Zamora travel guide

Like so many other towns along the river Duero, Zamora was a fortress of the Reconquista frontline, although before that it was a Celtic, Carthaginian, then Roman settlement. In the Middle Ages, the city was formidably walled and famous for its resilience during sieges; the saying ‘A Zamora, no se ganó en una hora’ (Zamora wasn’t taken in an hour) dates from these times and is still used widely.

Today the city is a relaxed and peaceful provincial capital famous for ceramics and antiques. The centre is attractive with, incredibly, a couple of dozen Romanesque churches, which are at ease with some very harmonious modern urban architecture. The city still preserves large sections of its walls around the old centre, which perches high on the rocky bank of the Duero. Zamora province is famous for its wines, with many villages riddled with traditional underground bodegas, and for its wide variety of artisanal cheeses.