Local area
City of Segovia
Segovia is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Located in the Inner Plateau of Central Spain, near the northern slopes of the Sistema Central mountain range and on a bend of the beautiful Eresma river, the city is famous for its historic Roman Aqueduct. Nowhere else in Spain can you find such a stunning monument of Roman grandeur surviving in the heart of a vibrant modern city.
Other must sees are its Cathedral, one of the last ones to be built in Europe following a Gothic style, and the Alcázar, a magical medieval castle, which served as one of the templates for Walt Disney‘s Snow White Castle. Due to its rich roman history and the exceptional conservation of its main public buildings, the city centre was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
Although in the afternoon of the arrival date it is scheduled to leave a few hours of leisure for attendees to wander about Segovia’s historic centre, we strongly suggest all conference participants to extend their visit and properly immerse themselves in to all the things Segovia has to offer.
For more information on Segovia and its must-see attractions, please visit the following links:
Palace and Gardens of La Granja de San Ildefonso
Located in the beautiful mountain town of La Granja de San Ildefonso, this palace is one of the best examples of the Spanish monarchic splendour of the 18th century.
Philip V, the first Bourbon to reign in Spain, fell in love with this beautiful place in 1717. Such was his “crush” that he decided to build a palace and gardens there, decorated with sculptures and fountains that reminded him of his childhood at the French court of his grandfather, Louis XIV. The creation of this Royal Site became his personal getaway and now remains as a major piece of his legacy to Spanish history.
Its gardens, full of interesting botanical rarities and gorgeous specimens of different autochthonous and allochthonous species alike, are a must see for any person interested in the way humans and plants have historically interacted through time.
More information on La Granja de San Ildefonso click here:
Castillo de Coca
This castle dates to the late 15th century and is legally owned by the House of the Dukes of Alba, although it has been handed over to the Junta de Castilla y León.
Situated in the ancient Roman town of “Cauca” today known as “Coca” it’s an outstanding example of brick military architecture. It was built by Archbishop Alonso of Fonseca, during the reign of Henry IV of Castile in the late 15th century. At each corner of the two square enclosures stand polygon-shaped towers, one of which is the keep, the strongest portion of the fortification of the castle and the place of last resort in case of siege or attack.
This castle currently serves and the Regional Forestry School and has been the nursery for a significant amount of the forestry technicians who work for the Forestry Administration in Castilla y León. Scheduled to be visited in one of the field trips.
Royal Palace of Riofrío
Surrounded by an extensive oak forest dwelled by deer, this stunning piece of Spanish history stands out as one of the finest examples of forestry management, regulated hunting and extensive farming management in Castilla y León.
Built in the 18th century by order of Isabel de Farnese, this beautiful palace was used by the Bourbons as a hunting pavilion and resting spot.
Ever since linked to the monarchs and the Spanish royal family, the palace still retains its romantic 19th-century atmosphere. The rooms are located around an inner courtyard and a monumental staircase with large rooms decorated with sumptuous 19th-century furniture.
Together with the royal site of La Granja de San Ildefonso, they form the main two royal sites to visit in Segovia.
The Enebralejos Cave and the historic town of Prádena
In the nearabout of the historic town of Prádena, visitors can find the Enebralejos Cave, the most important of the known caves in the province of Segovia, which was declared “Bien de Interés Cultural” (good of cultural interest) with the category of Archaeological Zone in 2022.
From its entrance, the cave presents us with the beauty of its rooms and galleries, adorned with a splendid set of calcareous concretions: stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstones and draperies occur as we go deeper into it.
We also find numerous examples of the use of the cave as a necropolis by the first iberian peoples of the Chalcolithic, in the form of paintings and engravings that have been dated to about 2500 BC.
© 2025 All rights reserved | made with ♥ by miltrescientosgramos
