La Alberca

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Salamanca City | La Alberca

La Alberca first caught my attention thanks to the Michelin Green Guide which noted its fascinating, unspoilt rural character.  That was back in 1980 and I am pretty sure that, although we managed to get there and back in a (very long) day trip from Segovia, the last bit of road was almost certainly little more than a dirt track.  The town was indeed unspoilt with no designated car parks, nor any need for them, the town being almost entirely occupied by quaintly dressed locals.

My second visit, in 1997, I remember more clearly and vividly recall the stinking cow sheds in the lower floors of the houses throughout the town.  The road was hardtop, but very slow going indeed.

By 2013, it has relatively shiny, pothole-free roads and all the cow sheds have been converted into garages or additional living space...not a stinky cow to be seen.  The streets no longer flow with the bodily wastes of its cattle, although the stepping stones and shallow bridges across the former effluent streams remain.  Tourism has clearly brought affluence, but sadly also something of a traffic problem with cars strewn along the verges despite the existence of a multi-storey car park on the edge of town.

Still the charm remains, if rather sanitised, and the town boasts a number of half-decent restaurants, banks and all the trappings of civilisation.

Buildings Building Details People La Alberca Images

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