Segovia · Spain
Alcázar of Segovia
A practical guide to the Alcázar of Segovia: which rooms to see, whether the Tower of Juan II is worth the climb, what it costs, how much time to give it, the truth about Disney and the tourist traps.
The outside, perched on the rock, is one of the prettiest in Europe. Inside, almost everything is a 19th-century reconstruction, but the Hall of Kings and the view from the tower make it worth it.
The Alcázar of Segovia is a fortress-palace on a rocky outcrop at the western tip of the city, where the Eresma and Clamores rivers meet. Seen from below, it looks like the prow of a stone ship. Beyond the postcard, it carries real historical weight: Isabella left from here to be proclaimed queen of Castile in 1474. Today it’s a museum and home to the General Military Archive.
Our visit
We arrived around 10:20 on a Sunday with our Segovia and Toledo tour, after the aqueduct and the cathedral. The ticket was included and the timing worked in our favor: we were in the first hour after opening, before the Sunday midday peak of buses.
In our plan, the Tower of Juan II was optional. We decided that because it was day 15 of the trip and our legs already had a lot of kilometers on them, and because our notes said the gardens give you a good part of the same panorama without the climb.
We went knowing that the interior is mostly reconstructed. With that expectation, the Hall of Kings and the Mudéjar ceilings are easy to enjoy without feeling you were sold something else.
A little history
There was a fort on this rock from Roman times. The first written mention of the Alcázar is from 1120. Alfonso VIII fortified it in stone, Henry II of Trastámara remade it in the Mudéjar style and Juan II raised the tower that bears his name.
In December 1474, when her half-brother Henry IV died, Isabella took refuge in the Alcázar and set out from here to the church of San Miguel, on the Plaza Mayor, to be proclaimed queen. This is also where, in 1504, the last documented meeting between Columbus and Ferdinand took place.
When the court moved to Madrid in 1561, the Alcázar became a prison and, from 1764, the Royal Artillery School. On March 6, 1862, a fire that started in the Sala del Cordón burned ceilings, plasterwork and tapestries. The reconstruction relied on José María Avrial’s engravings from 1839.
How it fits into your day
The Alcázar is a few minutes from the aqueduct and the cathedral. See our day 15 for how we combined Segovia and Toledo.
What to see, in order
-
The moat and the drawbridge
Stop for a moment before going in: from here you get the best sense of how the castle sits on the rock.
-
The Hall of the Pinecones
A Mudéjar ceiling with mocárabes, the stalactite-like decoration that comes from Islamic architecture.
-
The Throne Room
Portraits of Isabella and Ferdinand, with their initials intertwined in the decoration. This is where the Catholic Monarchs worked.
-
The Galley Room
The wooden ceiling is shaped like an upside-down ship's hull. The Mudéjar plasterwork frieze is one of the original pieces that survived.
-
The Hall of Kings
The best of the interior. A gilded coffered ceiling and a frieze with 52 seated figures of the kings of Asturias, León and Castile, from Pelayo to Joanna the Mad. Walk slowly and read the names.
-
The Royal Bedchamber
A reconstructed royal bedroom with a brocade bedspread and images of the family of the Catholic Monarchs.
-
The Armory
Medieval and early modern weapons and armor, with a full knight on horseback. The last room before the exit.
-
The Tower of Juan II
If your legs are up to it: from the top you see the whole plateau, the Sierra de Guadarrama on clear days and the aqueduct in the distance.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- The tower climb is paid separately and optional. If your legs are tired after days of travel, the gardens outside give you a good part of the view without the climb.
- The classic photo of the castle as a ship's prow is from the Pradera de San Marcos, down by the river, a few minutes' walk away. Tours don't usually include it.
- Photos are allowed inside, without flash or tripod.
- For the outside, the best light is late afternoon, when the west face lights up.
Do
- Buy directly on the official website if you're going on your own; tickets are timed and the resellers' "fast track" doesn't get you in any sooner.
- Ask your guide when you arrive whether the tower is included.
- From the Alcázar to the cathedral is about five minutes on foot along Calle Daoíz.
Don’t
- Don't hand your phone to the photographers at the Alcázar viewpoint: they charge you €5–15 for the photo afterward.
- Don't buy Disney princess mugs or magnets at the shop: they're not licensed.
- Don't eat the €18–30 cochinillo set menus on the streets between the Alcázar and the cathedral. The good cochinillo is at Cándido or José María.
- Don't follow "guides" without credentials who promise to get you in faster; Segovia's official guides wear a numbered badge from the Junta de Castilla y León.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need for the Alcázar of Segovia?
About 45 minutes for the interior. 60 to 75 if you climb the Tower of Juan II.
Is it true it inspired the Disney castle?
Partly. Disney designer Herbert Ryman cited Neuschwanstein as the main model, and named the Alcázar among several influences on Cinderella's castle. The slate spires that give it that profile were added by Philip II.
Is the tower worth the climb?
Yes, if your legs are up to it: it's the best view in Segovia. It's 156 narrow steps and costs €2.50 extra. If not, the gardens outside have a similar view.
Is what you see inside original?
Almost all of it is reconstruction. A fire in 1862 destroyed ceilings and decoration, and the rebuilding lasted from 1882 to 1953. The exterior and the lower walls did survive.
What are the opening hours?
From April to October, 10:00 to 20:00, with last entry half an hour before closing.