Spain and Portugal for Visitors

León

If I ever put together a list of my Top Ten Places in Spain, León will be on it and probably somewhere near the top. León is is a graceful, historic city, once capital of a kingdom, a bastion of Christian resistance to the Moorish conquest of Spain and Portugal, now a prosperous, forward-looking place which has avoided the ravages of modern development. It is an idiosyncratic city, unmistakeably Spanish but with a different feel to anywhere else in the country, and makes for a thoroughly rewarding visit. In addition, it is an important stopping point on the Camino de Santiago, is a gastronomic centre of note, and has a number of places of considerable interest conveniently at hand, at least for the visitor with wheels.

Sights: León's history is evident in its buildings, squares and streets, from its Roman origins, through its period of mediaeval greatness and pilgrimage destination (you will find evidence of the Camino de Santiago all over the city, not just the historic centre), to its modern, commercial importance. Its sights are not all that numerous and can be taken in in a day or two, the most unmissable being:
León Cathedral, one of the most remarkable in the country, not because it is especially imposing, but because of the extraordinary luminosity provided by its enormous stained-glass windows. It is based on the French cathedral at Rheims.
Hostal de San Marcos: Now one of the glories of the parador chain of luxury hotels, the Hostal de San Marcos was a refuge for pilgrims on the Way of Saint James and a seat of the Order of the Knights of Santiago. And it is breathtaking. From the moment you catch sight of it, it totally dominates the broad pedestrian square which you have to cross to reach it, and as you approach you find your neck pushed backwards as it rises above you. Stop and have a beer or a coffee in its cafetería and during the day, at least, you can walk around a limited part of its interior.
Barrio Húmedo: León's casco viejo, historic centre, and its Barrio Húmedo, "wet quarter," are nearly synonymous. Most people, including natives, think the name derives from the tremendous proliferation of taverns, bars and other drinking establishments in the area, though historians maintain that  it has always suffered from damp in one form or another (the market stallholders in the Saturday market in the Plaza Mayor are supposed to wear a kind of elevated clog which keeps them clear of the mud - it was a gorgeous, sunny day when I was there so I cannot confirm this). You should spend at least one evening touring the Barrio Húmedo, sampling the copious tapas and excellent local wine, though you can be forgiven for falling back on beer if your alcohol tolerance flags. You will find a formal dinner completely unnecessary afterwards.
The Palacio de los Guzmanes and Casa Botines: I list these two delightful buildings together as they have in common that they are adjacent, at the bottom of León's central Calle Ancha, and are only appreciable from the outside, the former being the site of the provincial government, the latter belonging to a savings bank  (I suppose you could go in and cash a cheque or something, but I don't think there is anything to see). The Guzman* family palace is a late 15th-century affair and is reminiscent of many Italian Renaissance buildings. The Casa Botines is one of only three buildings by Antoni Gaudi found outside Catalonia.
Basilica de San Isidoro: This mostly Romanesque church and cloisters are far more interesting than awesome. Outstandingly, the Pantheon de San Isidoro contains the tombs of not just the saint in question, but also of a whole heap of Leonese monarchs and their families. Its walls and, especially, its vaulted ceiling are covered with some of the most noteworthy Romanesque paintings anywhere, figures drawn from everyday life, itself worth a couple of pages in a treatise on the history of art.
Roman Walls: The surviving walls surround about half the historic city, and if you follow them round the outside from the Basilica de San Isidoro, they will take you back to the east façade of the cathedral.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León: A new modern art museum which regularly wins all sorts of prizes (maybe I'm imagining it, but there seems to be a kind of sub-genre of modern art museums which are more famous for their buildings than the art they contain - Bilbao's Guggenheim comes to mind). It's a little way from everything else you will want to see, so you might want to take a bus or taxi.

History of León: Most people assume 'León' has some sort of connection with 'lion,' but it hasn't. The word refers to 'Legio,' specifically the VI Legion whose fort became the original town centre of León, sometime in the first century BC. León was conquered by the Muslim invaders in 712 (they had only arrived in Spain the previous year - this was lightning war, mediaeval blitzkrieg) but never settled by them, being in a kind of no-man's land between the tiny Christian Kingdom of Asturias and the Caliphate of Córdoba which ruled most of the Iberian Peninsula. Ordoño I incorporated León in the Kingdom of Asturias in 856, and it became the most important Christian stronghold south of the Cantabrian mountains, a tremendous strategic step forward, in military and commercial terms (Ordoño's importance is illustrated by his tomb's position behind the altar of León Cathedral - he looks an oddly effete figure, highly unlikely for a Visigothic monarch of such aggressive success). On the death of his son, Ordoño's realm was divided among his three inheriting grandsons, becoming the Kingdoms of Asturias, León and Galicia, but Garcia, King of León, died without heirs and his brother, King of Galicia, became also Ordoño II, King of León, and the third brother, Fruela, more or less handed his kingdom, Asturias, over to him in 914. This completed the transition from the small, defensive, Cantabrian Kingdom of Asturias to the new, expansionist, Kingdom of León, occupying the entire north-west corner of the peninsula.
The Kingdom (and city) of León continued to grow in size and importance, much to the irritation of its Moorish neighbours to the south (especially when its eastward expansion was halted by the new Kingdom of Castile). Towards the end of the tenth century, the great Moorish general Almanzor, vizir of the decadent Hisham II, led a number of intimidatory military expeditions into Christian Spain - during one of these, round about 986, León was razed to the ground - the present cathedral and the Basilica de San Isidoro were built in direct response to this.
León continued its expansion, and came to incorporate Extremadura towards the end of the twelfth century.
In 1230, Fernando III of Castile inherited the crown of León, so joining the two kingdoms (which, it should be said, fought against each other with every bit as much enthusiasm as they did against the Muslims). Even after the crowns of Castile and Aragón had been united by the marriage of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Fernando, the Spanish crown still included the formal title of the crown of León, not dropped until the twentieth century (I think that means with the present King Juan Carlos).
León, kingdom and city, began to lose political weight and economic momentum, however, and the following centuries were of decline. The region experienced a certain resurgence with the appearance of coal mining in the nineteenth century, a limited boom which held up throughout most of the twentieth century.
In the Spanish Civil War, being a provincial, conservative place, León came down on the side of the rebel Nationalists against the Republicans. Paradoxically, the province of León became a stronghold for the maquis, the Resistance fighters who continued to wage a very limited war against the winning fascists until the fifties.
In the sixties and seventies, Spain's rural population fled the land and, like others, the city of León grew in consequence. Its population is now close to 140,000, with another forty-odd thousand in its area of influence.
Politically, the province of León now falls within the region of Castile and León, to the distaste of sectors of the population. You may come across evidence of a local regionalist movement seeking independence from Castile (there is, however, no real radical nationalist party).
Modern León's most important economic sector is tourism.

