Things to do in Caceres

The Roman colony founded here during the 1st century BC was one of the five most important in the province of Lusitania. Destroyed by barbarians, it was rebuilt by the Moors, who called it Cazris, the forerunner of its modern name. They used it as a fortress town from which to embark on other incursions, and built the walls that still stand, setting them atop Roman foundations.
Today Caceres is the capital of the province of the same name. Surrounded by the Moorish walls, the city's Barrio Monumental (Old Town) is so superbly preserved that it has served as a backdrop for more than one film set in the Middle Ages. A stroll through the sandy-colored maze of narrow streets is like stepping back to the 15th and 16th centuries, when noblemen vied with each other to build more beautiful mansions and palaces with the wealth acquired in their exploits across the Atlantic. Almost every house bears a coat of arms, proudly carved out of the tawny stonework.


Until the late 15th century, most of these residences had battlemented defensive towers as well, but Queen Isabella ordered all but one - the Florentine Renaissance-style tower of the Casa de las Cigiienas (House of the Storks)to be razed in an effort to put a halt to internecine fighting. The tower stands in the Plaza de las Veletas, and is now a military government office that is closed to the public.


All is quiet now in Caceres; there's little to disturb the storks that nest everywhere in the Barrio Monumental atop the Iglesia de San Mateo (Plaza de San Mateo), a church built on the site of a former mosque, and up on the spire of the Iglesia de Santa Maria. Step inside this latter church, in the main square of the walled city, to see the tombs of some of Caceres's most famous citizens, marked with their heraldic crests. Also look for the 15th to 16th century Palacio de Ovando in the same square; for the intricately carved facade on the 15thcentury Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo nearby; and, in a corner of the walled city, for the 16th century Casa de Toledo Moctezuma, where Juan Cano, a henchman of Hernan Cortes, lived with his wife, a daughter of the last Aztec emperor, Montezuma. The 16th-century Renaissance Palacio de Godoy, with its impressive entryway, is just outside the walls. (The interiors of these houses are not open to the public.)

Casa de las Veletas


Near Plaza de San Mateo, the 17thcentury Casa de las Veletas (House of the Weather Vanes), site of the one time Moorish Alcazar, today serves as the town's Museo Arqueologico. It incorporates an interesting Moorish cistern and houses collections of Celtic, Roman, and Visigothic remains. It's closed Mondays; admission charge. Aside from the Casa de las Veletas, the only building in the Barrio Monumental that can be visited is the Palacio de Carajal (Plaza de Santa Marfa; inquire at the tourist office to arrange a tour).

In addition to the Barrio Monumental, Cachas a much more bustling area at the foot of the walls in the vicinity of the Plaza Mayor, the main square and site of the Oficina de Turismo. Much farther down is the sprawling modern section of the city, where most of the shops, hotels, and offices are to be found. Two miles (3 km) east of town, on a road that climbs steeply up through olive trees to the peak of the Sierra de la Mosca, stands the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de la Montana (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Mountain). From here, there is a spectacular view over Caceres, with the Gredos mountains to the north and the Sierra de San Pedro range to the south.


Plasencia cheap car hire

If you are planning a trip to Plasencia hire a car from Madrid Barajas Airport and take your time to explore the diverse countryside and landscapes around the region of Extremadura.


This town's name is derived from the Latin for may it be pleasing to God and man, which is what Alfonso VIII hoped it would be when he rebuilt it in the 12th century after its recapture from the Moors. With its whitewashed houses, narrow streets, and flowers on almost every wrought iron balcony, Plasencia is indeed a charming town, as well as an ideal base to explore the north of Extremadura. The town is set in a bend of the Rio Jerte and is crowned by a splendid Catedral de Plasencia, part Romanesque and part late 15th century Gothic, especially dramatic at sunset. The cathedral museum contains century’s worth of treasures.


Its open daily; admission charge. The 13th century Iglesia de San Nicolas, with its gorgeous rose window, is in the vicinity of the cathedral, and the magnificent Iglesia de San Vicente, the former Monasterio de Santo Domingo, dating from the 15th century, stands in a quiet plaza dotted with orange trees nearby. The porticoed Plaza Mayor, the town's main square, is a pleasant place to have a drink and watch the green mechanical doll atop the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) at the north end of the square spring into action to strike the hours. If you're here on a Tuesday, visit the market, which has been held in Plasencia since the 13th century.