A day in Burgos, Spain

Another town, another cathedral!!! Why do we visit so many churches? Religion aside, in every city or town, the church is usually the most magnificent building, has the most amazing art and preserves the history of the area. Like a museum, but more interesting.

We chose to spend the night in Burgos on our way to Portugal because it was roughly half way between Lourdes and the Duoro Valley, our next destination. The municipality has a population of about 180,000 residents and is one of the main stops along the Camino de Santiago route. Without a doubt, the star of Burgos’ architecture is its Gothic style cathedral, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Construction on the cathedral began in 1221 and was not completed until 1567. The beauty of the filigreed tower spires is complemented by exceptional works inside from the starry dome that covers the tombs of legendary Spanish knight El Cid and his wife to the gorgeous Golden Staircase. We easily spent more than 2 hours in this incredible cathedral. Tickets cost 9 Euros (USD $9.50) each.

The starry dome over El Cid's tomb
The Golden Staircase
Incredible detail on the columns
Carved wood covered in gold leaf
The Choir

Just down the road from our hotel was the 14th century city gate Arco de Santa Maria, entrance into the historic city center. Once upon a time, Burgos would have been a walled city, it’s inner sanctum guarded by twelve magnificent gates. Like many medieval structures in Europe, walls and gateways were destroyed over time with the stones repurposed for other building projects. The gate we see today is a stunning 16th century reconstruction.

The concept of the Plaza Mayor is the Spanish evolution of the Roman Forum and all Spanish cities, towns and villages have one. The plaza is a public square where people meet, relax and enjoy themselves. Events and celebrations are held here and the plaza’s are generally enclosed by beautiful old buildings, Burgos was no exception.