Leon - Spain

Leon – Spain

Post published:28 July 2018
Post category:Europe Southern Europe Spain

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The cradle of Parliamentarism

Finally my hands are on the most awaited travel guide ever since I started my blog project. And why is that you might ask? Certainly the answer is direct, Leon is the city I was born, hence why it hosts a special place and meaning in my heart. Of course, I will try to make it one of the most complete too, as are the likes of Madrid, Barcelona or Brussels to name a few of the cities I travel very often. With Leon nowadays, it’s a different story, not only I left to study in Madrid, but then left Spain itself to come to London where I made my living for the past 13 years. Unfortunately, travelling to Leon for a weekend is not possible since there are no direct flights, nor flights to the next nearest international airport at Valladolid where Ryanair scrapped the flights to London long ago. In the other hand, there is really no need for finding a suitable airport nearby, since the high-speed train links Madrid in barely only 2 hours.

Leon is a city of over 2000 years history, and a very very rich past. All started as a small Roman camp and base for farther extend the empire up north towards Galicia and Asturias, but due to an ideal location at what became to be a cross-roads in the north, northwestern of the country, with easy access to the rest of the country, and the newly discovered gold mines Las Medulas, it soon reached the status of a city during the Roman times. This is something quite unknown to most people, however these Roman mines were one of the richest and largest during the Empire, with the gold taken to Rome. The mines are now listed an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and are west of Leon some 130 kilometres, beyond the city of Ponferrada, in El Bierzo region, once so rich through the coal rush years until the industry collapse in the 1980’s.

While you can admire in Leon some of its Roman past, noteworthy the city’s walls, it is not the place you come for this, but instead, to admire its impressive medieval and Gothic architecture. One of the most complete of any city in the country, being its iconic highlight the Cathedral, finest example of French-style classic Gothic architecture in Spain. (more…)

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Leon - Nicaragua

Leon – Nicaragua

Post published:7 January 2016
Post category:Central America Nicaragua

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Santiago de los Caballeros de Leon

Our first day excursion while in Nicaragua and after visiting its capital city Managua the previous day. The historical and colonial city of Leon, named after the city of the same name in northwestern Spain. It has the largest collection of colonial architecture in the country, yet only for its size being the second largest city in the country. For instance, once you visit Granada you will see that appears to be more colonial structures there than in Leon. Nevertheless, both cities are the masterpieces in Nicaragua, and both as impressive with their own character.

For churches and cathedrals Leon has no rival. It has the largest number of any city in Nicaragua, and majority of any other city across Central America excluding Guatemala. But the current location of Leon is not that of the first original settlement founded in 1524 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba 30 kilometres to the northeast. The archaeological remains of Viejo Leon as it is known the original settlement are an UNESCO World Heritage Site for being the only Spanish colonial settlement that was never expanded, changed nor developed since its creation. After only 86 years since it was built, the nearby Momotombo volcano and earthquakes destroyed it. A rebuilt would have been not optimal for the proximity to the volcano and possible repeated catastrophe, hence the decision for building the new city farther to the west on a much secured location.

As you might know by now, Managua like any other Central American country lies in the Ring of Fire, with many active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. And as I briefly described in the travel guide for Managua, the most recent and catastrophic earthquake flattened Managua in 1972. Thankfully the decision for the new emplacement of Leon has secured it through the centuries coming to our days almost intact and with more than 75% of its original colonial architecture. (more…)

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Astorga - Spain

Astorga – Spain

Post published:12 June 2010
Post category:Europe Southern Europe Spain

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Asturica Augusta

Continuing on this holidays in Spain we decided to spend the day in Astorga, just 52km way from Leon. A major point along the UNESCO World Heritage Site listed Way of Saint James, it comes next after Leon and middle way to Ponferrada, the next important stop along this pilgrim way. Listed as Spanish Historic Heritage site, it is well known for being the city in Spain with the best preserved Roman sewers. These are so good in state after 2000 years that are still in use today.

It was a key city during the Roman empire due to the gold mines not far towards Ponferrada to the north west of Spain, still in the region of Leon, known as Las Medulas and listed an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Being one of the largest in production, they provided to the capital of the empire, Rome, with all the gold mined here. The streets follows the original Roman pattern and since the historical city is inside the walls, it is very simple and easy to walk around without need for any map or getting lost.

But the city is not only important for its Roman origins and remains, but also for being one of the very few places outside of Barcelona where Antoni Gaudi designed one of his works; and incredibly enough for this rarity, the province of Leon has 2 of his works, with the second one in the city of Leon itself.

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