Segovia’s Guiomar AVE train station is located outside of the historic center, so from here we took bus #11 to the base of the town. (Note that slower cercanías trains arrive at a separate station that’s within walking distance of town, so be sure to check your ticket to know where you’ll be arriving.) At first it felt like we were in the middle of the countryside - an empty open space sans a few grazing cows - but after about 20 minutes on the bus we were greeted by one of Segovia’s most striking sites, the nearly 100-foot tall Roman Aqueduct. Standing guard at the “front door” of this medieval walled city, the aqueduct was built around 50 A.D. under Emperor Trajan as part of a complex 9-mile system. The exposed portion you see here stretches almost half a mile long and can still carry water. Long live Roman grandeur, right? ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).