World Heritage Cities in Extremadura
A journey through the cities of Cáceres, Guadalupe and Mérida, all declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO.
Mérida Roman Theater
Among the many beautiful places in Extremadura, the so-called World Heritage Triangle stands out: Cáceres, Guadalupe, and Mérida, all recognized by UNESCO.
Mérida
Mérida was a Roman colony founded as Augusta Emerita by the Emperor Augustus in 25 B.C.
Its most important public buildings and private houses have been restored to preserve the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, one of the best collections of Roman monuments in Europe.
Among the best-preserved buildings you’ll find the Theater, the Amphitheater, and the Circus, as well as the Aqueduct of the Miracles, the Roman Bridge over the Guadiana, the Temple of Diana, the House of the Mitreo, and the Arab Alcazaba.
Temple of Diana in Mérida
The museums dedicated to the civilizations that settled in Mérida complete the visit.
The best-known is the National Museum of Roman Art, designed by the architect Rafael Moneo.
There are also other museums, such as the Geological Museum and the Visigothic Museum, with a wide range of exhibitions.
Cáceres
The old town of Cáceres is one of the best-preserved medieval ensembles in the Iberian Peninsula and in Europe.
Cáceres medieval town
Defensive walls, palaces, churches, medieval squares, streets, and alleys.
All these elements recall the city’s golden age. The legacy of the conquest of the Americas is in the details: the facades of the palaces and the legends about the people who lived here.
Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe
The Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe is known as “the museum of museums” thanks to the artistic heritage inside its walls, which has made it famous in Spain and around the world.
Monastery of Guadalupe
Paintings by Zurbarán and medieval books are housed in a monastery that mixes Gothic, Mudejar, and Renaissance styles.
In jubilee years, thousands of pilgrims and visitors come to the monastery to celebrate.