Congreso del Jamon Salamanca

Salamanca is the quintessential university city. It is internationally renowned for this and also for its artistic heritage: cathedrals, palaces, churches, etc. all of which belong to different artistic styles, including Romanesque, Gothic, Plateresque and Baroque. Situated on the banks of the Tormes River , it covers 12,336 Km 2 , and currently has 159,000 inhabitants.
In spite of its extreme weather (with a cold dry winter and hot summer), it has enough attractions to allow its visitors to enjoy their stay, a city where the activities related to tourism and leisure play a leading role.
Salamanca depends on the services sector in all that it covers: the civil and clerical administration, commerce, the tourism industry, entertainment businesses, culture, and especially the University of Salamanca and the Pontifical University. The regional government of Castilla Leon (Regional community to which the city of Salamanca belongs) has placed the Regional Film Library and a convention centre (Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones) in Salamanca. This allows the city to hold a great number of cultural activities. The two universities have nearly 40,000 students at present.
Salamanca is one of the Spanish cities with most monuments and possesses some of the most important historical monuments in Spain. This heritage has been enriched by the many leisure and cultural activities carried out in the city and also by the opening of new museums and exhibitions as for example "The Fourth Phase of The Ages of Man", held from 1993-1994, or the holding of titles such as the title of “European Capital of Culture” awarded in 2002 and the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the construction of the Plaza Mayor in 2005.

 

 

Nowadays, Salamanca is a city of intense academic and cultural life, extending itself beyond its geographical limits. The city, which was granted the status of "World Heritage Site" by UNESCO on the 9th of November of 1988 (together with the Spanish cities of Avila, Caceres, Cordoba, Cuenca, Santiago de Compostela, Segovia and Toledo) has become a national and international reference. In 2002, Salamanca was awarded the title of “European Capital of Culture” and in 2005 it also celebrated the 250th anniversary of its more than famous Plaza Mayor.
On the other hand, the province has outstanding natural surroundings with contrasts ranging from the Francia mountain range to the Armuña plains and the incomparable fields of oak trees which make up the meadows in Salamanca. Here we can see magnificent examples of fighting bulls in their natural environment.
You will be able to visit the cattle enjoying wonderful moments living with nature, try out how brave you are in front of the fighting bulls and of course a good mid-afternoon meal.
Moreover, Salamanca is the city that never sleeps. Activities go on throughout the night, which guarantee an exquisite nocturnal atmosphere with a great variety of recreational facilities
The city counts on a complete cultural agenda throughout the year with different offers which adjust to the tastes of anyone who is looking for new adventures. What’s more, its cultural activities represent the most important cultural complex within the Castilla Leon regional community as regards the venues and amount of people who can attend them.
If you are looking for sport activities, Salamanca offers a great variety with three golf courses in the towns of Villamayor, La Valmuza and Zarapicos.
At present, Salamanca has more than 50 hotels with around 5,200 beds. Among them we would point out a new offer of five, four and three star hotels which were built or renovated because of the celebration of the European Cultural Capital title given to the city in 2002.