Spain · 22 destinations

What to see in Castile and León

One of the regions of Spain richest in heritage: Burgos Cathedral and the stained glass of León, Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor, the aqueduct of Segovia, the walls of Ávila, the Romanesque churches of Zamora and Palencia, and villages like Pedraza and Mogarraz.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

Cities, villages and nature

Open each one to see all its sights, where to stay, day trips and when to go.

Castile and León
Salamanca

The Plaza Mayor, the university and its golden-stone cathedrals: a student city that glows at night.
- University
- Plaza Mayor
- Salamanca Cathedral (Old and New)
- Casa de las Conchas
What to see in Salamanca
Castile and León
Segovia

The Roman aqueduct, a fairy-tale Alcázar and roast suckling pig: a short hop from Madrid.
- Aqueduct
- Alcázar
- Cathedral
- Royal Site of La Granja
What to see in Segovia
Castile and León
León

A cathedral with more than 1,000 square metres of stained glass, the Royal Pantheon of San Isidoro and the Barrio Húmedo for tapas.
- Cathedral
- Basilica of San Isidoro
- Casa Botines
- Barrio Húmedo
What to see in León
Castile and León
Burgos

One of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Europe, the Cartuja de Miraflores and Atapuerca nearby.
- Burgos Cathedral
- Arco de Santa María
- Monastery of Las Huelgas
- Atapuerca
What to see in Burgos
Castile and León
Ávila

The best-preserved medieval walls in Europe, St Teresa’s convents and yemas, the local egg-yolk sweets.
- City walls
- Cathedral of El Salvador
- Basilica of San Vicente
- Convent of Santa Teresa
What to see in Ávila
Castile and León
Valladolid

The Sculpture Museum, the Plaza Mayor, the Pisuerga and the best roast lamb, amid Ribera and Rueda wines.
- Plaza Mayor
- National Museum of Sculpture
- Cervantes House
- Ribera del Duero
What to see in Valladolid
Castile and León
Zamora

The city of Romanesque, with more than twenty churches, the cathedral with its scaled dome and the Duero.
- Zamora Cathedral
- Zamora Castle
- Puente de Piedra
- Holy Week Museum
What to see in Zamora
Castile and León
Soria

A quiet city of Machado and Bécquer, with the Monastery of San Juan de Duero and San Saturio by the Duero.
- San Juan de Duero
- Hermitage of San Saturio
- Church of Santo Domingo
- Numantino Museum
What to see in Soria
Castile and León
Palencia

The cathedral known as the “Unknown Beauty”, the arcaded Calle Mayor and the Romanesque of the north.
- Cathedral of San Antolín
- Cristo del Otero
- Calle Mayor
- Canal de Castilla
What to see in Palencia
Castile and León
Pedraza

A walled town in Segovia with an arcaded square, a castle and the Candlelight Concert in July.
- Plaza Mayor
- Castle
- Puerta de la Villa
- Medieval prison
What to see in Pedraza
Castile and León
Mogarraz

A village in the Sierra de Francia with portraits of its residents painted on the façades.
- Portraits on the façades
- Mountain architecture
- Sierra de Francia
- La Alberca
What to see in Mogarraz
Castile and León
Ponferrada

The capital of El Bierzo, with its Templar castle by the Sil river, the Camino de Santiago running through the town and Las Médulas very close by.
- Templar Castle
- Basilica of La Encina
- Clock Tower
- Radio Museum
What to see in Ponferrada
Castile and León
Las Médulas

The red landscape of the old Roman gold mines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with clay peaks among chestnut trees.
- Mirador de Orellán
- Orellán galleries
- La Cuevona
- Lake Carucedo
What to see in Las Médulas
Castile and León
Astorga

Gaudí’s Episcopal Palace next to the cathedral, Roman walls, chocolate and cocido maragato, right on the Camino de Santiago.
- Gaudí Palace
- Cathedral
- Chocolate Museum
- Roman route
What to see in Astorga
Castile and León
Tordesillas

