It's not very likely that any guys here would go to Valladolid in Spain...but just in case, here is my data sheet:
I went to Valladolid during the Fallas week in Valencia (I wanted to escape Fallas as most sane people do who live in Valencia and suffer them).
About Valladolid: Long famous for being one of Spain's most politically conservative (Some would say fascist cities -- they call it "Fachadolid" and believe me, the reputation is well earned). The city itself is industrial, with Renault being a major employer in the area. It is located northwest of Madrid and is the capital of Castilla León province (a very conservative province anywhere you look -- eg: pro-Spanish centralism, not very respectful of Catalans and other nationalities, etc).
Population: A bit above 300,000 inhabitants more or less. Loads of old people or well-established middle aged civil servants (a wealthier class in Spain).
Climate: Valladolid's weather sucks. It is very cold in the winter, it can snow, rainy and overall nasty all year.
I must say that even though I would never live in Valladolid because it has no coast and lacks the "liberal" vibe of Valencia or Barcelona, there were other things I truly enjoyed. I don't really recommend anyone actually make a big effort to visit but if you happen to have time to kill and can pass through it (you can see it all in 2 days), then you might be in for a few pleasant surprises.
What I liked:
1. Non-touristy. You don't see the hordes of flip flop wearing drunken idiots roaming around the central areas as other major Spanish cities since Valladolid is largely forgotten.
2. WELL-DRESSED PEOPLE. I really value people who dress properly. I've got no respect for the informality which is so common in our era. In Valladolid, walking around and everyone is dressed very well and "posh" (especially at night) but in any restaurant or bar you go, people dress well. That was a welcome difference from Valencia or Madrid where people dress like slobs and wear flip flops everywhere in the Summer. Not in Valladolid gentlemen...and people will stare disapprovingly whenever they see someone dressed like a punk.
3. AMAZING quality of the food BUT BE CAREFUL -- Unbeknownst to me, going out in Valladolid is actually more expensive than in Madrid since they don't cater to low cost tourists. If you go to some of the bars in the Plaza Mayor, the food is actually VERY GOOD if pricey.
4. "Vallisoletanos" are what they call the people of Valladolid and they don't smile or pretend to be nice to strangers. If they think you're wrong, they will tell you and in a bar they actually argue with their customers if they think the customer is wrong. I liked the no frills, no nonsense attitude. It is known as one of the most unfriendly cities in Spain but I loved it.
What I didn't like:
Since it is a small city, most people eventually get to know you and so nightlife is tight game and Valladolid women are NOTORIOUSLY bitchy and difficult to get with. To top it all of, not a lof of foreign women to compensate. I did manage to strike up some conversations with female bartenders and they were mostly receptive and cordial, if not warm at all (not that I want overt warmth either).
Not a lot to see but here are the most interesting sites:
1. City Hall: Built in 1908 and in the eclectic trend. It replaced the 16th Century of Juan de Herrera -- the same guy who designed Madrid's Plaza Mayor. In fact, that brings me to #2:
2. Plaza Mayor -- very similar to Madrid's but older and darker. It has a much more dignified and formal look, which I like and not filled with idiotic tourists screaming while drunk.
3.Cathedral - 17th/18th Century...still unfinished.
4. Convent of Saint Teresa: If you're into Catholic history.
5. Royal Palace: 16th Century.
6. Family palaces: Pimentel Family Palace and Vivero Family Palace. Some of these palaces have been turned into restaurants (expensive but good). You see lots of formal fashionable looking women with their husbands or boyfriends drinking expensive wine at the entrance as they wait for a table.
In terms of nightlife:
If you want posh, go to the Paseo Zorrilla area in Valladolid. That was my absolute favorite part of the city -- you have beautiful Campo Grande Park there and if you own an apartment the views can be akin to almost 5th Avenue in NYC.
La Sastrería Cocktail Bar on Pasaje Gutierrez: Nice cocktail bar, "British" decor.
El Penicilino: Very popular old school bar, young and old crowd alike. They are on Plaza de la Libertad.
They don't have a lot of clubs (Valladolid is more of a bar/pub city).
There are a few other bars I went to but nothing worth mentioning in too much detail here. Anything around the Plaza Mayor will be good enough.
Women: As I said earlier, good luck in Valladolid. The women are no where near as nice looking as in Valencia but they do carry themselves with more class. That also means that they aren't as loose about meeting or talking to people they don't know. Make sure you know people if you want to meet women in Valladolid. If not, there aren't many foreign women to choose from. If you have a well established job in Valladolid though you can definitely meet people and I'm not saying it's impossible but you're definitely going to have to work for it and for me it's not worth it.
