Although it
would be hard to get bored of Madrid, it’s always nice to have a change of
scenery and explore a new place. Just over half an hour on the train from Madrid, cheap, easy to travel to and with loads of stuff to keep you busy for the
whole day,
Besides
just being really pretty, Alcalá is brimming with history. Home to one of the oldest universities in
Spain, the town is scattered with impressive, original university
buildings. For just 4 € you can enjoy a
guided tour of the main university building, which includes wandering through
numerous arched patios and viewing an exquisitely decorated hall. Alternatively you can just admire the grand
facade from the outside, which is impressive enough in itself.
Alcalá is
also well-known for being the birth place of the famous Spanish writer
Cervantes (for those of you who may not have heard of him he’s Spain’s answer
to Shakespeare). His old family home has
now been made into a museum and offers free entry for the general public. Inside you’ll find various rooms (“Rooms in
a house?” I hear you say), such as the room in which he was born, and other
points of interest such as the two rooms dedicated to many a different copy of Don
Quijote.
The
cathedral of Alcalá is also worth a visit.
Watch out for entry times though, because there’s always a break in the
day from one o’clock onwards but if you miss the opening hours it’s still worth a look from the outside.
For
archaeology enthusiasts (or simply those who fancy packing as much as possible
into one day) there’s also the Regional Museum of Archaeology. Have to admit this wasn’t really my thing,
but it was free to enter and was still interesting to look around, as much as
it may have been a flying visit. If
anything it’s worth going just to see the building it’s located in.
And what to
do when you’re exhausted at the end of a long day of sight-seeing ? What else but to sit down and enjoy a
well-deserved meal. Alcalá is well
known for its tapas, which generally come in larger portions than those of
restaurants in Madrid or other cities.
As always there’s something to suit all tastes and budgets, just try to
turn up an hour earlier or later than the standard 9-10pm Spanish eating time
to avoid full restaurants and long waits at weekends.
If you
fancy going all out and experiencing all that Alcalá has to offer in terms of
night life as well, you won’t be disappointed.
Alcalá is a student town so there are plenty of bars and clubs to
satisfy every party-goer’s needs, from majority Spanish hang-outs to the
classic Erasmus parties.
So there
you go; if you’re ever stuck for something to do with your weekend, pop to
Alcalá for a bit of cultured fun.
Alternatively look out for a trip to Alcalá on the Inhispania activities
board; it’s one of our frequent (and favourite) destinations!
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