By day, Burgos (pop. 346,000) is a city celebrated for its rich history, breathtaking art, and unique cuisine. By night, it is infused with a different kind of energy; behind the magnificently lit cathedral and luminous plazas, narrow streets glow with the neon signs from local bars and clubs. Unlike many other cities of Castilla y Leon, Burgos is cosmopolitan in every sense of the word—as you walk through its cafe and restaurant-filled winding streets, you’ll smell cuisines from every corner of the world and hear chatter in foreign languages. Still, Burgos holds fast to its traditions and history. The region’s hero, El Cid Campeador, a crusader of medieval lore, was born and eventually buried here. Today you can trace the Route of El Cid that begins at his birthplace in Vivar and enters Burgos through the Portal de San Martín south of the city.
The Río Arlanzón splits Burgos into north and south. While the train and bus stations are to the south, the Catedral Santa Iglesia and most other sights of interest are in the north. To get to the main part of the city from the train station, exit out the front of the station and walk straight up C. de la Estación, crossing the small bridge. At the end of the bridge, you will come to a small rotary. Take the second right, Calle de Aparicio y Ruiz. Follow it until you come to an intersection with C. de Eduardo Martinez del Campo (right in front of the University building). Turn right onto C. de Eduardo Martinez del Campo, and in about 50m, turn left onto C. Asunción de Ntra. Señora. This street will bring you right into the center of the city, in plain view of the cathedral. From the bus station, exit left out of the front entrance onto C. de Miranda. Walk down the street until the intersection then turn right onto C. de Madrid—you will see the spires of the cathedral ahead. Continue up the street, staying to the left at the rotary and then crossing over a small bridge. Then, go through the arch in front of you into the Pl. del Rey San Fernando.
Cheap and desirable accommodations are hard to find in Burgos, but some reasonably priced hostales and pensiones lie along or near Calle San Juan and Calle Puebla, leading from the Plaza de la Libertad. Otherwise try hostels on Calle Vitoria, at the eastern end of the city, and along Ctr. N-1 toward Irún. Reservations are crucial on summer weekends, given all the festivals from June-August.
Burgaleses take pride in their morcilla sausage and their queso de Burgos, a soft cheese usually served with honey or in a tarta as dessert. Look near the cathedral for these staples. Calle San Lorenzo is tapas heaven. Mercado Sur, on Calle Barrio Gimeno, has fresh meat and bread (Open M-Th 8am-3pm, F-Sa 7:30am-3:15pm). For groceries, try Dia%, Sanz Pastor, 16 (Open M-Sa 9:30am-2:15pm and 5-8:15pm). Or if you just need a midday sugar infusion, duck into Chocolates Valor, a Spanish chain, for rich churros con chocolate, right next to the cathedral on C. Nuño Rasura.
Catedral De Burgos. The Catedral de Burgos, designated an UNESCO Word Heritage site in 1984, is one of the most stunning in Spain. Its majestic spires, which find their way into every view of the city, are matched only by its Gothic interior. Originally a Romanesque church built by 13th-century Reconquista hero Fernando III (El Santo), the cathedral was transformed over three centuries into a Gothic marvel. The cathedral is the product of hundreds of years of work, and its 29 magnificent chambers reflect different time periods, artistic styles, and religious events. Visitors can enter the Chapel of Christ to see the cathedral’s holiest and most infamous arch: a crucified Jesus constructed of buffalo skin with human hair and nails. The cathedral has other wonders for those not attending services: the 16th-century stained-glass dome of the Capilla Mayor, the eerily life-like papamoscas (flycatcher), and, under the transept, marked by a small brick beneath a star-shaped lantern, the remains of El Cid himself. The cathedral’s museum displays a Visigoth Bible and El Cid’s nuptial documents, as well as chalices, paintings, and tapestries. (☎947 20 47 12; www.catedraldeburgos.es. Open Nov. 1-Mar. 18 10am-7pm; Mar, 19-Oct. 31 9:30am-7:30pm. Chapel of Christ free, entered by the left side door of the cathedral. Cathedral and museum €4, students €2.50, pilgrims €12.50. Audio tour in English €3.50.)
TCentro De Arte Caja Burgos (Cab). Housed in a striking hilltop space next to the Iglesia Gótica de San Esteban and the Castillo de Burgos, this contemporary art center stands out in radical contrast to its historic neighbors. The Center is home to a permanent collection of more than 300 works by renowned contemporary artists and hosts rotating exhibitions of international work. Offering a constant cultural dialogue, this is a great place to provoke the mind and senses. The climb uphill is well worth it for the museum’s breathtaking city vistas. Visit the website for ongoing exhibitions. (C. Saldaña s/n. ☎947 25 65 60; www.cabdeburgos.com. Open Tu-F 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-8:30pm, Sa 11am-2:30pm and 5-9pm, Su 11am-2:30pm and 5-8:00pm. Free.)
