Leon Shaw

Salamanca, Spain Leon Shaw

Salamanca, Spain. Travel and Tourism Guide. The Spanish hamlet of Salamanca lies two hours northwest of Madrid. Boasting a magnificent central plaza, this university town attracts art enthusiasts to its many galleries, museums and theaters and is also known for its vibrant nightlife destinations. Live music rings through the squares and cobbled streets, where jazz clubs, discos and tapas bars beckon visitors to enjoy a destination that is quintessentially Spanish. Salamanca is known for being one of the top locations in the world to learn the Spanish language. It is home to the oldest university in Spain and is ISA's first program site, where our first group of students studied abroad in 1987. As a student here, you will benefit from living in a gorgeous medieval city small enough to navigate by foot, allowing you to gain an intimate understanding of the local landscape and culture. As you explore you'll find yourself amidst the glowing sandstone buildings that have earned Salamanca the nickname "La Ciudad Dorada" (The Golden City). Whether floodlit by night or bathed in late-afternoon light, there's something magical about Salamanca. This is a city of rare beauty, awash with golden sandstone overlaid with ochre-tinted Latin inscriptions an extraordinary virtuosity of plateresque and Renaissance styles. The monumental highlights are many and the exceptional Plaza Mayor (illuminated to stunning effect at night) is unforgettable. This is also Castilla's liveliest city, home to a massive Spanish and international student population that throngs the streets at night and provides the city with so much vitality