Burgos
This Unesco World Heritage–listed cathedral, once a former modest Romanesque church, is a masterpiece. Work began on a grander scale in 1221; remarkably,…
Must-see attractions in Castilla y León
León
León's 13th-century cathedral, with its soaring towers, flying buttresses and breathtaking interior, is the city's spiritual heart. Whether spotlit by…
Segovia
Segovia's most recognisable symbol is El Acueducto (Roman Aqueduct), an 894m-long engineering wonder that looks like an enormous comb plunged into Segovia…
Castilla y León
The sober exterior of this vast house of worship (one of the largest in Castilla) belies the extraordinary riches within – it's widely known as 'La Bella…
Ribera del Duero
Perched dramatically over Peñafiel, this castle houses the state-of-the-art Museo Provincial del Vino. A comprehensive story of the region's wines, this…
Segovia
Rapunzel towers, turrets topped with slate witches' hats and a deep moat at its base make the Alcázar a prototypical fairy-tale castle – so much so that…
Castilla y León
Villa Romana La Olmeda contains some of the most beautiful remnants of a Roman villa anywhere on the Iberian Peninsula. The villa was built around the 1st…
Castilla y León
The ancient Roman goldmines at Las Médulas, about 20km southwest of Ponferrada, once served as the main source of gold for the entire Roman Empire – the…
Castilla y León
A lovely 2.3km riverside walk south from the Monasterio de San Juan de Duero will take you past the 13th-century church of the former Knights Templar, the…
Burgos
This exceptional museum just across the river from the old quarter is a marvellously told story of human evolution. The basement exhibitions on Atapuerca …
Castilla y León
This elegant, weathered sandstone cathedral, begun in 1165, towers over the historic centre. Of particular interest are the Puerta de las Cadenas, with…
León
León's showpiece Museo de Arte Contemporáneo has been acclaimed for the 37 shades of coloured glass that adorn the facade; they were gleaned from the…
Salamanca
Built between 1729 and 1755, Salamanca's exceptional grand square is widely considered to be Spain's most beautiful central plaza. It's particularly…
Castilla y León
Dating from 1066 and restored in the early 20th century, this beautifully proportioned church is one of the loveliest Romanesque churches in rural Spain,…
Castilla y León
A typically dusty, inward-looking Castilian village 50km northwest of Segovia, Coca is presided over by a stunning, all-brick 15th-century castle, a…
Ribera del Duero
Get your camera lens poised for one of Spain's most unusual town squares. This rectangular, sandy-floored 15th-century 'square' was one of the first to be…
Iglesia de Santa María La Blanca
Castilla y León
This extraordinary fortress-church, an important landmark along the Camino de Santiago, rises up from the Castilian plains between Frómista and Carrión de…
Monasterio de San Juan de Duero
Castilla y León
The most striking of Soria's sights, this wonderfully evocative and partially ruined cloister boasts exposed and gracefully interlaced arches, which…
Valladolid
The Casa-Museo de Colón is a superb museum spread over four floors. It has interactive exhibits, as well as wonderful old maps that take you on a journey…
Ávila
Northwest of the city, on the road to Salamanca, Los Cuatro Postes provides the best views of Ávila's walls. It also marks the place where Santa Teresa…
Ribera del Duero
In ruins now, this hermitage was founded in the 7th century by San Frutos and his siblings, San Valentín and Santa Engracia. They lie buried in a tiny…
Castilla y León
The partly colonnaded Plaza Mayor is a lovely centrepiece to the village and one of Castilla y León's prettiest village squares. The oldest remaining…
Castilla y León
There are numerous stairs leading up onto the crumbling ramparts of the city walls that encircle the old town and which were built between the 12th and…
Ávila
Ávila's 12th-century cathedral is both a house of worship and an ingenious fortress: its stout granite apse forms the central bulwark in the historic city…
Segovia
Started in 1525 on the site of a former chapel, Segovia's cathedral is a powerful expression of Gothic architecture that took almost 200 years to complete…
Salamanca
The tower of this late-Gothic cathedral lords over the city centre, its compelling Churrigueresque (an ornate style of baroque architecture) dome visible…
Ávila
Ávila's splendid 12th-century walls stretch for 2.5km atop the remains of earlier Roman and Muslim battlements and rank among the world's best-preserved…
Salamanca
The Catedral Nueva's largely Romanesque predecessor, the Catedral Vieja is adorned with an exquisite 15th-century altarpiece, one of the finest outside…
León
Attached to the Real Basílica de San Isidoro, the stunning Panteón Real houses royal sarcophagi, which rest with quiet dignity beneath a canopy of some of…
Valladolid
Spain's premier showcase of polychrome wood sculpture is housed in the former Colegio de San Gregorio (1496), a flamboyant Isabelline Gothic–style…
Colegiata de San Cosme y Damián
Castilla y León
This evocative 15th-century Gothic church is home to Spain's oldest still-functioning church organ, and has a gloriously ostentatious altar, fronted by…
Monasterio de San Pedro de Arlanza
Castilla y León
These haunting ruins on a rise above the Río Arlanza show traces of both Gothic and Romanesque elements but the sense of elegant abandonment is what…
Castilla y León
This fine, state-of-the-art wine museum is a welcome addition to Castilla y León's world of wine tourism, offering a fascinating insight into the Toro…
Castillo de Peñaranda de Duero
Ribera del Duero
Lording over Peñaranda like an echo of more epic times, this elongated fortress is like an archetypal castle drawn by children with a forest of turrets…
Salamanca
Founded initially as the Estudio General in 1218, the university reached the peak of its renown in the 15th and 16th centuries. The visual feast of the…
Ribera del Duero
Some 14km south of El Burgo de Osma, one of Spain's most remarkable castles rises above the virtual ghost town of Gormaz (population 21). Built by the…
Castilla y León
This wonderful Cistercian monastery 27km northeast of Medinaceli was founded in 1162, expropriated in 1835, then restored to the order in 1930; 20…
Ávila
Commissioned by the Reyes Católicos (Catholic Monarchs), Fernando and Isabel, and completed in 1492, this monastery is an exquisite example of Isabelline…
Salamanca
Just down the hill from the cathedral, the lordly Dominican Convento de San Esteban's church has an extraordinary altar-like facade, with the stoning of…
Castilla y León
Proof that Astorga does not exist solely for the virtuous souls of the Camino comes in the form of this quirky private museum. Chocolate ruled Astorga's…
