By James Martin
Europe Travel Expert, about.com
Merida Attractions:
- The National Museum of Roman Art
- The Roman Theater
- The Roman Amphitheater and the Circus Maximus
- The Roman Bridge (Shown on the left)
- Temples of Diana and Mars
- the Aqueducts
- The Alcazaba
- Tapas!
The
capital of Extremadura, Merida was one of the most famous Roman
capitals of the Iberian Peninsula, and features some of the best
preserved Roman ruins in Europe.
[post_ads_2]
Extremadura was held to be the
traditional boundary between Moorish and Christian Spain. Merida itself
was passed between Christian, Moorish, and even Portuguese control. It's
a fabulous place to walk. Like Rome (only much smaller!) archaeology
pops up in the strangest corners, and the Moorish influence adds a grace
of its own to the town.
Getting to Merida
Trains: The RENFE
station in Merida is located on Calle Cardero. There are four trains to
and from Cáceres (trip time: 1 hr.), five trains to and from
Madrid (4.5-6 hours, 18.45-27 Euros one-way), one to and from Seville (3
hr.), and seven to and from Badajoz (1 hr.)
Bus: The station is on Avenida de la Libertad near
the train station. There are fewer buses to Madrid, but connections to
Seville (6-8 buses per day) are much better.
Car: The N-V superhighway passes through Merida from Madrid or Lisbon.
Eating in Merida
As
in other cities in Spain, lunch and dinner is served very late.
Restaurants don't even think of serving dinner before 9pm or so. Your
best bet, unless you're on the Spanish schedule already, is to go to a
tapas bar; most open around noon or so.
[post_ads_2]
Tapas are small plates
like appetizers you can eat standing at a bar. Meant to satisfy one's
hunger between meals, you can make an interesting night of going from
bar to bar, eating tapas and drinking beer or wine. Some tapas are free,
you may get a small item with your first drink order. The more tasty
and ornate tapas will cost you, but are quite moderately priced. The
tapas experience, especially off the beaten track in towns like Merida,
can be a rewarding one--you'll meet friendly people who just come round
to chat after (or before) work.
Where to Stay
Merida is not an expensive place to stay. The highly rated Hostal Acueducto Los Milagros has a friendly staff, a bar, free parking, and is air conditioned--despite its low room rates. Even the historic Parador de Mérida is a great value. It has a bar, sauna, restaurant and work-out room.
Sights and Attractions in Merida
The Roman Theater
The
Roman Theater (Teatro Romano) is the jewel of Merida's Roman heritage.
It was built by Agrippa in 18 B.C. 6000 people could be seated in the
theater. In June and July plays are staged there.
The Aqueducts
There is over 5 miles of aqueduct running though Merida, although there isn't a section as complete as the one at Segovia.
The Acueducto de los Milagroson the northwest side of town is the most complete, and feeds two nearby man made lakes.
The Roman Bridge
Consisting
of 64 Granite arches, the longest in Roman Spain, it's now a footbridge
over the Guadiana river. The bridge is shown in the picture above. The
modern bridge you see behind was used to take the load off the ancient
one; it wasn't until 1993 that the Roman bridge was decommissioned as
the main entrance into town for vehicle traffic.
Temple of Diana
Right
smack in the center of town is a strange looking Roman ruin consisting
of several columns. In the 17th century a nobleman built a rather large
residence inside the columns, using four of them in the construction of
the house itself. What a fence, these columns!
The Alcazaba
The
Alcazaba, constructed in 835 from the remains of a Roman fort, is
located near the Roman Bridge, which it was designed to protect. There
are good views from the top.
Museo Nacional de Arte Romano (National Museums of Roman Art)
The
Museum, opened in 1986, provides a beautiful display of statuary and
other antiquities used by the Romans. It's located in front of the
entrance to the theater and amphitheater.
Merida in Pictures
For pictures of Merida's attractions, see our Merida Spain Picture Gallery.
Where to Go From Here
If you are coming from Spain and headed into Portugal, I recommend driving to Belmonte, just across the border, checking in to Pousada Convento De Belmonte
(and you must eat at the restaurant!), then if you can stand being out
of the luxury of the the converted convent with the Roman ruins and
magnificent local cuisine, head up the hills for the Serra da Estrela and Penhas Douradas. You'll be charmed, believe me.
