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One time
capital of
Lusitania
(combined
kingdoms of
Spain and
Portugal), at
the crossroads
of the Roman
roads from
Toledo,
Salamanca,
Seville
and Lisbon,
Merida was
founded in
25BC. It
boasts some of
the finest
Roman ruins in
the whole of
Spain and
possibly the
world. Merida
is described
as being the
tourist
capital of
Extremadura.
It has also
been described as a 'mini version of Rome'. The longest Roman bridge in
Spain is just one monument worth seeing.
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Getting to
Merida
Trains: The
RENFE station
in Merida is
located on
Calle Cardero.
There are four
trains to and
from Cáceres
(trip time: 1
hr.), five
trains to and
from Madrid
(4.5-6 hours),
one to and
from Seville
(3 hr.), and
seven to and
from Badajoz
(1 hr.)
Bus: The bus
station is
located on
Avenida de la
Libertad near
the train
station. There
are fewer
buses to
Madrid, but
connections to
Seville (6-8
buses per day)
are much
better.
Car: the N-V
motorway
passes through
Merida from
Madrid or
Lisbon.
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Sights
to see in
Merida
The Roman
Theatre
This is the
jewel of
Merida's Roman
heritage. It
was built by
Agrippa in 18
B.C. when 6000
people could
be seated in
the theatre.
In June and
July plays are
still staged
here. Tickets
are priced at
5€ (June
2003). This
includes a
visit to the
Theatre and
Amphitheatre.
The
Aqueducts
There is over
5 miles of
aqueduct
running though
Merida,
although there
isn't a
section as
complete as
the one at
Segovia.
The
Acueducto de
los Milagros
on the
northwest side
of town is the
most complete,
and feeds two
nearby man
made lakes. |
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The Roman
Bridge
Consisting of
64 Granite
arches, the
longest in
Roman Spain,
its now a
footbridge
over the
Guadiana
river. The
modern bridge
you see behind
it was used to
take the load
off the
ancient one;
it wasn't
until 1993
that the Roman
bridge was
decommissioned
as the main
entrance into
town for
vehicle
traffic. |
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The
Alcazabar
Constructed in
the year 835
from the
remains of a
Roman fort, it
is located
near the Roman
Bridge, which
it was
designed to
protect. There
are great
views from the
top.
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Temple of
Diana
Right in the
centre of town
is a strange
looking Roman
ruin
consisting of
several
columns. In
the 17th
century a
nobleman built
a rather large
residence
inside the
columns, using
four of them
in the
construction
of the house
itself.
Museo
Nacional de
Arte Romano
(National
Museum of
Roman Art)
The Museum,
opened in
1986, provides
an impressive
display of
statues and
other
antiquities
used by the
Romans. its
located in
front of the
entrance to
the theatre
and
amphitheatre. |
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Local
contact
numbers |
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Town
council
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924 380
100 |
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Bus
station
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924 371
404 |
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Train
station
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924 318
109 |
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Taxis |
924 311
111 |
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Post
office
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924 312
458 |
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Hospital |
924 381
000 |
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Local
Police
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092 |
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Guardia
Civil
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924 313
108 |
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Red Cross
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924 303
333 |
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