Ciudad Rodrigo is a compact walled city in western Castile, about 90 km southwest of Salamanca and close to the Portuguese border. It makes an excellent half-day or day trip from Salamanca, offering genuine medieval atmosphere without the tourist crowds.
The Cathedral, just inside the walls from the bus stop, has beautiful carved column bases in the cloisters and a quiet interior worth spending time in. The real pleasure of the town, though, is simply wandering — counting the stone coats of arms above doorways, following the narrow streets between well-preserved buildings, and sitting in the Plaza Mayor with a coffee. The square is not in Salamanca's league, but it has its own unhurried charm.
The well-preserved circuit of medieval walls can be walked in under an hour and gives good views over the surrounding countryside and down into the streets below. At the western end, the 14th-century Castillo de Enrique II now operates as a parador, its towers rising above the ramparts in a particularly photogenic way.