Country:
City:
In Salamanca, park in the south of the city, on the other side of the River Tormes, in the free car park at the Iglesi Nueva des Arrabal.
(S/E) Leave the car park at the large roundabout and turn left to cross the Tormes River on the Puente de Enrique Estevan (beautiful view of the cathedral, but you won't be able to see any frogs from this bridge). On the other side, continue along the boulevard until you reach the traffic lights at the intersection with Calle de San Gregorio. Cross this large boulevard and continue straight ahead, between the Hotel San Polo on your right and the old city walls on your left, then turn right onto Santo Domingo. Just before the street passes under the footbridge, take the stairs up to the left.
(1) At the top, take the footbridge to reach the courtyard of the Convento de San Esteban (Dominican monastery, with a superb porch laden with sculptures... but you won't find any frogs there). Take the footbridge back in the other direction, following the sign for Madres Dominicas. At the roundabout, turn left to find the entrance to the Convento de las Duenas (convent of the Dominican sisters, who sell homemade pastries, which are welcome while waiting for evening tapas). The cloister (admission fee) is small but very beautiful. Among other monsters, you will see a laughing dragon... but no frogs.
Leaving the convent, continue left on Juan de la Fuente until you reach a small park. Turn right until you reach the medieval tower, then retrace your steps and take the stairs on the right to enter the park, Plaza de Colon. Head straight ahead and to the right to come out onto a street (San Pablo), opposite the former Diputacion Provincial (now an art gallery). Follow the street to the right and, a few metres further on, you will find La Salina, the town's former salt warehouse, on your left. I recommend a visit (free of charge) to the courtyard decorated with monsters from Hell... but there are no frogs. Leave the courtyard and continue to the left, still on San Pablo.
At the crossroads, continue straight ahead, then take the next right, Plaza de Peso, then the second street on the left to find yourself in front of the market halls, the Mercato Central de Abastos (cold meats and cheeses). Cross the market halls to come out on the other side (perhaps a little busier than when you entered) and notice, on your left, the Bull Gate, one of the gates of the Plaza Mayor, through which bulls used to enter during festivals. At the top of this gate, of course, there are no frogs, just a bull's head. Turn right immediately and notice the beautiful façades of the buildings on your left, then walk along the left-hand side of a church, Parroquia de San Julian y Santa Basilica.
(2) In the square, Plaza de San Julian, crowded with café terraces, turn left and then left again to go around the church and find yourself in another small square with a fountain and bordered by the Camara Official de Comercio e Industria. Continue along the street and, on your left, notice the strange creature on the church façade, high up and to the right of the door (but it's not a toad; you can visit if the church is open). Continue along Calle del Clavel. At the end of this street, turn right and then immediately left into a narrow street. You are now in the more modern, commercial part of town, but the mysterious amphibian may well have taken up residence here.
When you reach Calle des Toro, continue to the right. Shortly afterwards, opposite the building flanked by two ornate turrets, turn right. Pass to the left of the Iglesia Esclava del S. C. de Jesus (rather austere by Salamanca standards), continue straight ahead across the square (note the square on the right where you can take a break) then turn left onto Dean Polo Benito. You will come out onto Calle Toro again and follow it to the right until you reach the Iglesia de San Juan de Sahagun (you can visit if the church is open; the façade has two large bas-relief paintings... but no frogs). Pass in front of the church, then turn left immediately ( small square behind the church) and continue straight ahead at each intersection until you reach Calle de Zamora, opposite the curious round church of San Marcos.
(3) Follow Zamora to the left until you pass the Iglesia Santa Magdalena church on your left (you can visit if it is open, but it is rather austere and there are no creatures to be found). Turn left onto Vasquez Coronado and then take the first right onto Plaza de San Boal, along the curious checkerboard facades of the Palacio de Arias Corvaille. Immediately after, you will find the Centro Parroquial de San Boal on your right. At the end of the square, follow the alley that turns right, still looking for the reinette.
