Things To Do in Burgos
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
Burgos Attractions
The south side of medieval Burgos is lined with beautiful parks along the Río Arlanzón. The most dramatic entrance into the old city is through the ancient Arco de Santa María (pictured above), decorated with early 16th-century sculptures of famous Burgos burghers. The plaza before you, Plaza Rey San Fernanado, is one of the busiest pedestrian crossroads of Spain: Two different pilgrimage routes to Santiago converge in Burgos, and every pilgrim pays respects at the marvelously hulking Catedral de Santa María, built into the remnants of the city’s defensive walls.
East of the cathedral, you’ll pass through a warren of shops and tapas bars en route to the Plaza Mayor.
Head east toward the river to find a modern equestrian statue of El Cid, striking an iconic heroic pose, at Plaza Mio Cid. Cross the river to visit the Museo de la Evolución Humana, a thoroughly modern museum about the first humans in Europe.
Casa de Cordón, the historic 15th-century palace on Plaza de Calvo Sotelo, has been restored and is now a bank. But you can still go by and take a look. History records that on April 23, 1497, Columbus met with Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand here after his second voyage to the New World. It was in this building, in 1506, that Philip the Handsome suffered a heart attack after a game of jai alai. His wife, Juana, dragged his body through the streets of Burgos, earning forever the name of Juana la Loca (the Mad).
- Religious Site
Cartuja de Miraflores
Located 4km (2 1/2 miles) east of the center of Burgos, this florid Gothic charterhouse was founded in 1441. King Juan II selected it as the royal tomb for himself and his second wife, Isabel of Portugal. By 1494, the church was finished, its sober facade belying the treasure-trove… - Historic Site
Casa del Cordón
History records that on April 23, 1497, Christopher Columbus met with Isabel and Fernando in this 15th-century palace (now a cultural center of the Fundación Caja de Burgos), after his second voyage to the New World. Also in this building, in 1506, Felipe el Hermoso (the Handsome)… - Cathedral
Catedral de Santa María
Begun in 1221, this cathedral was one of the most celebrated in Europe and certainly one of the best examples of French Gothic on the Iberian Peninsula. Ornamented 15th-century bell towers flank the three main doorways by Juan de Colonia. The 16th-century Chapel of Condestable,… - Religious Site
Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de las Huelgas
This cloister outside Burgos has seen a lot of action. Built in the 12th century in a richly ornamented style, it was once a summer palace for Castilian royalty, as well as a retreat for nuns of royal blood. Inside, the Gothic church is built in the shape of a Latin cross. Despite… - Museum
Museo de la Evolución Humana
Archaeologists have been excited about the finds in the caves in the nearby Sierra Atapuerca since the early 20th century, but only recently did science prove conclusively that some of the human fossil remains date back 800,000 years. That makes Atapuerca the earliest site of human…
Burgos Shopping
A city as old and historic as Burgos is chockablock with emporia selling almost infinite numbers of ceramics, woodcarvings, and artifacts that include fireplace bellows crafted from leather, wood, and brass or copper. Many shops line the edges of the city's most central square, the Plaza Mayor, and the streets radiating from it.
