Burgos: the Castilian work of art

Burgos was the first capital of the Castilian Kingdom, back when the Christians were trying to conquer the Moorish’ lands of current Spain. A fortress was built at the top of a mountain, next to a river, in 884. In 931, it had already become the capital. Here was born the Cid, one of the Spanish national heroes -you may know him through the Charlton Heston movie! Located at a crossroads at the Camino of Santiago, Burgos received plenty of pilgrims that made the city grow. Then, King Ferdinand the III told his bishop to travel around Europe to gather ideas in order to build the most beautiful cathedral of the existing world. After 500 years of construction, a work of art was born. Nowadays UNESCO Patrimony, Santa María is a masterpiece that you will not forget. Together with Atapuerca, the endless cave of wonders where the first Europeans inhabited for thousands of years, are truly worth a visit. But, of course, Burgos has so much more to offer. After all, Burgos is indeed the Castilian work of art!

A bit of history

Burgos was born in the middle of the Camino of Santiago. It was very well located, close to Logroño, Haro, Miranda de Ebro… At that time, the Moorish still possessed most of the Iberian lands, so the Christian kings were very protective of their religious buildings. This is why, while walking around Burgos, you will find so many of them: 35 hospitals for the pilgrims -the best city to get ill, convents, and churches…

If you are into heroes of the past, you can visit the St. Águeda church. Here, the Cid made a king swear that he had not killed his brother, the Cid’s master and friend. Later on, this king took revenge by banishing the Cid off Castile, condemning him to be a mercenary for the rest of his life. This is how the Cid became a national hero: he could not lose a battle. Legend says that he won his final battle once he was already dead: when the Moors saw his corpse coming, riding a horse, turned around and fled. You can find his remains at the cathedral, even though the French made a great effort on the 19th century to disperse his bones through the city! 

Burgos represents, above all, the Medieval history of Spain. Even if you do not know about Spanish history, you can feel it, see it in every step of your way in Burgos. At the monastery of the Huelgas Reales you can see the banner that was taken from the Almohads at the battle of Navas de Tolosa. This battle was the turning point in the wars against the Moors. Three kings of the Christian kingdoms allied themselves, and according to the chronicles, all was lost in the battle until the three together led the final charge. With this victory, the last Muslim threat was expelled from Western Europe. 

The gem of Burgos

The name is Santa María, cathedral of Burgos. It was consecrated in 1260. Its construction began in 1221, and it lasted half a millennium. This is why here you will find, all mixed in perfect proportions, the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Bishop Mauricio had been instructed to visit the best European cathedrals in order to take a model. He travelled to Reims, Paris, Amiens, and brought back some of the best artists of the time. I leave you here a video so you can have an idea of the marvel that awaits you in Burgos… 

Also, if you do not want to miss any details, this private tour will show you everything about Burgos and its cathedral. 

Catedral de Santa Maria de Burgos

Plaza de Santa María, s/n, 09003 Burgos, Spain

The city of Burgos also has palaces, parks… it can keep you busy for two or three days. A fun way to explore it is through this couples’ challenge! Explore Burgos in a unique and fun way with this app-based exploration game. Learn about each other or your relationship as you answer tricky questions, solve creative tasks and explore the area. 

Also, whether you travel light and on a budget because you are doing the Way of Saint James through Castile and Leon or travel and work, Burgos has many places for you to stay. For instance, if you want to stay at the city centre, this apartment is right in the middle of all the touristic attractions. 

Of course, you cannot leave the area without paying a visit to the other jewel of the crown: Atapuerca, Burgos’ cave of wonders.

Sierra de Atapuerca

09199 Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain

Atapuerca 

Outside Burgos, at the end of the 19th century, an English engineer decided to carve off a mountain a huge rail for a train project. Eventually it was not profitable, and he left the tunnel open, like a huge scar on the rock. Years later, tons of fossils started to appear, but nobody paid much attention to them. Until they did, and what they found changed the history of humankind in Europe. Until then, we did not know that hominids, the ancestors of Homo Sapiens, had come to Europe as soon as 800,000 years ago. The Atapuerca caves had been naturally sealed thousands of years ago and therefore they had kept a treasure inside: remains of countless hominids and humans, of all times, together with their tools, remains of the animals they lived with, and so much more. It was so important, in only nine years it was declared UNESCO Patrimony. 

It has been 30 years and the findings have not stopped. They have discovered new human and animal species, very ancient tools, and everything is there, only 15 kilometres away from Burgos for you to visit!

I hope I have filled every item on your checklist: the crib of our ancestors, a city with history and epic, amazing buildings that includes one of the most beautiful cathedrals of the world. This is Burgos: the Castilian work of art