You will find yourself on Zamora and continue to the left. After a short detour to the right onto Plaza de los Bandos and its fountain, return to Zamora and continue straight ahead onto Concejo. You will soon find another pretty little park lined with cypress trees on your right (Plaza de la Libertad) and continue straight ahead to enter the Plaza Mayor. You are now back in the touristy part of town. Take your time exploring this large square. Don't miss the Town Hall and the medallions of famous people, explorers, artists and local nobles surrounding it. Some of the medallions are still blank... but, unfortunately, there's no Kermit.
(4) Leave the Plaza Mayor via the south-west corner, keeping the Iglesia de San Martin on your left. As you would expect, there is a bas-relief of Saint Martin at the top of the door, sharing his cloak... but not with a frog. Continue straight ahead onto Plaza des Corrillo, with the arcades still on your right. Cross a non-pedestrian street and continue straight ahead onto Melendez. After a left turn, you will find yourself in front of La Clerecia (former royal college of the Society of Jesus, now belonging to the Catholic University Universidad Pontificia, admission fee, panoramic view of the city from the towers).
On the other side of the street, the surprising Casa de las Conchas houses a library. Free visit of the courtyard. Above the door of this house, the royal arms of Spain indicate that the former owners had more or less the status of ambassadors in the city. Legend has it that a treasure is hidden behind one of the shells... In any case, there are no frogs on this façade or in the courtyard (free admission).
At the corner of Clececia, turn right onto Rua Antigua, then take the second street on the left, Libreros. Continue straight ahead, ignoring a street on the right, until you reach a beautiful cobbled square. In the centre is the statue of Luis de Leon, surrounded by the magnificent buildings of the Universidad de Salamanca (University of Salamanca). Opposite the statue, the ornate porch of the Escuelas Mayores houses a local attraction. Look carefully and you may find our frog!
(5) Our cultural tour is not over yet. Turn your back on the porch and head to the back of the square. The door on the left leads to a small room where the Cielo de Salamanca is on display (free admission). This vaulted ceiling depicting the sky and the zodiac was once part of the ceiling of one of the university's rooms. Return to the frog porch.
(5) Continue to the right, then take the first street on the left, Calle Carderon de la Barca, to arrive in front of one of the gates of the Catedrales Nueva y Viera, at the statue of Padre Camara on your right (this statue is a landmark for the return trip to Plaza de Anaya). To the right of the flamboyant porch of the new cathedral (16th-18th centuries), the buildings of the old cathedral are much more sober. Turn left to go to Plaza de Anaya and back. On the right side of the square is another door to the cathedral. Take a closer look. The bas-reliefs around the door were restored in the 1990s. The artists left their 20th-century signatures (astronaut, cow, lynx, etc.). There is an admission charge to enter the cathedral. However, on the other side of the park, feel free to visit the Colegio de Anaya (free admission).
Return to the statue of Padre Camara and continue straight ahead to Plaza Juan XXIII, at the corner of the old cathedral. Cross the square, turning left to continue along Tentenecio. Turn left onto the first street, Gibraltar, pass the General Archives of the Civil War (Centro Documental de la Memoria Historica, free visit to a Masonic lodge) and you will find the Casa Lis, which houses the Museo "Art Noveau y Déco" (admission fee). Enjoy a complete change of atmosphere and era with a visit to this charming museum. Treat yourself to refreshments in the splendid Café Lis inside the museum.
(6) On leaving the museum, take Gibraltar on your left, then Tentenecio on your left. At the bottom of the hill, in front of the large cross, turn left, cross the boulevard and turn around to see the magnificent glass roof of the museum you have just left (even more beautiful at nightfall). The city walls are on your right. Continue along the boulevard (Calle de San Gregorio) until you find the Roman bridge, Puentos Romano, on your left. Cross the bridge to cross the river, El Tormes.
(7) On the other side, turn left down the path through the "natural" area that has been created along the river. Further on, you will see a prominent stele representing... a frog on its skull! It is only a copy made to commemorate an anniversary, but it has the merit of being more accessible. Further on, before passing under the Puente de Enrique Estevan, take the steps on the right to go back up to Via Helmantica and return to the car park of the Iglesi Nueva des Arrabal (S/E).
