Cáceres, Spain

Cáceres (US: /ˈkɑːsəreɪs/ KAH-sə-rayss, Spanish: [ˈkaθeɾes] ^ⓘ) is a city and Spanish municipality located in the center of the autonomous community of Extremadura. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Cáceres and houses the headquarters of the Superior Court of Justice of Extremadura.

The municipality has a land area of 1,750.33 km² (675.81 sq mi), the largest in Spain. According to official INE data for 2021, the municipality had a population of 95,418 inhabitants, of which 94,326 lived in the city itself. Numerous inhabited places are scattered throughout the municipality, including castles and farmhouses with several centuries of history. The medieval walled city was declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1986.

Since 2008 the city has been organized into four districts: Center-Old Town, North, West and South; a fifth district, Pedanías, covers the non-urban part of the term. The actual municipal population data varies significantly, fluctuating by more than 30,000 people primarily related to educational centers such as the Cáceres Campus of the University of Extremadura or the CEFOT-1 of the Army. The city usually empties in summer, when many residents return to their towns of origin. Cáceres lies at the feet of the Sierra de la Mosca, a modest hill range. It is part of the Vía de la Plata ("Silver Route") path of the Camino de Santiago that crosses the west of the Iberian Peninsula in a north–south direction.

The Universidad de Extremadura, and two astronomical observatories are situated in Cáceres. Today, the headquarters of the university as well as several regional government departments are found in Cáceres. The city is also a seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Coria-Cáceres.