Imelda

Anyone familiar with smaller towns around Segovia? I have 5 days there and like to take day trips to visit other towns.

Maribel

Imelda,<BR>Here are several picturesque villages in the Segovia province we enjoy:<BR><BR>Pedraza is a delightful, beautiful little Renaissance town just northeast of Segovia. So photogenic. Very quiet mid-week but comes alive on wkds. when madrilenos drive up to look at antiques, buy hand -carved Castilian furniture or to feast on roast lamb at one of the "hornos de asar"<BR>on the pretty Plaza Mayor filled with noble homes (try "El Yantar"). We've actually spent the night in Pedraza several times on our way up north, at the cute "Posada de Don Mariano" and the more designer done "Hotel de la Villa". Both charming. Pedraza has the famed "Fiestas de las velas" on the 1st 3 Saturdays of July, when the entire town is illuminated by candles and there are special concerts. <BR>It was voted by the readers of El Pais as one of the top 5 most picturesque villages in Spain.<BR><BR>Sepulveda is also a favorite wkd haunt of Madrid folks, for their even more famous roasting taverns ("Tinin, Figon Zute"). I find it less picturesque, but still worth a drive. While you're in the area, drive down to the Duraton gorge-it's spectacular<BR>scenery.<BR><BR>Then a bit further up, you have the "red towns" (named so because of the stone) of Riaza and Ayllon. Again, both with a picturesque circular, archaded Plaza Mayor. <BR>And there's also Cuellar, whose 2 claims to fame are its "encierros" (running of the bulls) the last wkd in August for their Fiesta de Ntra. Srta. del Rosario, and its Mudejar architecture.<BR><BR>I love the Segovia area-so much to see. Enjoy your 5 days!

xxx

Don't forget La Granja, the palace outside of Segovia. Beautiful.

Julie

I'll second Maribel's recommendation re: Pedraza. We stayed there two nights while visiting Segovia area. Don Mariana Posada had nice rooms and a great restaurant. We were there on weekdays and the place was very quiet and restful. I was amazed to learn that the long narrow holes in the sides of buildings on the central square were for large 2x6's or somesuch to make the square into a bullring for actual bullfights.