The capital of the Roman province of Lusitania, Emerita Augusta, is the present Merida, and keeps one of the best conserved Archaeological Roman Sets in the world. The Aqueduct of the Miracles, that carried water more than 25 km away, and a Roman bridge are just two examples of this. There we can also find a Roman theatre and an amphitheatre, whose rests were declared World Heritage by UNESCO, in 1993. The Diana Temple, also in Merida, conserves samples of Roman religious architecture. In addition to these outdoor monumental rests, Merida offers a National Museum of Roman Art, an institution not to miss.

Aside from Merida, other towns and villages also conserve important Roman ruins. We can see bridges in Alcantara (Caceres), Medellin (Badajoz) and Coria. On the other hand, Roman thermes stand out in Alange (Badajoz) and Baños de Montemayor (Cáceres), both in use still nowadays.

The artistic splendor of the Renaissance is a bright chapter in the history of XVIth century Extremadura. The New Cathedral of Plasencia is an example of this, just as the Church of San Benito de Alcantara or the one of Santa Magdalena in Olivenza. Trujillo was the native city of some of the discoverers of America, like Pizarro, and is sparkled with Renaissance palaces from the Golden Century.

Extremadura conserves varied folkloric traditions, which can be seen during popular fairs and celebrations. In craftworks, the metal work of Guadalupe, ceramics and embroiderings stand out. “Encamisá", also called the "Race of San Anton", is an example of a popular celebration with deep historical roots. This celebration, declared of Regional Tourist Interest, takes place in Navalvillar de Pela, on January 16th, every year. The “Encamisa” commemorates the victory of local inhabitants over an Arab army that tried to invade the town during its medieval peninsular conquests.

Gastronomy in Extremadura is based on vegetables, sausages and a great variety of cheeses. ‘Migas’ is a stew with bread crumbs that has made the Extremadurian gastronomy famous. On the other hand, trouts caught in rivers of the area, and hunting meat, complete a traditional gastronomy that has conserved ways of cooking transmitted from generation to generation.

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Mérida monuments

Hotels in Cáceres

Unesco cities route