Old Castile & Léon

Explore Old Castile and León if you want to get to grips with the essence of Spain, its history and architecture. This harsh land was on the front line in the tug of war between Muslims and Christians in late medieval times. No surprise then that castles dot the bleak landscape, often seeming to appear from nowhere. Avila's castle has unassailable stone walls and 88 watch towers. Old Castile and León is studded with small cities featuring spectacular Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and some Mudéjar decoration. Leon's magnificent Gothic cathedral has lofty towers and a magical interior dominated by immense, ...

Explore Old Castile and León if you want to get to grips with the essence of Spain, its history and architecture. This harsh land was on the front line in the tug of war between Muslims and Christians in late medieval times. No surprise then that castles dot the bleak landscape, often seeming to appear from nowhere. Avila's castle has unassailable stone walls and 88 watch towers. Old Castile and León is studded with small cities featuring spectacular Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and some Mudéjar decoration. Leon's magnificent Gothic cathedral has lofty towers and a magical interior dominated by immense, French-made, stained-glass windows. Its cloister has impressive 15th-century frescoes. Elegant Salamanca has a gorgeous cathedral. Equally famous is its 12th-century university with a carved sandstone façade. Its modern student population likes to party. Burgos is likewise elegant and boasts yet another marvelous, richly-decorated cathedral, and the tomb of notorious El Cid. Segovia is an additional gem: its major attractions are its World-Heritage fairy-tale castle, the Alcázar, its Roman aqueduct, further historic buildings, and a hot nightlife.

About the Expert

John Noble is a coauthor of Lonely Planet's Spain, Andalucia, and Mexico as well as many other LP titles from Indonesia to Belize to Brazil.