Eating and Drinking: León is an unexpected paradise for tapas lovers (it was unexpected for me, at least), the snacks served with your drinks being tasty, usually copious and generally free. And as well as traditional Leonese food, I believe I detected a certain influence of the Basque pintxo culture to add more interest.
Food: Gastronomically, within Spain, León is most famous for its pig-derivatives (and note that, atypically, manteca, lard, is traditionally used rather than olive oil for cooking here). Of these, its embutidos, cooked and cured meats, are most remarkable, particularly the botillo, a kind of Leonese haggis made with marinated meats (it requires further cooking before eating, don't try buying it in the market and eating it as a picnic dish as you would chorizo or lomo. The botillo is actually from the county of El Bierzo, an extremely  interesting area in the west of the province of León, most relevant in this context for its top quality market garden produce. Another Leonese speciality (which can be eaten off-the-shelf) is cecina, beef cured rather like ham. Also well worth watching out for is the cocido Maragato, from the Leonese county of La Maragateria. Like other cocidos, it is a meat, vegetable and chickpea stew of  the pot-au-feu type as you would expect, but is remarkable in two ways: the rich variety of ingredients used (including seven kinds of meat), and the fact that traditionally it is served "backwards," meat as first course, then the vegetables and legumes, and the last course being the soup.
A splendid market is held on Saturdays in the Plaza Mayor. A much larger flea market is held down by the river on Sundays.
Drink: I have just learned of the existence of a company called S.A. Española de Fomento del Lúpula, dedicated to hops production for beer making, only a few miles west of the city of León, so a certain brewery tradition exists in the area. Personally though, I was more struck by the existence of a sophisticated wine culture, living as I do in wine-retarded Madrid, where people still order wine by its region or D.O.: Rioja, Valdepeñas, etc. Provincial old León in this context seems much more advanced, perhaps because of the great variety of top quality wines produced nearby: León's most native D.O. is El Bierzo, but other good wines are made in the province, usually for the Castilla y León denominación. And it is only hopping distance away from great wine-making areas like Toro, Ribeira Sacra, or even the mythical Ribera del Duero. 

When to Go / Fiestas: Climate: Its location on Spain's high northern meseta (plateau) means León's winters can be harsh, but not so much as to be a reason not to visit. Fiestas: As one of Spain's great cathedral cities, León's Semana Santa, Holy Week, is particularly noteworthy.

Around León / Moving On: You are spoilt for choice. The Camino de Santiago continues west from León through the counties of La Margatería and El Bierzo, both of which are highly visit-worthy. Especially notable are the ancient town of Ponferrada, capital of El Bierzo, and the extraterrestrial-like landscapes of Las Médulas nearby. The latter were created by a devastatingly unecological Roman gold mining technique, whereby whole mountains were hollowed out by enormous, high-pressure currents of water: Las Médulas "Cultural Landscape" (my inverted commas) is a UNESCO World Heritage site. On the other side of El Bierzo is Galicia, or you could head north to Asturias, or south into old Castile.

Getting There: León is not the most accessible place in the world (one reason why it has maintained its charm). However, Air Nostrum connects it with Madrid and Barcelona, while the León-based Lagún Air runs services to Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and more Spanish cities and islands (see the Spain and Portugal for Visitors Domestic Airlines page for their websites). Plus, budget-minded travellers from Britain may want to consider flying to Asturias airport and renting a car (your best option), or catching the bus from nearby Oviedo (itself well worth an overnight stop, or longer). You will find the ALSA website listed on the Spain and Portugal for Visitors Intercity Bus Companies page.

Where to Stay: As a pilgrimage centre, León is well supplied with modestly priced hostals and pensions, but its touristic popularity makes booking ahead advisable. This is also true of León's three and four-star hotels. If your budget runs to it, of course, or for a particularly special stay, the Hostal de San Marcos would be the ideal choice: you may want to check whether you are booking a room in the main part or in the towers, one of its monastic-type "cells," or a room in the new, purpose-built extension.


Pro's:
- One of the most memorable Gothic cathedrals in Spain
- Other historical sights of interest
- Very human, unoverwhelming in scale
- A charming historic centre, heaving with folks having a good time
- Great food and drink
- A cheerful, low-key nightlife, at least at weekends
- Low prices, except for lodgings

Con's:
- Difficult to reach
- Perhaps low on things to do with children

You'll like it if you like:
York; Chester; good, plain, Spanish food and drink...

More León:
León Links
Leon Hotels
León Last-Min.
Pictures of León