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Municipality in Extremadura, Spain
Photo: Tomás Fano, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mérida is the capital of the Extremadura region in Spain. Founded in 25 BC, Mérida was once the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania. The city of 59,000 people (2018) still has numerous well-preserved Roman ruins, the group of which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993.
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Uncovered remains of an old Roman mansion. Many original floor mosaics still visible. Ticket required.
Puente Romano
Once the longest bridge in the Roman Empire. Part original Roman construction, part restoration from the Visigoth era. Still used daily by pedestrians. The Alcazaba is on the Merida side of the bridge.
Remains of a Moorish fortress built using material and part of the structure of the original Roman city walls. Can walk along the outer wall for a view of the river and old bridge. Ticket required.
Ruins of a large Roman temple, dating from the founding of the city. Parts of the structure were later reused in the Moorish period and after.
Uncovered section of foundation of the old city forum, with a few reconstructed columns.
Large archway that was once one of principal entrances to the city. The surrounding structure has been lost but the arch remains standing in the midst of the modern city. If you drive a car, you can pass below it on a public street (put Calle Trajano 8 in your GPS).
Hippodrome
The ruins of an ancient stadium where chariot races would have been held. Slightly outside of the city centre, and the entrance is only on the end closes to the city. Walking to the wrong side of the stadium is easy to do. Ticket required for entry.
Across the street from the Circo Romano, three pillars are all that remain of the structure of the Roman aqueduct. Better preserved remains from a 16th-century aqueduct also stand in the same location.
Large, impressive section of a Roman aqueduct (three levels high) that runs across the centre of what is now a city park.
A small, mostly derelict section of remains of the city entrance next the river, that has been uncovered. Ticket required.
Spectacular collection of mosaics and sculptures. Does not accept combo ticket. Entry €3.
Good collection of sculptures from the Visigothic era of Mérida.
A 2-star modern hotel in the town centre.
By bus
The Bus Station, is at Ave La Libertad s/n across the bridge (Puente Lusitania) from the central part of town with the following companies:
By car
The N-V superhighway passes through Mérida from Madrid or Lisbon.
By bus
For those who would rather conserve energy, the bus system covers virtually every corner of the city. During the week, all lines run every 30 minutes from 07:30 to about 22:30.
By taxi
Rideshare apps do not operate in Merida, leaving you to old school teletaxi service. There are a few companies that operate in Merida, namely Teletaxi and Radiotaxi.
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Badajoz · Regional · BJZ
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