Cáceres, Spain

Storks, huge nests on towers, chimneys and TV aerials, chattering beaks, these are the most typical of the old town of Cáceres. Its most notable historical monuments are in the walled district on top of the hill with a unique atmosphere created by facades decorated with coats of arms, tall towers, arcades and winding cobbled streets.
And in order to feel the real life of this provincial town, you have to visit the low interesting and active part. In its center is the vast Main Square, over which the town hall building peeks out, and several stairs lead up to the former Moorish walls. The arch built by Manuel Lara de Churigera in the 18th century - Arco de la Estrella, leads to Torre de Bujaco, where an exposition dedicated to the history of Cáceres can be seen.
The heart of Cáceres beats in the Plaza de Santa Maria. In the centuries-old old quarter, precisely in this square, is the Cathedral of Santa Maria, distinguished by its delightful Gothic vaults, harmonious proportions and Renaissance details. Immediately behind it is the Palacio de Carvajal, in the courtyard of which there are wonderful gardens and a Moorish tower with fragments of frescoes from the 16th century.
In the vestibule is a model of Cáceres that accurately reproduces many palaces, with every detail masterfully recreated. Opposite the cathedral stand three beautiful Renaissance houses of typical Cáceres yellow-gray stone: Palacio de Hermando de Ovando, Palacio de Mayoralgo and Palacio Episcopal.
The old whitewashed Jesuit Church of San Francisco Javier is located in the small square and dates from the 18th century and was built in a completely different style. The wide stairs next to the church lead to another delightful square - Plaza de las Veletas, around the Church of San Mateo, adjacent to which is the jagged tower of the Casa de las Sigueñas, or more precisely the House of the Storks. The Cáceres Museum displays collections of prehistoric and Roman artefacts, as well as a small engraved menhir and ethnographic objects - fabrics, lace, costumes and ceramics.