You see I knew I should visit Zamora, I love Romanesque architecture too.

I was going to suggest a small town called Urueña. It maybe a bit off route but it has a fine castle a walled town and a few churches, a bell museum (something really different) and things. It is not known to be on the tourist maps like other locations on your vacation.
Then there is the Castillo de Coyanza. But here is little else other than a castle here.
http://www.castillosnet.org/programs...eon/LE-CAS-004

The alternative is just to pull of the main road when you feel like it. That tactic has paid dividends for me many times. If there is nothing of interest move on!

Ah, ribeirasacra, you definitely should visit Zamora. I think that only about 10 of the churches are open to the public, but there are some real gems. And of those open, half are closed on Monday and half on Tuesday, so that you don't have that "everything is closed on Monday" problem.

What I'm hoping to visit this year on my way through is San Pedro de la Nave, which is a 7th century visigothic church, about 23 km to the northwest (moved to El Campillo stone by stone when they dammed the nearby river). It looks beautiful --

http://www.turismo-prerromanico.es/a...naveficing.htm

We stayed at the Parador in Zamora one night on our way to León. In addition to the attractions already mentioned, we also enjoyed the Museo de Semana Santa , where they exhibit the "floats" (los pasos) that are part of the processions during Holy Week. Very impressive.

In León we stayed in the Parador which we really liked, but now I would probably stay at the NH Plaza Mayor due to location. We went to Posada Regia for dinner and I still remember it was very good!

lreynold1.... They moved some of the Romanesque church for the flooding of the vallies, in the Ribeirasacra too.
I have now got that website you gave in my favs..thank you.

Sounds like we should definitely try and fit Zamora in on our way to Leon. We'll just have to see how early we get up as we will have only been in Spain a few days from the US.

I sent an email to the NH Plaza Mayor and the price for a double room is E107. One concern is that is directly on the Plaza so you can't pull your car up to the front of the hotel with luggage to check in. There's the underground garage with access to the hotel, but I'll have tyo make sure it doesn't require hauling our suitcases up flights of steps. We haven't ever figured out how to travel light!

I'm checking on the price of the Parador but I think it will be more. Is the Parador an easy enough walk to get into the old town? Haven't checked on the rates of the Posada Regia but I'll do that as well.

Any thoughts from anyone between the Puerta de la Catedral and the Melia Las Claras in Salamanca? They both sound nice and are pretty similar in price.

It's an easy walk from the Parador to the Cathedral, but it takes around 20 mins.

Hi, Linda,

I have never had a car when I stayed at the Posada Regia, but the hotel is in the old pedestrian-only historic core. Their website makes it sound pretty easy to take care of luggage drop off though --

"The hotel is located in a pedestrian precinct. Access from Plaza de Santo Domingo, you will come across a bollard that is blocking the street but, as you are a hotel guest you are allowed to reach the hotel to load and unload your luggage for 15 minutes approximately. At the bollard push the button that says “Posada Regia” and after you have been identified it will let you through. Once you have passed, at around 50 m take the second street to the right and you will see the hotel. We will inform you about the different possibilities to park your car."

I know there are several big parking garages very conveniently located to this pedestrian part, though.

As cruiseluv says, the parador is not in the center of the old part, it's down by the river and is in a very nice area. It just depends if you want to be closer to most of the tourist destinations. The walk is on downtown commercial streets, and is an easy straight shot, so it's not complicated.

I may be wrong on this but the Plaza Mayor in Leon has never struck me as the hub of activity as the Plaza Mayor in, say Salamanca or Caceres. More of the action seems to be over behind the cathedral and on the main pedestrian streets. That of course may be a very good thing if you're looking for a good night's sleep!

I would assume that the NH has direct elevator access to the attached parking lot, but I don't know that. I think the main differences between the NH and the Posada Regia will be the size (NH much bigger) and the decor (NH is modern). Both are great choices, though.