Zamora: general information

Zamora is a Spanish town located in central north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, close to the border with Portugal, and is at 652 meters high above sea level. It’s the capital of the homonymous province, Zamora, which belongs to the region Castile and León.

In January 2018, there were 61827 inhabitants in an area of 149,28 km². It’s 66 km from Salamanca, 122 km from León, 93 km from Valladolid, 253 km from Madrid, and 83 km from Braganza in Portugal.

 

Historical characters born in Zamora:

There are many illustrious people born in Zamora that have left a legacy in this town and are, therefore, known by everyone there.

  • Leopoldo Alas Clarín: He stated in one of his writings that «they make me be born in Zamora». This is true in fact because he was supposed to be born in Oviedo, where his parents had lived until a few months before he was born. But, eventually, Leopoldo García-Alas Ureña was born on 25th April 1852 in Zamora, where his father had been based as Civil Governor.

 

  • Ángel Nieto (1947-2017): Angel Nieto was a well-known professional motorcyclist who won 13 world motorcycling championships. He was born in Zamora, but he moved to Vallecas, in Madrid, when he was only 3 months old. There’s a sports hall in Zamora named after him, as well as the street where it’s located.

 

  • Doña Urraca: Queen of Zamora. Urraca was the eldest daughter of Fernando I, king of León and Count of Castile. She inherited the royal title and the city of Zamora when her father died. Urraca confronted his brother Sancho II after he declared war on his other male siblings Alfonso and García, and gained force in Zamora, which was besieged from 4th March to 6th October 1072. During the siege, the king was killed by Vellido Dolfos.

 

  • Alphonse IX of León (Zamora, Kingdom of León, 15th August 1711 – Sarria, Kingdom of León, 24 September 1230). He was the last king of Leon as an independent kingdom, from 1188 until he died in 1230. His son Fernando III of León and Castile joined both kingdoms (León and Castile) in 1230 for good.

 

The weather in Zamora:

Before travelling to Zamora, we always recommend checking the weather forecast. Although Zamora is a great town to go sightseeing on both rainy and sunny days, it’s better to be prepared with the appropriate clothes depending on the weather.

 

Business hours:

Normally businesses are opened in Zamora from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00 on working days. On Saturday afternoon and evening, only a few shops are opened. On Sundays and public holidays, businesses are closed as a rule.

Shopping centres are opened from Monday to Saturday 10:00-22:00 and are normally closed on Sundays and public holidays. Nevertheless, you can check the opening dates on the following link.

 

Useful telephone numbers:

  • Emergency number: 112
  • National Police: 091
  • Civil Guard: 062
  • Zamora Town Hall’s information line: 980 54 87 00
  • Telephone area code for Zamora: 980