Salamanca, Spain

Plaza Mayor, Salamanca

A city full of labyrinthine streets located on the right bank of the Tormes River, Salamanca is a little over three hours northwest of Madrid. With three separate universities, it seems like most of the 180,000 residents are either students or professors

Salamanca's Plaza Mayor,shown above, one of the most beautiful plazas in Spain, was constructed during the reign of Felipe V. It is the central meeting point in the city and is always buzzing with activity.

A perfect square with multiple exits on each side, the Plaza Mayor leads you in all directions of the city. Beginning around 8pm, the area around the Plaza starts to buzz with activity as people take a stroll, return from class, or buy groceries for their dinner. By midnight the bars and clubs begin to fill and Salamanca comes alive. With unique clubs such as Camelot, which is located in an old church, and everything from typical college bars to upscale clubs, you could go to a different place every night without ever visiting the same place twice!