From our travelogue France, Spain and Portugal 2026:

Zamora is located in the autonomous region of Castile and León and is the capital of the province of Zamora. The historic centre is located on a rocky plateau (about 652 meters high) and is partly surrounded by old city walls—it is not without reason that Zamora is nicknamed la bien cercada, ‘the well-walled one’. Built in the 12th century, the cathedral is famous for its striking dome (cimborrio) with ‘scales’ of stone, one of the city’s landmarks.

We arrived in Zamora early in the afternoon and later in the day we took a first walk through the city, through the Calle de Santa Clara and the steep Calle Balborraz. Zamora is a charming town on the Duero River and is best known for its Romanesque art: the cathedral and no less than 22 Romanesque churches. Semana Santa also enjoys international fame here. The next morning, we went out again for a long walk. We visited the cathedral, La Catedral de El Salvador, and then the ruins of the castle of Zamora. We also walked along the Duero, to the old water mills: the Aceñas de Olivares.