Castile-León and Castile-La Mancha: Places to Explore

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.... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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

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.... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more