The town of the treaty that divided the world between Castile and Portugal in 1494, on the Duero, with its Mudéjar monastery and main square.
- Royal Monastery of Santa Clara
- Casas del Tratado
- Plaza Mayor
- Medieval bridge
What to see in Tordesillas
Castile and León
Peñafiel

A castle as long as a ship above the Ribera del Duero, with the wine museum inside and wineries everywhere.
- Castle
- Plaza del Coso
- Bodegas
- Convent of San Pablo
What to see in Peñafiel
Castile and León
Frías

One of the smallest towns in Spain, perched on a rock with its castle and houses on the edge of the cliff, and a medieval bridge over the Ebro.
- Castle
- Hanging houses
- Medieval bridge
- Church of San Vicente
What to see in Frías
Castile and León
Puebla de Sanabria

A town of stone and slate with a castle, a stone’s throw from Lake Sanabria, the largest glacial lake on the Iberian Peninsula.
- Castle of the Counts of Benavente
- Church of Santa María del Azogue
- Calle Mayor
- Lake Sanabria
What to see in Puebla de Sanabria
Castile and León
Medinaceli

A medieval village on a hilltop in Soria, with a triple-arched Roman gateway unique in Spain and stone streets.
- Roman arch
- Plaza Mayor
- Collegiate church
- Doge’s Palace
What to see in Medinaceli
Castile and León
Medina de Rioseco

The City of the Admirals, with an arcaded street of wooden porticoes, huge churches and the Canal de Castilla.
- Calle Mayor
- Church of Santa María de Mediavilla
- Church of Santiago
- Canal de Castilla
What to see in Medina de Rioseco
Castile and León
Covarrubias

A village of half-timbered houses beside the Arlanza river, with its medieval tower and the collegiate church where Fernán González is buried.
- Doña Urraca’s Tower
- Collegiate Church of San Cosme y San Damián
- Half-timbered houses
- Arlanza river
What to see in Covarrubias
Castile and León
Sepúlveda

A stone village perched above the gorges of the Duratón river, with Romanesque churches and vultures soaring over the canyon.
- Hoces del Duratón
- Church of El Salvador
- Plaza de España
- Hermitage of San Frutos
What to see in Sepúlveda

When to go

Spring and autumn are ideal; winters are cold (and beautiful under snow) and summer is hot by day and cool at night. Holy Week in Valladolid, Zamora and León is among the most famous.

What to eat

Roast suckling pig
Lechazo asado (roast milk-fed lamb)
Castilian garlic soup
Burgos black pudding
Hornazo
Cecina de León (cured beef)

Recipes to make at home

Frequently asked questions

What is there to see in Castile and León?

The must-sees: Salamanca, Segovia, León, Burgos, Ávila, Valladolid, Zamora, Soria, Palencia, Pedraza, Mogarraz, Ponferrada, Las Médulas, Astorga, Tordesillas, Peñafiel, Frías, Puebla de Sanabria, Medinaceli, Medina de Rioseco, Covarrubias and Sepúlveda. Each guide has its sights, where to stay, day trips and when to go.

When is the best time to visit Castile and León?

Spring and autumn are ideal; winters are cold (and beautiful under snow) and summer is hot by day and cool at night. Holy Week in Valladolid, Zamora and León is among the most famous.

What to eat in Castile and León?

Roast suckling pig, Lechazo asado (roast milk-fed lamb), Castilian garlic soup, Burgos black pudding, Hornazo and Cecina de León (cured beef). You’ll find the recipe for hornazo de salamanca, roast suckling pig, olla podrida, yemas de santa teresa, lechazo asado (roast milk-fed lamb), arroz a la zamorana and torreznos de soria in their guides.

Which villages to see in Castile and León?

Pedraza, Mogarraz, La Alberca, Sepúlveda, Covarrubias, Lerma, Puebla de Sanabria and Medina de Rioseco, as well as small cities like Ávila and Soria.

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Reviewed 19 October 2026. Places and areas: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Cover photo: xiquinhosilva from Cacau (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.