For Families
With children
Beneath its serious academic and cultured facade lies a fun city full of "treasures" to discover on an "adventurous", non-stop journey, where you can have fun, be fascinated, and get a little thrill. In short, be entertained and learn in a "gentle" way without even realizing it. We suggest several activities for you to enjoy if you visit the city as a family, with children:
The first thing you should do is visit the Tourist Information Office, where they will provide you with all the details: a city map and monument opening hours. The following are available for free:
- A tourist app with an audio guide, routes, and cultural agenda. Search for "Salamanca Turismo" in your app store.
- Cultural agenda at www.ciudaddecultura.org
For the little ones, we suggest two games: Stroll through the old town discovering the carved details on the facades of the monuments. At the Tourist Information Office, you can purchase "La Patrulla Renacuaja" for €0.50, a family game to explore the city that proposes a cultural route with various challenges to overcome. Also available is the "Salamanca en detalles Kids" game, which allows you to discover the intricate details of the city's monument facades, and the 'Pequeños pies' album.
Now you're all set. To begin your city tour, you can start at Monumenta Salmanticae, in the Church of San Millán, Veracruz Street, where there is a City Heritage Interpretation Centre featuring a large model of the historic quarter with a video show projected onto it, offering simpler explanations for children and interactive touch screens. There, they can also find city information on touch screens, try on virtual reality glasses to explore other visitable areas of the city, and the most fun part: participate in an escape game. It's a game of observation and ingenuity to be played in teams (with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 people), suitable for all ages. Reservations are required at 628 05 24 90. You can also check out other fun games here.
Visit the Museo de Art Nouveau y Art Déco (Art Nouveau and Art Deco Museum); it contains a curious collection of porcelain dolls, automaton figures, and toys that children will love. It is also housed in an Art Nouveau building with colourful stained glass windows.
Also, step into the Museo de Historia de la Automoción (Museum of Automotive History), an exhibition space with over 200 vehicles, documents, and accessories related to automobiles.
The "Artilugios para fascinar" (Gadgets to Fascinate) collection showcases various animation and projection systems in a fun visit where you can discover how a magic lantern or a zoetrope works. It is located in the Filmoteca de Castilla y León (Castilla y León Film Archive).
And at the Museo del Comercio y la Industria (Museum of Commerce and Industry), you can show them the inventions and innovations that once solved problems for manufacturers, sellers, and consumers.
Climbing the towers of the Cathedral and La Clerecía is another interesting proposal; when taking the tour, don't forget to download their interactive game with challenges and questions to complete during the visit. At the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea (Calixto and Melibea's Garden), you can make a refreshing stop.
If you enjoy archaeology, these are the sites you should explore: the Centro de Interpretación de las murallas salmantinas (Salamanca City Walls Interpretation Centre), and next to it, a mysterious place, the Cueva de Salamanca (Salamanca Cave); the Cerro de San Vicente (San Vicente Hill), where the city's first inhabitants settled; the Parque Arqueológico del Botánico (Botanical Archaeological Park) (there you can complement the guided tour with 3D glasses that will allow you to see a digital recreation of the space, to imagine what the buildings that stood there centuries ago looked like). And finally, the Pozo de Nieve (Snow Well) and the underground galleries. (INFO: www.salamancaymas.es)
FAMILY FUN
The city's Contemporary Art Centre, DA2, often hosts exhibitions and workshops for children (please check).
The city is best explored on foot, but for the more energetic, you can rent a bicycle. If the weather is good, head to the pier – located between the Iron Bridge and the Roman Bridge – for a stroll along the riverbank or a boat trip on the Tormes River.
Just a few minutes from Salamanca's city centre is the Barrio del Oeste, a unique neighbourhood where canvases are garage doors, shop shutters, walls, party walls, and urban furniture. It's an Urban Gallery open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, which has created a new backdrop, a different neighbourhood, and a more artistic, more cultural city. The Urban Gallery project emerged from the need to bring art closer to all audiences. You can explore two routes through the Urban Gallery using its app. More info: https://www.galeriaurbanasalamanca.es
Numerous hotels and apart-hotels offer family-friendly rooms, equipped with cots, bunk beds, and spaces designed with children in mind. Some include special kids' amenities, while others provide a baby kit upon request, featuring a baby bath, night light, baby carrier backpack, blender cup, and bottle warmer.
You can dine at any of the city's restaurants; some even have designated areas with playrooms and game rooms for children.
And as a treat: an ice cream in the Plaza Mayor in summer or churros with chocolate in winter.
If you want to do some shopping, the commercial area is around Toro and Zamora streets. If you're looking for a souvenir, you can browse the souvenir shops in the city centre, on Calle la Rúa, or visit La Tienda de Turismo de Salamanca (under the City Hall clock), which offers a fun line of merchandise inspired by Salamanca: teddy bears, watches, balls, paints...
If you're spending several days in Salamanca and have the chance to visit the province, here are some other recommendations:
Enjoy a day of skiing in La Covatilla or visit the Siega Verde rock art site, where you can see ancient animal engravings. You can also visit the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (the Park House is in Sobradillo Castle). In Aldeadávila and Vilvestre, you can take a boat trip on the Duero River, enjoy nature trails, and spot birds: golden eagles, griffon vultures, falcons, and storks. In Ciudad Rodrigo, you'll find the Fortifications Interpretation Centre where children can dress up as soldiers, and in San Felices, they can feel like real crusaders. Nearby, visit the archaeological classroom of Yecla de Yeltes and Lumbrales, where you can enter an ancient Vettonian hillfort. Visiting a cheese or honey factory is also great fun for them. For the more adventurous, head to an adventure park in nature (in San Miguel de Valero or San Felices) or try canoeing. More info about the province at: https://www.salamancaemocion.es
Thanks to its tourism strategy and its wide and varied offering, Salamanca has been awarded the Family Tourism seal.
