Spain Guide
Castilla y León and La Rioja
León
Even if they stood alone, the stained glass in the cathedral of LEÓN and the Romanesque wall paintings in its Pantéon Real would merit a considerable journey, but there's much more to the city than this. An attractive provincial capital that welcomes camino pilgrims by the thousand, it's also a lively university town with a fabulous tapas bar scene. Handsome old- and new-town areas complement each other, set back from riverside gardens, and, León is a fine place to spend a relaxed, casual day or two.
Aside from an early Roman presence, its history is that of the Reconquest. In 914, as the Christians edged their way south from Asturias, Asturian king Ordoño II transferred his capital from Oviedo to León. Despite being sacked by the dreaded al-Mansur in 996, the new capital rapidly eclipsed the old, and as more territory came under the control of León it was divided into new administrative groupings: in 1035, Castile matured into a fully fledged kingdom with its capital at Burgos. For the next two centuries, León and Castile jointly spearheaded the war against the Moors until, by the thirteenth century, Castile had come finally to dominate her mother kingdom. These two centuries were the period of León's greatest power, from which date most of her finest buildings.
León's Casco Antiguo, with most of the historic sights and best bars and restaurants, lies east of the Río Bernesga, with the modern part of the city laid out in between. Almost everything to see is in the Casco Antiguo, on either side of the pedestrianised c/Ancha, which arrows straight up to the cathedral. Stand-out buildings are few, if spectacular, but old León is a fine place for strolling, with large parts of the encircling medieval walls still intact. The tangle of narrow streets is shabby in part, though the ramshackle buildings in faded ochre and rose pink give the old barrio a charm all of its own. It bursts into life at night when the streets throng and the bars are packed out. By day, apart from the crowds around the cathedral and San Isidoro, it's much quieter in the pretty lanes and squares.
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