Leon

Leon is an immensely enjoyable city. For centuries it has been an important stopping place for pilgrims on the road to Santiago, and the cathedral and the Basilica San Isidoro rank among northern Spain's top historic sites. Both are rich in decorative detail and together they pull a bustling tourist crowd. Sizeable segments of the old city walls stand nearby, most impressive at Plaza Puerta Castillo; the modem city is neatly spliced alongside in a well planned series of avenues, leaving old Leon the space it deserves, and generating a vibrant social atmosphere quite independent of tourism.

A short walk from the cathedral, things seem quite different. Around the Plaza Mayor runs a charming and evocative series of quiet old squares and shabby lanes, silent as a ghost town.

Leon Hotels

Temple Riosol Hotel - Avda. de Palencia, 3 - Leon 24009 - Spain Phone: 987216850 Fax: 987216997
La Posada Regia Hotel - Regidores, 9-11 - Leon 24003 - Spain Phone: 987213173 Fax: 987213031
Quindos Hotel - Gran Vía de San Marcos, 38 - Leon 24002 - Spain Phone: 987236200 Fax: 987242201
Husa Campus San Mames Hotel - Vegamian, 13 - Leon 24007 - Spain Phone: 987347033 Fax: 987347082
Alfonso V Hotel - Padre Isla, 1 - Leon 24002 - Spain Phone: 987220900 Fax: 987221244
Puerta De Leon Hotel - Moisés de León, 49 (Polígono 10) - Leon 24006 - Spain Phone: 987203838 Fax: 987218122
Tryp Leon Hotel - Obispo Vilaplana, 3-5 - Leon 24008 - Spain Phone: 987877100 Fax: 987877110
Del Pozo Hotel - C.N. 621 Santander, km 4,8 - Leon 24007 - Spain Phone: 987281903 Fax: 987281661
Silken Luis De Leon Hotel - Fray Luis de León, 26 - Leon 24005 - Spain Phone: 987218820 Fax: 987218821
Conde Luna Hotel - Independencia, 7 - Leon 24003 - Spain Phone: 987206600 Fax: 987212752
Parador Hostal San Marcos Hotel - Pl.aza de San Marcos, 7 - Leon 24001 - Spain Phone: 987237300 Fax: 987233458

Bound on all sides by traditional colormading, and dominated by a grandiose Ayuntamiento, even the Plaza Mayor seems strangely deserted. From here a warren of little lanes and alleyways run to Plaza San Martin and Plaza Santa Maria del Camino, the original point of entry to the city for pilgrims on the road to Santiago. It feels like an abandoned film set with its intriguing crooked lanes, overhanging and bulging old buildings, and the occasional rusty, ornamental street lamp jutting out from a faded ochre wall, somehow placed with the kind of casual poetry more typical of Hollywood than of real life. It is as if the whole area is waiting for something to happen; it does. At night these streets become a riot of activity, with bars, bodegas and restaurants appearing as if from nowhere. The neighbourhood is so renowned as a drinker's paradise that it has been nicknamed Barrio Humedo the humid quarter.

GETTING YOUR BEARINGS

Leon sits on a huge, open plain beside a broad river that neatly runs north to south. The train and bus stations are across the water on the edge of town. Arriving here affords an expansive sense of Leon's location, exposed to the scorching summer heat and the icy winds of winter; the snow dusted mountains of Asturias are vi sible in the distance.

An orderly arrangement of regular, straight avenues radiating from traffic islands form the modem centre of town. Here buildings are largely unattractive apartment blocks, with little of interest for the visitor. The bridge from the railway station feeds straight into this network along Avenida de Ordono 11, Leon's main thoroughfare, bisecting the city east to west. At Plaza Santo Domingo it becomes Generalisimo Franco and cuts into the heart of the old city.

The cathedral is at the top of this long road to the left (north), and the tourist office ftands opposite its entrance. It is about 1.5 km from the train station; you may want to take a taxi to avoid a busy and noisy walk. The Basilica de San Isidoro and the most impressive stretch of the old city walls are both also on this side of Avenida Calle Generalisimo.

From opposite the cathedral, a short walk down Calle Mariano Dominguez Berrueta leads to the Plaza Mayor, to the south of Generalisimo Franco. Narrow lanes from behind the Ayuntamiento here run to Plaza San Martin and Plaza Santa Maria del Camino: together they form a strangely evocative old quarter by day, and the hub of Leon's social scene by night.