Museo-Monasterio De Las Huelgas Reales. Built by King Alfonso VIII in 1187, the Museo-Monasterio de las Huelgas Reales was once a summer palace for Castilian kings and later an elite convent for Cistercian nuns. Today’s monastery-cum-museum allows visitors a glimpse of the glory of medieval Castilian royalty. (Take the “Barrio del Pilar” bus from Pl. de España to the Museo stop; €0.70. ☎947 20 16 30. Open Tu-Sa 10am-1pm and 3:45-5:30pm, Su 10:30am-2pm. Mandatory tours in Spanish every 30min. €5, students and under 14 €2.50, under 5 free. EU citizens free W.)
Museo De Burgos. This sprawling 16th-century mansion has four floors of provincial Burgalese art and archaeology, with everything from paleolithic skulls to Roman relics from the nearby town of Clunia. The adjacent Casa de Inigo Angulo also features four floors of art. Included in the exhibits are a piece of the Santo Domingo de Silos monastery’s facade, the sepulchre of Don Juan de Padilla, and paintings from the 14th to 20th centuries. (C. Miranda, 13. ☎947 26 58 75. Open Oct.-May Tu-Sa 10am-2pm and 4-7pm, Su 10am-2pm; June-Sept. M-Sa 10am-2pm and 5-8pm, Su 10am-2pm. €1.20; under 18, seniors, and students with ID free. Sa and Su free.)
Burgaleses start the night out by sampling pinchos and sipping glasses of wine in tapas bars throughout the city; Calle San Lorenzo and Calle la Puebla are popular locations. By midnight, Calle Avellanos (across from Pl. Alonso Martínez) fills with night owls migrating onto nearby Calle Huerto del Rey. Behind the church, Llanes de Afuera is lined with hip bars and dance clubs. On Sunday mornings, the crowds will still be dancing at discotecas along Calle San Juan and Calle la Puebla and in the complex on Plaza San Lesmes. During the last week of June, Burgos honors its patron saints with parades, fireworks, and bullfights.
Buses run to Carrión de los Condes from Burgos (1hr.; M-F 11:45am, 6:15pm, Sa 11:45am, Su 6:15pm; return M-F 11:15am, 4:50pm, Sa 11:15am, Su 5:30pm; €6). Buses also run from Palencia (45min.; M-Sa 7:45am, 1:30, 6:00pm; Su 1:30, 7:15pm; return M-Sa 9am, 2:10, 5:10pm; Su 5 and 6:10pm; €2.30).
It is easy to bypass this sleepy riverside town, but many pilgrims consider Carrión de los Condes (pop. 2500) one of the most important stops on the Camino de Santiago. The Iglesia de Santiago, the town’s most famous church, was built in the 12th century. It was rebuilt after Spanish troops burned it down to prevent the French army from using it as a stronghold in the 1811 War of Independence. The adjacent museo has a small but impressive collection of embroidered frocks and paintings from the 16th century. (Church and museum open daily 11am-2pm and 4:30-8pm. €1.) On the way to this church from the bus stop, you’ll pass the Iglesia Santa María del Camino, the oldest church in Carrión, built in 1130. (Open in summer daily 9am-2pm and 4:30-6pm; in winter M-Sa 11am-1:30am and 6-9pm, Su noon-1:30pm and 6-9pm. Free.) Across the river is the 11th-century Real Monasterio de San Zoilo, which houses one of the most beautiful cloisters of the Spanish Renaissance. (☎979 88 09 02. Open from Apr. to mid-Oct. daily 10:30am-2pm and 4:30-8pm; from mid-Oct. to Mar. M-F 10:30am-2pm, Sa-Su 4-6:30pm. €1.50, pilgrims €1.) If you need to spend the night, Camping El Eden is in a shaded area on the riverbank, in the Parque Municipal. (☎979 88 01 95. €4 per person; €3.50-3.90 per tent; €4 per car. Electricity €3.50.) Many restaurants along C. Santa María offer a three-course menú del peregrino (pilgrim menu) for €7-8. Cervecería “J. M.” , Pl. Marques de Santillana, 10, has all a pilgrim could want for dinner—sandwiches, eggs, salads, meat, and fish. (Open daily noon-4pm and 6-10pm. Cash only.) The tourist office is across the street from the bus stop in front of Bar España and offers internet access for €2 per hour. (☎979 88 09 32. Open July-Aug. 10am-2pm, 4:30pm-7pm.) There is also another tourist office located in the Monasterio de San Zoilo open year-round. (☎979 880 902. Open Tu-Su 10am-2pm and 5-8pm.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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