Alcázar Castle

The highlight of Segovia is the 14th-century Alcázar castle. Dramatically situated like a ship on the high sea, it is a sight not soon forgotten. This is the castle used in the film Camelot, from whose ramparts Lancelot launches into the song C’est moi before crossing the English Channel to join King Arthur’s knights of the round table. Probably the most-photographed edifice in Spain, it is surprisingly barren inside—the tour is most memorable for its views. In 1474, Castilian King Henry IV’s sister, Isabella, was here proclaimed Queen of Castile (which at that time included most of the western half of Spain and Andalusia). Isabella’s marriage to Ferdinand, heir of Aragón, laid the groundwork for the creation of the modern nation.