Burgos

Burgos is the historical capital of Castilla and the modern capital of the province of Burgos in Castilla y León, situated on the Arlanzón river at the centre of the Castilian Meseta. The city was the seat of the Kingdom of Castile from 932 and the centre of the Castilian wool trade in the medieval period, a wealth that funded exceptional architecture.

The Cathedral of Santa María de Burgos, begun in 1221, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Spain. Its twin spires, carved stone exterior, and extraordinary chapels including the Capilla del Condestable and the Golden Staircase interior are among the architectural highpoints of the Iberian Gothic. The cathedral is the burial site of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, the eleventh-century Castilian military commander whose legend permeates the city.

For pilgrims on the Camino Frances, Burgos is the major urban and cultural encounter between Pamplona and León, typically requiring a full rest day to do the cathedral and old town any justice.