Salamanca is one of the oldest university towns in the world. It is a
typical university city with an international atmosphere, attracting thousands
of students from all over the world. Located in the mid-west of Spain (in
the Castile-Leon region) with a population of 180,000, its residents speak
the purest Spanish, which makes the city very popular for learning Spanish.
The Spanish here is pure and without any regional accent, rather like the
equivalent of Oxford English.
Salamanca is large enough to be able to offer the advantages of a big city but, at the same time, it has the friendly atmosphere of a small town. It is home of the world's second oldest university. It receives about 30, 000 students every year, of which approximately 5,000 come from abroad. Salamanca was declare a UNESCO Human Heritage Site and is known as "La Dorada" - the golden city - because of its golden glow of its sandstone buildings. In 2002, it was named the European Cultural Capital.
The sierra de Francia and Sierra de Gredos (mountains) surrounding Salamanca offers the opportunity to get in touch with nature and to discover typical small villages. Salamanca's "La Plaza Mayor", is regarded to be one of the most beautiful baroque squares in Spain. Madrid is only at 200km away. By train, you can be in Portugal within an hour.
and
the welcoming "bodegas". Its energetic
vibe can be seen in the streets and in the many busy cafes and inexpensive
restaurants. In September, the Ferias and Fiestas de San Mateo are spectacular.
Salamanca is not just a student city, though. It has an abundance of monuments, architecture and art here and the surrounding countryside is overwhelming. In actuality, it is a city where both young and old will really feel at home.
Univeristy of Salamanca and just two
minutes away from the magnificent Plaza Mayor. It is a recently restored
16th-century monastery with modern materials that creates a natural balance
with the richness, style and class of previous centuries. The building
has three floors, 13 classrooms, a recreation room (with computers, video,
piano, sound system, etc.), a library, a courtyard, garden, a staff lounge
and three offices.
Rua Mayor IA: located on the famous Rua Mayor, 2 - 3 minutes from the Plaza Mayor. It has all the technical equipment needed as well as lecture room and a multimedia-laboratory of languages, which are both welcoming and comfortable.