Places to Explore

• Alarcón

  This fortified village on the edge of the great plains of La Mancha stands on a high spit of land encircled almost entirely by a bend of the Júcar River.... (more)

• Almagro

  The center of this noble town contains the only preserved medieval theater in Europe, which stands beside the ancient Plaza Mayor, where 85 Roman columns form two colonnades supporting green-frame, 16th-century... (more)

• Astorga

  Astorga, where the pilgrimage roads from France and Portugal merge, once had 22 hospitals to lodge and care for ailing travelers. The only one left today is next to the cathedral, which is itself a huge... (more)

• Ávila

  In the middle of a windy plateau littered with giant boulders, with the Sierra de Gredos in the background, Ávila can look wild and sinister. Modern development on the outskirts of town partially... (more)

• Burgos

  On the banks of the Arlanzón River, this small city boasts some of Spain's most outstanding medieval architecture. If you approach on the A1 from Madrid, the spiky twin spires of Burgos's cathedral... (more)

• Cuenca

  Though somewhat isolated, Cuenca makes a good overnight stop if you're traveling between Madrid and Valencia. The delightful old town is one of the most surreal looking in Spain, built on a sloping, curling... (more)

• León

  León, the ancient capital of Castile-León, sits on the banks of the Bernesga River in the high plains of Old Castile; today it's a wealthy provincial capital and prestigious university town... (more)

• Salamanca

  Salamanca's radiant sandstone buildings, immense Plaza Mayor, and hilltop riverside perch make it one of the most attractive and beloved cities in Spain. Today, as it did centuries ago, the university... (more)

• Segovia

  Breathtaking Segovia—on a ridge in the middle of a gorgeously stark, undulating plain—is defined by its Roman and medieval monuments, its excellent cuisine, its embroideries and textiles, and... (more)

• Sepúlveda

  A walled village with a commanding position, Sepúlveda has a charming main square, but its major attraction is its 11th-century Romanesque church.... (more)

• Sigüenza

  The ancient university town of Sigüenza dates back to Roman, Visigothic, and Moorish times, and still has splendid architecture and one of the most beautifully preserved cathedrals in Castile.... (more)

• Toledo

  Long the spiritual capital of Spain, Toledo is perched atop a rocky mount with steep golden hills rising on either side, and is bound on three sides by the Río Tajo (Tagus River). When the Romans... (more)

• Villafranca del Bierzo

  After crossing León's grape-growing region, where the complex and full-bodied Bierzo wines are produced, you'll arrive in this medieval village, dominated by a massive and still-inhabited feudal... (more)