The Plaza Mayor: Under the Clock Tower

Spending your time in Salamanca, you will quickly learn how to direct yourself around the city. Where you live can be broken down into a few places, like “near the river,” or “near Burger King,” or even “across from El Corte Inglés” depending on where you are staying.

The one thing that never changes is where you will inevitably meet up with other students and friends. Even Spaniards will meet here, so you won’t look like a complete American tourist when you do this. You can stand here, and maybe make some other friends while you wait. Everyone meets up under the clock in the Plaza Mayor, and it is one of the best places to return to if you get lost.

The facade of the city hall, in the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca, is known as a meeting place because of the infamous clock at the top of the building.

The Plaza Mayor is one of the oldest in the country, and it is definitely the most famous. Many other Plaza Mayor spaces are based on the one in Salamanca, and the people of Salamanca are very proud of their Plaza Mayor.

Construction on the Plaza began in 1729, and was finished 1755. The city of Salamanca was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988 by UNESCO. You can find the plaque in the center of the Plaza.

The Plaza is set up in a square, with the ground floor composed of different businesses and restaurants. The restaurants take up space in the Plaza with tables and chairs for outside dining, where you can sometimes see protests and festivals depending on the time of day you go out.

The Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, Spain is one of the oldest and most beautiful in all of Europe.

The clock is the main point of the Plaza because it is where the city hall is located. T&E takes students inside the city hall, which not many people can say they have done, at the beginning of all programs.

We at Travel and Education recommend spending some time during your first week in Salamanca at the Plaza Mayor, especially at night. The lights and the crowds are impressive, and the sunsets that take place in the Plaza Mayor are some of the most beautiful that our staff and students have ever seen.

Want to see the Plaza Mayor for yourself? Contact T&E at info@travelandeducation.org for more information on our semester, summer, and personal program options just for you!

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