Salamanca glows. Its buildings are built from a golden sandstone that takes on a honey colour in low sun, and the effect, especially in the late afternoon in the Plaza Mayor, is memorable. The city stands on the Tormes river in western Spain, about 800 metres above sea level, and is one of the great university towns of Europe, with a student population that gives the old streets life well into the night.
The university, founded in 1218, is among the oldest in the world, and its carved facade is a famous challenge: a tiny frog hides in the stonework, and tradition says that students who find it without help will pass their exams. The Casa de las Conchas, covered in carved scallop shells, is another landmark. The city has two cathedrals, old and new, which stand side by side, and the Plaza Mayor is among the finest baroque squares in Spain, a place where residents come to stroll and meet.
The ride north follows the Ruta de la Plata, the Silver Route, an old Roman road that once linked Mérida in the south with Astorga in the north. The name has nothing to do with silver; it probably derives from an Arabic word meaning paved road. Today you can follow it on modern highways, with long, easy stretches through dehesa, open oak pasture where black Iberian pigs forage, and wheat fields stretching to the horizon. Summer is hot and dry, spring is green and pleasant, and winter can be cold and foggy. Traffic is light outside the city.
Salamanca has fuel stations around its ring roads, an abundance of tapas bars, and places to stay at all prices. Santa Marta de Tormes, close by, also has plenty of services. Parking in the old centre is restricted, so use a garage or leave the bike at your hotel. Try jamón ibérico and the regional hornazo pastry, and give yourself time for an evening paseo under the lights.