Anyway, those are my limited observations about Valladolid.
I went to Valladolid during the Fallas week in Valencia (I wanted to escape Fallas as most sane people do who live in Valencia and suffer them).
About Valladolid: Long famous for being one of Spain's most politically conservative (Some would say fascist cities -- they call it "Fachadolid" and believe me, the reputation is well earned). The city itself is industrial, with Renault being a major employer in the area. It is located northwest of Madrid and is the capital of Castilla León province (a very conservative province anywhere you look -- eg: pro-Spanish centralism, not very respectful of Catalans and other nationalities, etc).
Population: A bit above 300,000 inhabitants more or less. Loads of old people or well-established middle aged civil servants (a wealthier class in Spain).
Climate: Valladolid's weather sucks. It is very cold in the winter, it can snow, rainy and overall nasty all year.
I must say that even though I would never live in Valladolid because it has no coast and lacks the "liberal" vibe of Valencia or Barcelona, there were other things I truly enjoyed. I don't really recommend anyone actually make a big effort to visit but if you happen to have time to kill and can pass through it (you can see it all in 2 days), then you might be in for a few pleasant surprises.
What I liked:
1. Non-touristy. You don't see the hordes of flip flop wearing drunken idiots roaming around the central areas as other major Spanish cities since Valladolid is largely forgotten.
2. WELL-DRESSED PEOPLE. I really value people who dress properly. I've got no respect for the informality which is so common in our era. In Valladolid, walking around and everyone is dressed very well and "posh" (especially at night) but in any restaurant or bar you go, people dress well. That was a welcome difference from Valencia or Madrid where people dress like slobs and wear flip flops everywhere in the Summer. Not in Valladolid gentlemen...and people will stare disapprovingly whenever they see someone dressed like a punk.
3. AMAZING quality of the food BUT BE CAREFUL -- Unbeknownst to me, going out in Valladolid is actually more expensive than in Madrid since they don't cater to low cost tourists. If you go to some of the bars in the Plaza Mayor, the food is actually VERY GOOD if pricey.
4. "Vallisoletanos" are what they call the people of Valladolid and they don't smile or pretend to be nice to strangers. If they think you're wrong, they will tell you and in a bar they actually argue with their customers if they think the customer is wrong. I liked the no frills, no nonsense attitude. It is known as one of the most unfriendly cities in Spain but I loved it.
What I didn't like:
Since it is a small city, most people eventually get to know you and so nightlife is tight game and Valladolid women are NOTORIOUSLY bitchy and difficult to get with. To top it all of, not a lof of foreign women to compensate. I did manage to strike up some conversations with female bartenders and they were mostly receptive and cordial, if not warm at all (not that I want overt warmth either).
Not a lot to see but here are the most interesting sites:
1. City Hall: Built in 1908 and in the eclectic trend. It replaced the 16th Century of Juan de Herrera -- the same guy who designed Madrid's Plaza Mayor. In fact, that brings me to #2:
2. Plaza Mayor -- very similar to Madrid's but older and darker. It has a much more dignified and formal look, which I like and not filled with idiotic tourists screaming while drunk.
3.Cathedral - 17th/18th Century...still unfinished.
4. Convent of Saint Teresa: If you're into Catholic history.
5. Royal Palace: 16th Century.
6. Family palaces: Pimentel Family Palace and Vivero Family Palace. Some of these palaces have been turned into restaurants (expensive but good). You see lots of formal fashionable looking women with their husbands or boyfriends drinking expensive wine at the entrance as they wait for a table.
In terms of nightlife:
If you want posh, go to the Paseo Zorrilla area in Valladolid. That was my absolute favorite part of the city -- you have beautiful Campo Grande Park there and if you own an apartment the views can be akin to almost 5th Avenue in NYC.
La Sastrería Cocktail Bar on Pasaje Gutierrez: Nice cocktail bar, "British" decor.
El Penicilino: Very popular old school bar, young and old crowd alike. They are on Plaza de la Libertad.
They don't have a lot of clubs (Valladolid is more of a bar/pub city).
There are a few other bars I went to but nothing worth mentioning in too much detail here. Anything around the Plaza Mayor will be good enough.
Women: As I said earlier, good luck in Valladolid. The women are no where near as nice looking as in Valencia but they do carry themselves with more class. That also means that they aren't as loose about meeting or talking to people they don't know. Make sure you know people if you want to meet women in Valladolid. If not, there aren't many foreign women to choose from. If you have a well established job in Valladolid though you can definitely meet people and I'm not saying it's impossible but you're definitely going to have to work for it and for me it's not worth it.
Anyway, those are my limited observations about Valladolid.