#OVER55-Cáceres: A Timeless Treasure of Medieval History and Culture

Accommodation at Gran Hotel Don Manuel ****: All the hotels are on a street but Gran Hotel Don Manuel has its own, its own square... it claims to be "a city within a city". They like to talk about GHDM ecosystem, gastronomy, events, culture, experiences... a unique space. And although they are a hotel of modern construction, they share history and space with the old Colegio San Antonio de Padua, emblematic center of the city of Cáceres. 80 years of history of a building through which generations of students have passed.

Private tour with official guide outside the old town where we will visit: 

The Plaza Mayor: which is undoubtedly a must of the city. It is surrounded by arcades of the sixteenth century and, in it, you will find: The Town Hall, The Tower of Bujaco, The Tower of the Pulpits The Tower of Yerba, The Hermitage of Peace and The Arch of the Star, is the main gateway to the walled enclosure of Cáceres. Although it was opened in the 15th century, its present form is the work of Manuel de Lara Churriguera and was built in 1726.

The Plaza de Santa Maria: This square is another of the most important in the city. It was used for a long time as a market and even as a place to celebrate weddings of the nobility. Here you will see: The Co cathedral of Cáceres, a church that dates back to the 13th century but, after its destruction, was rebuilt as it is now during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Episcopal Palace, its oldest part dates back to the 13th century and its last modification to the 17th century. The Palace of Hernando de Ovando, Renaissance style. The Mayoralgo Palace, with a beautiful 16th century façade that was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in 1937 and later rebuilt. The Provincial Palace, which was originally a convent, stands out for its Renaissance façade. The Palace of the Golfines de Abajo, is located in the Plaza de los Golfines, next to the Plaza de Santa Maria. It is a building dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

The Plaza de San Jorge: In this beautiful square you will be surprised by the Church of San Francisco Javier, a Jesuit baroque church built in the eighteenth century. It is one of those corners that make Cáceres one of the most charming cities in Spain.

The Wall: Undoubtedly, it is one of the main monuments of Cáceres. It is of Roman origin and later, in the 12th century, it was rebuilt by the Almohads. 

Lunch, dinner and accommodation.

After breakfast, we will visit:

Bujaco Tower, which is the most famous tower in the city. You can access its interior, where there is an interpretation center on the history of Cáceres, and climb to the top, from where there are incredible views of the third largest monumental complex in Europe, making it one of the best viewpoints in Cáceres.

The Co-cathedral of Cáceres, a church that dates back to the 13th century but, after its destruction, was rebuilt as it is now during the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Cave of Maltravieso, a group of 53 human hands in negative surrounded by reddish pigments. Some studies claim that, in addition to the hands, there are also paintings with animal figures. A recent study published in the journal Science concludes that the paintings of the Maltravieso Cave could be about 66,700 years old, which would mean that we are facing one of the oldest manifestations of rock art in the world (entrance on request).

Lunch and then:

Visit in the company of an expert guide to the collection of the Helga de Alvear Museum of Contemporary Art. This museum is the most important private collection of international contemporary art in Spain and one of the most important in Europe. 

Museum of Cáceres: The Museum of Cáceres is the only one in Extremadura that brings together in a single institution cultural testimonies of the history of the province ranging from the first human presence, in the Paleolithic period, to the avant-garde and current art. This is visible throughout a visit through the three sections in which the rooms are distributed: Archaeology, Ethnography and Fine Arts. Return to accommodation and dinner at the hotel. 

After breakfast, free time until departure back home. End of services.