To start, spend as much time as you can at the Plaza Mayor, an 18th-century baroque square widely considered to be the most beautiful public plaza in Spain. No trip to this university town is complete unless you walk through the arcade of shops and feast your eyes on the honey-colored buildings. After this you'll understand why the plaza mayor, a town's main square, is an integral part of Spanish life. If it's a hot day and you want what everybody else in Plaza Mayor is drinking, stop at a cafe and order leche helada, a very refreshing vanilla-and-almond concoction.
Before reaching Plaza Mayor, you may want to admire the facade of the landmark Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells), which appears as you walk north from the Patio de las Escuelas (site of the Universidad de Salamanca) on calles de Libreros and San Isidro. This much-photographed building is at the corner of Calle Rua Mayor and Calle de la Compañía 2 (tel. 92-326-93-17). The restored 1483 house is noted for its facade of 400 simulated scallop shells. A professor of medicine at the university and a doctor at the court of Isabella created the house as a monument to Santiago de Compostela, the renowned pilgrimage site. The shell is the symbol of the Order of Santiago. You can visit the admission-free courtyard Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm and 5 to 8pm, and Sunday 5 to 8pm.
