Zaragoza, Salamanca (or somewhere else?)—for two nights from Madrid

We have just spent two nights in Zaragoza and loved it. The city is amazing, so full of life and people are very friendly. We really enjoyed the Palacio Aljafería as an introduction to Mudejar architecture and the Roman ruins of the amphitheater, public baths and forum were interesting. The plaza de San Pilar and Basilica were really nice.

We have now moved on to Girona but Zaragoza is on our "must go back to" list.

You can't go wrong with either I think. They are both pretty similar to manage on foot, even though Zaragoza is a larger city its historic core is pretty compact (roughly the footprint of the old Roman city of Caesaraugusta).

I'd probably slightly favor Zaragoza, because it's easier to connect with Madrid, offers a wider breadth of historical sites, and has a more developed food scene.

@AussieNomad - glad you enjoyed Zaragoza, I've been singing its praises on the forum for a while now. Definitely an undiscovered gem, and very well connected via high speed rail. I'm afraid most foreigners tend to zoom past it on the AVE to and from Barcelona/Madrid.

Other places to consider for two nights, Cáceres, Zamora, León, Burgos, and Logroño. There nothing wrong with either of the places you mentioned. We enjoyed both of them, but of those two there may be more to do in Zaragoza simply because it is larger.

Cuenca, Toledo, and Cordoba also make great multinite side trips from Madrid and are well connected via high speed rail.

Thanks, all. I'll most likely stick with Zaragoza. (Though I reserve the right to get distracted by something shiny between now and mid-April.)

I reserve the right to get distracted by something shiny

Zaragoza was pretty shiny! We have now also been to Girona and Zaragoza was shinier.