León is a city in the region of Castilla y León in northwestern Spain. The city was founded in the year 29 BC. as a military camp for Legio VI Victrix, and in 74 it became the base of Legio VII Gemina. Thereby the Roman city developed until the Muslim Moors conquered the area at the beginning of the 7th century. It was a period of decline, which was replaced by a flourishing from 910, when León became the capital of the kingdom of the same name. In 1188, the city held one of the earliest parliamentary assemblies in Europe, the Decreta de León, where Alfonso IX gathered nobility, merchants and artisans for a hearing. However, development later stagnated in favor of other cities in not least Castile.

Today, León is a city with an lovely old part complemented by newer neighborhoods with several attractions. In the heart of the old town is the Plaza Mayor, which was León’s marketplace and thus commercial center until the 19th century. The square was laid out in its current style in the late 17th century, and there were bullfights and other activities here. The characteristic building on the west side of the square, the Palacio Mirador, was built as a municipal representation building, which could be used for celebrations on the square. From Plaza Mayor you can go west and explore the old town’s narrow streets and many squares.

You will find, among other sights, Mercado del Conde Luna in the area. It is a fine food market that was opened in 1929. Close to this you come to the Plaza de San Marcelo, where the house Casa Botines is a particularly interesting sight. Casa Botines was built in 1891-1892 in modernism by the world-famous Antoni Gaudí. It is one of Gaudí’s few buildings that is not in Catalonia, and today the house is open as a museum for Gaudí, for the house and for various art from the 1800s and 1900s. Opposite Casa Botines is the Museo de León, a museum of archaeology, art and ethnography. A visit here is a good introduction to the city’s history.

The Cathedral of León is also worth seeing. It is one of Spain’s great Gothic churches from the 13th to 15th centuries. The great cathedral is particularly known for its many and large glass mosaics, which are some of the richest of its time in the world. In the past there were Roman baths here, and there are remains of them in the crypt. In León you can also see the former monastery, Convento de San Marcos, which is considered one of Spain’s finest Renaissance buildings. The monastery was built from the 16th century and completed in the 18th century. In the monastery there is a church and a museum that you can visit. From the monastery, you can take a walk along the Puente de San Marcos bridge from the 16th century, which crosses the river Bernesga in a nice green area.