I have always been fascinated by the Romans and as a result travelled through Italy visiting both Rome and Naples and most of the Roman ruins in and around these two locations. I can remember seeing photographs of a huge aqueduct as a child and remembering the name Segovia and thinking I would love to see this in real life.  In 2022 whilst travelling through a large proportion of Spain, we decided to visit the Aqueduct of Segovia (Spanish: Acueducto de Segovia) It was built around the first century AD to channel water from springs in the mountains 17 kilometres (11 miles) away to the city’s fountains, public baths and private houses. The aqueduct was in use until 1973 which shows how innovative the engineering and construction was. The elevated section, with its complete arcade of 167 arches, is one of the best-preserved Roman aqueduct bridges in the world and the foremost symbol of Segovia, as evidenced by its presence on the city’s coat of arms. The aqueduct at Segovia, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. As a result, the area is very touristy, but I guess it’s the price you have to pay if you want to see and experience this magnificent structure.

Orientation:

From Azoguejo Square, you have an excellent view of the aqueduct of Segovia which is traffic free. However, the area is busy with tourists and locals walking in every direction, so trying to take a photograph can be a challenging with selfie sticks pointing up towards the sky. Personally, I think some of the best views of the aqueduct can be found in other places though so here are my recommendation for anyone interested. From Azoguejo Square look to your left and you will see some stairs with lots of areas to stop at different elevations that provide great vantage points and spectacular views of the aqueduct. Looking for a completely different perspective? From Azoguejo Square follow the viaduct right, this leads you up a long row of low-level stairs adjacent to the viaduct. Further along the path you will come to an intersection with a road. Follow the road to the right and the viaduct starts to decrease in height as you walk up along an incline passing houses until the viaduct comes to an end due to a busy main road and the result of Segovia’s expansion. From the end of the viaduct, you will need to retrace your steps to Azoguejo Square, but before you do, take a look at the hills and vistas of Segovia and appreciate the incredible engineering feat that was built sometime in the first centaury AD.