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León (Spain) in Photos

León (Spain) in Photos

León (Spain) in Photos

Leon is a small city in Northwest Spain, founded by the Romans and later the capital of the Kingdom of León. The city was strategic in the Reconquista, the reconquering of Spain by Catholic forces over the Muslim Moors (culminating in 1492 upon the conquest of Granada).

We were meant to spend a week in León. Then Covid hit and we got stuck here. We ended up spending over 3 months in lockdown in León which has given us lots of time to explore this pretty city.

Lots of photos of León in this post.

 

The Streets of León (Spain). Leon Cathedral

 

León Cathedral, officially Santa María de León Cathedral, is the tourist highlight of the city. It is an majestic Cathedral with incredible stained glass windows (a post on the stained glass of  León Cathedral . It’s one of the most impressive Cathedrals in Europe).

 

interior of Leon Cathedral

Leon Cathedral, Leon Spain

 

The Plaza Mayor, León’s main square, is a block from the Cathedral. It was the commercial heart of the city in the middle ages. It (usually) holds markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. During our stay that’s been put on hold…but it’s been interesting to see the Plaza waking up over the last few weeks after months of strict lockdown. 

 

Plaza Mayor, León

Plaza Mayor, León Spain

City Hall in Plaza Mayor, Leon

 



Thinking of moving to Spain? Marta at Balcells Group helped us get our Visas. She’s an immigration expert and will help you with all your Visa needs. More detail here.


 

Calle Ancha is León’s main street in the Old Town, a wide street with lots of stores, restaurants and impressive buildings.

 

Calle Ancha is León's main street in the Old Town

Calle Ancha, León's main street in the Old Town

 

The Barrio Húmedo is the nickname given to the old part of the city located within the mostly intact Roman walls. You’ll find tons of little streets with bars, clubs and restaurants. It’s usually very vibrant and we’re slowly seeing it coming back to life…

 

streets of the Barrio Húmedo, Leon

Barrio Húmedo, Leon. Photos of Leon Spain

The Streets of León (Spain)

 


 

 

Plaza de san marcelo, Leon Spain

Tapa restaurant in Leon Spain

 

 

Related: 16 Parador Hotels to discover in Spain

 


 

 

The Convento de San Marcos is about a 15 minutes walk from the Center. It’s both one of the most beautiful buildings of León and a symbol of the Spanish Renaissance. Today it has a church, museum, and one of Spain’s most famous  Paradors (hotel run by the Spanish state).

 

Convento de San Marcos, Leon, Spain

Convento de San Marcos, Leon, Spain

Convento de San Marcos, Leon, Spain

Convento de San Marcos, Leon, Spain

 

 

 

Next to the convent is the San Marcos bridge, built in the 12th century.

 

San Marcos bridge, Leon, Spain

 


 

 

If you walk across the bridge you’ll get to Parque De Quevedo on the other side. Pretty park with peacocks.

 

Parque De Quevedo, Leon Spain.

 

Also not far from the Convent of San Marcos is the Contemporary Arts Museum (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León).

 

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León

 

Besides León Cathedral and the Convent of San Marcos, the other must see religious building is the Basilica of San Isidoro (Basílica de San Isidoro). Located about 5 minutes walk from the Cathedral.

 

Basílica de San Isidoro, Leon, Spain

Basílica de San Isidoro, Leon, Spain

 

Roman stone walls still surround parts of the city (see the map I include at the bottom). 

 

Roman stone walls. The Streets of León (Spain)

Roman stone walls. The Streets of León (Spain)

Roman stone walls. The Streets of León (Spain)

 


 

 

León’s old town has a lot of pretty squares. Our favorite is the Plaza del Grano.

 

Plaza del Grano. The Streets of León (Spain)

Plaza del Grano. The Streets of León (Spain)

 

The Casa Botines is one of León’s most interesting buildings (on the left, located next to the beautiful Palacio De Los Guzmanes). It was designed by Antoni Gaudi and built in 1891.

