Segovia's Fairy Tale Alcazar

Disney animators based Sleeping Beauty's castle off of Segovia's Alcázar and Bavaria's Neuschwanstein - if you know anything about either castle, you've heard this tale. More importantly to me, the Alcázar seems to have been the inspiration behind one of the castles in this 1980s fuzzy-felt set, a toy I had as a child that influenced my perception of fairy-tale beauty long before Ariel or Belle came along. While Neuschwanstein was created from scratch in the 1800s and is completely Romantic in style, the roofline and much of the interior of the Alcázar was reconstructed after a fire in the 1860s, giving it a bit of Romantic polish on a truly old structure. The result is pretty spectacular.

Segovia's Alcázar is a royal palace is built high on a stone peninsula between two rivers, looking a bit like a ship cutting its way through the Spanish plains. The Spanish word alcázar comes from the Arabic word for fortress, al-qaṣr (القصر). The first structure on the site was built by the Moors before 1122. During the Reconquista, it became a seat for the kings of Castile, who rebuilt the fortress in stone. Most of the work that brought it to its present state was done during the reign of Juan II in the mid-1400s, including his eponymous tower.

Isabella retreated to this palace-fortress following her older brother’s death to stay safe as the question of Castilian succession was raised. (She was crowned the next day; Castile and Aragon still fought a war with Isabella’s niece, backed by her new husband, the king of Portugal, to decide the legitimacy of her reign.) In the mid-1550s the sharp slate spires were added to make the castle look more continental. After the court moved to Madrid, the Alcázar began to fall into disrepair. The 1862 fire ended up being a godsend for the castle, as the Romantic sensibilities of that era gave both a reason to reconstruct it and the style to do so with flair.

You cross a bridge over a steeply chiseled moat to enter the Alcázar. Passing the main tower, you enter the first set of six rooms off the classical Patio de Armas. Each room has minimal furnishings, which draws more attention to the beautiful structure and decor.

Hall of the Old Palace – This room is the oldest, constructed in the mid-12th century. It features a beamed ceiling, white washed walls, and an inlaid stone floor. One of the more noticeable features of the room is that it has arched windows looking into the space next to it, the Hall of the Galley. These windows were originally on the exterior of the castle, before it was expanded. A few suits of armor are all the decoration it needs.

Fireplace Hall – Back toward the front of the building, you'll find a room with a large table, a stone hearth, and azulejo on the lower half of the walls. The upper half are covered in tapestries and paintings, including one of how the Alcázar used to look.

Throne Room – Next door is the throne room, its walls covered in red velvet hangings. Light from an arched window and a stained glass roundel shines on the carved wooden thrones. The Catholic monarchs' motto 'Tanto Monta' is embroidered on the red canopy that hangs over the riser. The ceiling is an impressively gilded Mudéjar coffer. The whole effect manages to be simple yet grand at the same time.

Hall of the Galley – Beyond the throne room is a long, stone room that runs alongside the Hall of the Old Palace. It's called the Hall of the Galley thanks to its coffered ceiling that resembles a ship's hull. At the far end is a mural of Isabella’s coronation, one of the major giveaways that not everything in the castle is original - the painting is almost Pre-Raphaelite in style. The outer wall has a row of arched stained glass windows, featuring Henry II and Henry III of Castile.

Pinecone Room – The next room echoes the throne room in size and shape. Its walls are also covered with red velvet and tapestries and it has matching stained glass windows. However, the focal point of this room is its gold coffered ceiling with a pinecone design.

Royal Chamber – This royal bedroom rounds out this cluster of rooms, attaching to both the previous room and the Hall of the Old Palace. Tapestries and tiles cover the walls, with the exception of a grand, carved marble portal on one wall. In the corner is a rather small red velvet canopy bed.

Hall of Monarchs – A large chamber leads from the last two rooms. The red walls and stone floor tie the decor in with the other rooms. The gilded coffered ceiling has a more classical feel to it, but the two most memorable features are the gilded statues of the rulers of Asturias, León and Castile (except Juana la Loca, rude) that line the ceiling and the arched windows looking out over beautifully rural golden landscape.

Belt Room – A golden cord wrapping around the walls gives this small chamber its name. It's a little jewel box of a room, with white, orange, and blue tile work in addition to the gilding and red velvet.

Chapel - The coffered ceiling, stained glass, and red walls of the chapel are gorgeous, but expected at this point. What draws your attention instead is the gilded altar that fills an entire wall.

At this point, you exit out to the Terazza del Reyes, the patio that makes up the ship's bow. It overlooks an impeccably manicured maze of garden hedges, along with a few other parapets you can venture out onto. This patio also has a small well in the center, a reminder that as beautiful as the castle is, it functioned defensively as well. Heading back inside, you pass through the Armory, which has a small but interesting collection of cannons, armor, flags, and weaponry.

Once I’d gone through the castle, I climbed John’s Tower. (I keep wanting to say “Saint John”, but it’s named for the king that had it built, Juan II.) Again, there were warnings about the number of steps, but there were landings to catch your breath every twenty or so, and I swear the number of stairs was closer to 80 than the 152 advertised. I had fun taking pictures of the amazing views and snapping selfies at the top. I also got some great close-ups of the storks that make their home on the rooftops.

The view of the castle seen in every guidebook and Pinterest shot is from the valley below – it takes extra time to do this hike. Segovia would be a great place to spend the night, to have time to do this and to get to indulge in typical Segovian cuisine - cochinillo asado. As it was, I enjoyed my day trip, but would love to return to Segovia and its enchanting castle sometime in the future.