León
At the eastern end of the old town is the beautiful and time-worn 17th-century Plaza Mayor. Sealed off on three sides by porticoes, this sleepy plaza is…
Must-see attractions in Castilla y León
Castilla y León
In the centre of Aguilar de Campóo, the elongated Plaza de España is capped at its eastern end by the Colegiata de San Miguel, a 14th-century Gothic…
Ávila
North of the old city and dating from the 12th century, this is Ávila's oldest church and a fine example of Romanesque architecture, although the exterior…
Castilla y León
This pretty Gothic church was built in 1561 on the site of what may have been a synagogue or mosque. The 17th-century late-Gothic tower is visible from…
Castilla y León
A mere 1.3km down the back road (BU911) to Caleruega from Santo Domingo de Silos, the spectacular Desfiladero de Yecla, a splendid gorge of limestone…
Castilla y León
Down the hill from the Iglesia de Santa María, the portals of this church blend Gothic, neoclassical and plateresque architectural styles. Access to the…
León
Spread over four floors, the exhibits in this well-presented city museum begin with stone artefacts in the basement, thereafter journeying through the…
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Esteban Vicente
Segovia
This adventurous art space occupies a 15th-century palace (complete with Renaissance chapel and Mudéjar ceiling). Some 153 abstract paintings, lithographs…
Burgos
Built in the 15th century in a harmonious Gothic style, this fine structure is notable especially for the fact that it was here, on 23 April 1497, that…
Segovia
On Plaza Mayor, this church – where Isabel was proclaimed Queen of Castile – recedes humbly into the background before the splendour of the cathedral…
Ribera del Duero
The Pasadizo de Duque de Lerma is a restored 17th-century subterranean passage that connects the Palacio Ducal with the Iglesia Colegial de San Pedro…
Castilla y León
This small exhibition space on the northern side of the Plaza Mayor has an interesting, 10-minute video journey (in Spanish) through Medinaceli's past…
Salamanca
The main (and only) attraction here is the beautiful pale-blue ceiling fresco of the zodiac, which was painted in the 15th century and uncovered during…
Castilla y León
The more important relics and treasures from Sahagún's abbey are kept in this small museum. Exhibits range from sacred sculptures used in religious…
Iglesia de Santa María del Mercado
León
Down the hill, the careworn, stone Romanesque Iglesia de Santa María del Mercado looks out over a delightful square that feels like a cobblestone…
Ribera del Duero
The 16th-century Iglesia de Santa Ana integrates columns and busts found at the Roman settlement of Clunia into an otherwise baroque design. Although you…
Castilla y León
Remnants of a villa that once belonged to a wealthy Roman family survive under glass just down the hill from the Plaza de San Bartolomé. The highlight is…
Valladolid
Check out the lovely colonnaded patio and chapel (replete with a super-realistic Cristo de la Luz sculpture). Off the ground floor of the patio is…
Salamanca
From the southwestern corner of Plaza Mayor, Calle del Prior leads to the Palacio de Monterrey, a 16th-century royal holiday home and a seminal piece of…
Valladolid
Fronting the Plaza de San Pablo is the Palacio de Pimentel, where, on 12 July 1527, Felipe II was born. A tiled mural in the entrance hall shows scenes…
Burgos
With a lovely perch up behind the cathedral, this private art gallery hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. Apart from the art, it's a pleasant…
Convento de los Carmelitas Descalzos
Segovia
This is where San Juan de la Cruz is buried. The convent is still occupied by an order of nuns known as the Barefoot Carmelites. The area immediately…
Museo Diocesano y Catedralicio
Valladolid
Attached to the cathedral, this museum of religious art and sacred objects includes a processional monstrance by Juan de Arfe; visit as part of a guided…
Monasterio de Santa María de Mave
Castilla y León
This Benedictine monastery has an interesting 13th-century Romanesque church, the only part of the complex that's open to visitors. Ask at the cafe next…
Castilla y León
This squat 10th-century tower dominates the remains of the town's medieval walls. It's especially pretty as a backdrop to the river from outside the walls…
Segovia
This museum commemorates Antonio Machado, a segoviano and one of Spain's pre-eminent 20th-century poets, who lived here from 1919 to 1932. His former home…
Castilla y León
This former fortress dates to the 10th century and still boasts seven towers. The views from around the back sweep out over the Río Duero and the plains…
Iglesia de San Pedro y San Ildefonso
Castilla y León
Besides its considerable Romanesque charm, the Iglesia de San Pedro y San Ildefonso has some Gothic touches – we prefer the simple beauty of the exterior…
Segovia
A grand Renaissance mansion with a diamond-patterned facade that's home to a school of applied arts and also hosts free contemporary art exhibitions …
Burgos
On the north side of the Puente de San Pablo looms a romanticised statue of El Cid, the 11th-century mercenary whose tomb lies in the town's cathedral.
Castilla y León
One of a number of Roman villas uncovered in the quiet plains northwest of Palencia, La Tejada has some low-lying ruins and a series of attractive floor…
Ávila
This regional museum includes local ethnographic exhibits (the 1932 photos by Albert Klemm are particularly interesting), as well as Roman artefacts and…
Palacio de los Hurtado de Mendoza
Castilla y León
The stately, 16th-century Renaissance Palacio de los Hurtado de Mendoza is a fine backdrop to Almazán's pretty Plaza Mayor. It's not open to the public,…
Salamanca
Salamanca lies in one of Spain's bullfighting heartlands: this small museum is packed with bullfighting memorabilia. It was closed for renovations at the…
Burgos
This museum, housed in the 16th-century Casa de Miranda, contains some fine Gothic tombs and other archaeological artefacts covering a wide period.
Iglesia de San Juan de Rabanera
Castilla y León
At the Iglesia de San Juan de Rabanera, which was first built in the 12th century, hints of Gothic and even Byzantine art gleam through the mainly…
Castilla y León
Astorga's Museo Catedralicio, attached to the cathedral, features the usual religious art, documents and artefacts.
Castilla y León
The heart of town is formed by the pretty porticoed and cobbled Plaza Mayor, its mustard-yellow paintwork offset by dark-brown woodwork and black grilles.
Ruins of the Collegiate Church
Valladolid
Check out the 13th-century ruins of the Collegiate Church (atop which the cathedral was partly built) along the cathedral's northeastern perimeter.
Burgos
Close to the cathedral, this church boasts an enormous stone-carved altar by Francisco de Colonia that features scenes from the life of St Nicolas.