 

Casa Botines. The Streets of León (Spain)

Casa Botines. The Streets of León (Spain)

 


Some more photos to get a sense of León

 

The Streets of León (Spain)
The León sign next to the cathedral

 

The Streets of León (Spain)
old door on typical street of the Barrio Humedo

 

Leon Cathedral at night
León Cathedral at night

 


 

 

Avenida Ordoño II, the main street in Leon
Avenida Ordoño II, the main street in Leon leading from the train station to the Old Town

 

dog licking ice cream in Leon Spain
waking up from lockdown…dog eating ice cream

 

The Streets of León (Spain)
Fountain on Plaza St. Isidoro

 

The Streets of León (Spain)
Hospital (right behind the Cathedral)

 

Leon Cathedral, one of the most beautiful in Spain
another angle of León Cathedral

 

Old city gate (Arco de la Cárcel) near Basílica de San Isidoro, Leon Spain
Old city gate (Arco de la Cárcel) near Basílica de San Isidoro

 

details at The Convento de San Marcos
details at The Convento de San Marcos

 


 

 

Plaza de la Inmaculada, Leon, Spain
Plaza de la Inmaculada

 

Plaza Mayor, Leon Spain
Plaza Mayor. Since lockdown ended it’s been buzzing (mostly young people though..)

 

Plaza de Santo Domingo, Leon, Spain
Plaza de Santo Domingo

 

The Streets of León (Spain)
The square in front of the Cathedral

 

León Cathedral interior
León Cathedral interior

 

 

Map of Leon, Spain
Map of León (click to enlarge)

 

Much more detail here: Highlights of a self-guided walking tour of León

 

León is an attractive city. As a tourist, 3 days will allow you to see and explore everything. We’ve been here 3 months and honestly León has been the perfect place to be in lockdown: it’s a relaxed, pretty city with lots to see within walking distance and we’ve been blessed to meet very nice people (including our Airbnb host Mariateresa) who have been very welcoming and accommodative. 

 


 

 

Related: Andalusia’s underrated city: Jaen

Related: Segovia, Ávila, or Salamanca?

Related: A Travel Agent’s guide to the Best of Spain

 

Ps. If you find our blog helpful, please consider using our links to book your flights, hotels, tours, and car rentals. Have a look at our Travel Resources page.

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Filed Under: LATEST POSTS, SPAIN

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patti

    June 29, 2020 at 2:34 am

    Your photo with the fountain and a tree on each side…. in that square is a lovely convent/hotel. We stayed there for 4 nights while walking the Camino. That view was our view from our room. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      June 29, 2020 at 2:13 pm

      It’s the Plaza de Grano, our favorite square and only about a minute from our apartment.

      Reply
  2. Gilda Baxter

    June 26, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    Frank, we missed out on visiting Leon last year, when we did a motorhome tour of Spain and visited some nearby cities. I think we will need to go back to this area and visit Leon, it really looks so pretty. It is such a shame that tourism has taken a big hit in places like this, but I hope they will be able to recover soon. Would you guys consider living in Leon? Would it make a good home base?

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      June 27, 2020 at 1:30 am

      Nice place to visit Gilda but just can’t see us living there, mostly because there’s no mountains or sea in the immediate vicinity. I just need something to look at:)

      Reply
  3. Andrew Boland

    June 24, 2020 at 1:43 am

    wow it really is a very attractive town! Thanks for sharing the pics they are fab.

    Reply
  4. Ying & Brad

    June 22, 2020 at 11:47 am

    Wow, I feel like I have just been taken on a tour of Leon! Very good photos and detailed descriptions, again really appreciate the effort you put in Frank! We’re planning to go back to Spain in the near future and will include Leon in our itinerary.

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      June 22, 2020 at 4:59 pm

      Thanks for the comment. Leon very different from Southern Spain in the architecture, the cuisine and the weather (we’ve had pretty cool weather until this week…which has gotten very warm). We had hoped to visit Oviedo and Gijon but we just aren’t in the travelling around mindset right now. When we come back…

      Reply
  5. Anita

    June 22, 2020 at 10:33 am

    I spent several days in Leon last year and fell in love with the city. There is indeed a lot to like about it as it’s a very walkable city with a wonderful sense of history and magnificent buildings as your photos show. It looks like things are still pretty quiet there (as they are here even with the relaxing of the lockdown regulations) as I remember the streets teeming with people in early June when I visited there. How nice to explore and take pictures without having to deal with the crowds. Keep well and enjoy your time exploring Spain!

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      June 22, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      It’s hard putting in context how “quiet” it is not having been here during normal pre-covid times. There are so many bars and restaurants in the old town (many still closed) that you wonder how they can all survive.
      Sadly, there are a lot of for sale and for rent signs. I don’t know how good the economy was before…but I think the virus might have been the last straw for a lot of people.

      Reply

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Hi! We are Frank & Lissette from Canada. We sold our home in 2014 and have been travelling the world ever since.

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