Hotels in Medinaceli

Plaza Mayor and the Ducal Palace

The Plaza Mayor is the heart of the upper town. On one side is the Ducal Palace, which hosts contemporary art shows, and opposite is the Alhóndiga, with its stone arches. From here cobbled streets lead to the collegiate church and the Roman mosaics preserved in the old town.

Staying by the square lets you stroll at night through an almost empty town and have breakfast with no cars around. It appeals to couples and anyone after a slow break. Bring a coat outside summer: the hill is high and exposed to the wind.

Best-rated in this area: Hotel MedinaSalim, with a score of 9.6 from 666 reviews.

The Roman arch and hilltop viewpoints

Entering the town through the three-arched Roman gateway is the classic Medinaceli image. The streets around it lead to the Arab gate, the remains of the wall and the viewpoints overlooking the Jalón and the fields of Soria, with the mountains in the distance.

It is the most open part of the old town, with scattered stone houses and lots of sky. It suits you if you want to go walking or take photos at sunrise and sunset, when the light bathes the stone of the arch.

Best-rated in this area: Hotel MedinaSalim, with a score of 9.6 from 666 reviews.

The station district, by the Jalón

At the foot of the hill, on the valley floor, is the settlement that grew up around the station on the Madrid–Zaragoza railway. It has bars, the odd shop and direct access to the A-2, the motorway between Madrid and Zaragoza.

It is convenient if you are stopping midway on a long journey along that motorway or plan to continue to Sigüenza or the Cistercian monastery of Huerta, downriver. At night the area is quiet, with some lorry traffic. To see the old town you will have to go up the road that climbs the hillside, usually by car.