The fact that every time someone says the name of this town and I immediately think of ‘Genovia’ from the classic Disney movie The Princess Diaries isn’t the only reason I decided to visit Segovia (though I do think it’s a good enough reason).

This sleepy little town in the middle of Spain quickly stole my heart with its beautiful architecture, picturesque castle, and a bit more of that Spanish feeling (at least to me personally).

If you’re looking for one day trip to do outside of Madrid, here are 5 reasons you should visit Segovia, Spain!

1. Your Precious Time

Day trips can be a tricky thing. You want to get outside of whichever big city you’re currently in, and there are some great options in the surrounding areas, but you also don’t want to spend the majority of your day traveling to and from said day trip destination.

Well if you want to visit Segovia you’re in luck! At only a half an hour each way via the high speed train, with an additional 15 minute bus ride from the train station to the city center (€1.04), you will be able to spend as much time as possible exploring this wonderful city. And the round trip train journey only costs €22! You have the option of taking the bus there for a bit less money (€17 at the time), but it can take upwards of 2 hours.

2. The Roman Aqueduct

This was one of the main reasons my friend and I were encouraged to visit Segovia. It’s one of the best preserved aqueducts remaining on the Iberian Peninsula and truly an architectural feat to behold.

The aqueduct is a formidable structure, and as the bus from the train station drops you off right at the base of it, the aqueduct is your first real introduction to Segovia. What a way to start!

At its highest point the aqueduct is almost 94 feet high.

If you’re feeling up to the climb, make your way to the top of the aqueduct to get a fantastic view from above.

3. The Alcazar, aka Cinderella’s Castle

Sounding like the infamous Genovia is not the only tie to Disney that Segovia can boast. The Alcazar, or castle, in the Old Town is one of the inspirations for Cinderella’s humble abode in the 1950 animated movie. And it’s not difficult to see why! When you visit Segovia, make this place a priority for sure.

Having been traveling around Europe so much this year, and subsequently seeing my fair share of castles, it has to be a truly special one for me to pay the entrance fee at this point. The Alcazar de Segovia was well worth the price.

Also make sure you splurge an extra few Euros to climb to the top of the castle. Even though the weather wasn’t in our favor, the views were spectacular.

4. The Cathedral

Just like castles, I have also been to more cathedrals than I can count this past year. Usually I simply admire them from the outside these days, but as my friend and I ended up there on a Sunday, entrance was free!

While not the most impressive cathedral I’d ever been in, it was still quite beautiful. So if you visit Segovia on a Sunday, I’d say go for it! Otherwise, unless you’re really into all things cathedrals, it might not be worth the entrance fee.

It’s the outside that you’re really going to want to take lots of pictures of. Gothic architecture might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I personally am a huge fan of its edginess.

5. The Snow!

Ok this might be a turn off for some people, and is wholly seasonally dependent, but not long after we made it to Segovia, the sky started raining down the white stuff!

Needless to say we were very excited. Especially Leah, who, being from Australia, doesn’t often get to experience the magic of a gentle snowfall. And in Spain no less!

It really started to come down while we were outside the Cathedral, so obviously we had to take some ‘catching snowflakes’ pictures!

But let me tell you, after a few hours of the snow and cold, we were over it ourselves. Neither of us were truly prepared to walk around this mostly outdoor-geared town in this kind of weather for an extended period of time.

We ended up spending the afternoon hopping from restaurant to restaurant getting coffees, stealing wifi, and generally just trying to keep warm while we waited for the time to come to catch the bus back to the train station.

Go Visit Segovia!

As far as day trips from major cities go, Segovia is definitely near the top of the list.

Yes, some might think it a bit more on the touristy side of towns, but there’s a reason for that! It’s got a great history and vibe, and some one-of-a-kind architecture.

What’s your favorite day trip that you’ve ever taken?