Leon Attractions

The Cathedral

Leon Cathedral remains an awesome sight, unquestionably one of Spain's greatest medieval buildings. It stands at a major stopping place on the road to Santiago, and its soaring Gothic interior and magnificent stained glass powerfully demonstrate the transmission of architectural styles along this route from northern France into Spain.

The bulk of the cathedral dates from between 1258 and 1303 (with the exception of the 15th century south tower of the west facade and part of the south transept facade) and was built to such ambitious designs that urgent structural work has been required down the ages. The Gothic splendour that stands before us today is a triumph of medieval aspiration.

Central to the west facade are three richly carved portals. Tired and hungry pilgrims arrived here to be met by a simple, frightening Christian message in stone: the Last judgement. Here is the weighing of souls, clear for all to see: graphic and gruesome scenes of long toothed demons devour the damned, while the saved rejoice in processions of Christian celebration. Above all this detail sits Christ in his glory.

After such a heavy moral lesson, pilgrims stepping into the showering splendour of coloured light inside the cathedral must have been moved as if by a vision of heavenly beauty. Soaring pillars pull your eyes skywards and between them bum vast curtains of stained glass flame reds, golds and yellows. Taken in three stages, the windows represent the natural, social and celestial worlds: the lower windows show local plant life; the middle windows are decorated with heraldic devices; and saints and angels glow up in the clerestory. Even the massy choir with its heavy, elaborate carving does not detract from the sight. The diocesan museum, housed off the cloisters, seems a rather down to earth collection by comparison and offers little competition to the excitement generated by the cathedral itself.

Basilica de San Isidoro

The Romanesque Basilica San Isidoro is sumptuously embelished with 18th century decoration, reaching its most flamboyant in the Santiago Matamores figure that rides triumphant above the robust 11th century portal, celebrating the victory of Christians over Moors.

A monastery built here in the mid 9th century was dedicated to St John the Baptist; subsequently the relics of St Pelayus were transferred to Leon and the basilica became his shrine. Destroyed by the Moors, once recaptured it was rebuilt in the early 11 th century, and a pantheon was added to house the royal dead of Leon

The pantheon is the highlight of the whole complex: vaults are supported by boldly carved capitals of griffins, grotesques and Gospel scenes, and decorated with Romanesque frescoes dating from the late 12th century. The frescoes are among the most impressive in Spain and include seasonal scenes of medieval life and stories from the New Testament.

The basilica itself is a spacious, barrel vaulted structure. Its museum is well worth visiting for the exceptional ecclesiastical treasures it holds: an exquisite 12th century Limoges enamel reliquary, an 11th century agate chalice and an 11th century Romanesque ivory chest are the highlights.

Plaza Mayor

Dominated by a stately 17th century ayuntamiento and colonnaded in a grandiose fashion, the Plaza Mayor is oddly neglected. It lies in the most eerily evocative part of old Leon with nearby deserted streets and squares of a faded, ancient character. A short lane away Plaza San Martin is the centre of Leon's manic drinking scene at night, yet the Plaza Mayor remains strangely on the edge of all this. Only on Sunday mornings is the peace broken and the square comes to life in a vibrant, colourful market. It is like the sudden flowering of a desert: the huge, dusty expanse of the Plaza Mayor bursts teeming with life with stalls selling vegetables, junk and clothing; Plaza San Martin is engulfed with bales of flowers and herbs; and passionate flamenco blares from hi fi stalls. The market starts at around 8.00; a great atmosphere and well worth catching.

Plaza de Santa Maria del Camino

Low, antiquated houses supported by rough hewn wooden porticoes create an easy, almost too perfect charm within this secluded cobbled square. The plaza was the entrance to the city for pilgrims en route to Santiago, and has an ornamental cross and babbling fountain. The yellow stone and warm, red tiled roof of a 12th century Romanesque church stand nearby.

Monasterio de San Marcos

The monastery of San Marcos is decorated with a profusion of carved medallions, fruit, garlands and scallop shells, a gorgeous flourish of plateresque craft skill. A monastery was first built here in 1168 for the Knights of Santiago, giving food and shelter to pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. The present building is overall a Renaissance design, begun 1514 and altered well into the 18th century. It is now a national parador hotel. Ask at the reception to see the elaborately decorated choir stalls of the adjacent church.

Iglesia San Marcos

The church of San Marcos stands alongside the monastery, covered in the scallop shell motifs of the pilgrims. Visit the small local archaeological museum inside to view the exceptional 11th century Carrizo crucifix.