León is a Castilian city of about 120,000 people, founded as the Roman camp of Legio VII Gemina (1st century AD) and known today for grand medieval architecture on the Camino de Santiago. Its UNESCO-listed highlights centre on León Cathedral, a pure High Gothic landmark famed for vast 13th-century stained glass, and the Basilica of San Isidoro with its Royal Pantheon of Romanesque frescoes; add the Plateresque Convento/Hostal de San Marcos (now a Parador) and Gaudí’s Casa Botines for a sweep of styles. The compact old town is made for tapas crawls in the Barrio Húmedo and Plaza del Grano, while MUSAC showcases contemporary art to the west of the centre. Getting in is straightforward via fast trains to Madrid and Asturias, with a small local airport and easy day trips to Astorga and the Roman gold mines of Las Médulas.
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