Top León Attractions
- La Catedral / Cathedral
- Real Basílica de San Isidoro / Saint Isidoro Basilica
- Hostal de San Marcos / San Marcos Pilgrims' Hospital
- Casa de Botines
- MUSAC / Museum of Contemporary Art
- Plaza Mayor / Main Square
- Palacio de los Guzmanes / Palace of the Guzmanes
- Museo de León / Museum of León
- Plaza de San Martín / Square of Saint Martín
- Barrio Húmedo / Wet Quarter
Top Festivals
Semana Santa / Holy Week
León immerses itself in ten days of religious fervor, dramatic displays and Holy Week celebrations as 16 hooded brotherhoods process through the city accompanied by music, thousands of onlookers and beautifully decorated floats.
Fiesta De San Juan Y San Pedro / Feast Days of Saint John & Saint Peter
In June, León gears up to celebrate the back-to-back feast days of its two patron saints. It's easily the city's largest celebration, with plenty of music, fireworks displays and generaly merrymaking.
Food & Drink
León's gastronomy can be classified as countryside cuisine, the result of cold winters and a historically rural lifestyle. Cured meats and roasted anything are extremely popular, as are a wide range of very hearty dishes, which were meant to give land workers energy and warmth to work outside on even the coldest days. Chickpeas, peppers, leeks and beans make their way into many of the local specialties. While in León, be sure to try:
- cecina - cured, smoked beef
- morcilla - blood sausage
- cocido leonés - boiled dish of meat, vegetables and chickpeas
- sopa de ajo - garlic soup
- lechazo asado - roast lamb
- cochillo - roast suckling pig
- mantecadas - a sweet pastry
León also has a fantastic tapas culture. The top spot for "el tapeo" (basically bar-hopping for tapas) is the Barrio Húmedo, an astmospheric section of the old quarter packed with tapas bars. What's more, in León - unlike most Spanish cities nowadays - a heaping plate of tapas is usually free when you order a beverage, making tapas an inexpensive option for filling up and trying regional specialties.
Weather
León has a Continental Mediterranean climate, essentially meaning that it has characteristics typical of both a Continental and Mediterranean climate. For example, its irregular rain patterns concentrated mostly in fall and spring, are typical of a Mediterranean climate, while the cold, dry winters and warm summers are more typical of a Continental climate. Winters are cold and dry with occasional snowfall and its coldest month, January, has an average high temperature of 7ºC (45ºF). The warmest month, July, has an average high temperature of 27ºC (81ºF).
Getting There
León is a central transportation hub for northeastern Spain, as routes to Asturias and Galicia pass through León.
By plane
León has a small airport is situated roughly 6 kilometers from the city and offers connections to Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and Valencia, with additional flights during summertime to the Canarias and
By train
León's train station (Calle de Astorga) connects the city with numerous regional and national destinations, such as Oviedo, Valladolid, Burgos, Madrid, Alicante, Gijón, Vigo, Bilbao and Barcelona.
By bus
The bus station in León (Avenida Ingeniero Sáenz de Miera) has buses running between numerous regional and national cities, such as Valladolid, Madrid, Barcelona, Oviedo, Astorga, Bugos and several others.
Getting Around
Being a small and compact city, León is extremely accessible by foot and hardly requires the use of public transport. However, it does have an urban bus network of 14 lines that cover the city.
Fast Facts
| Population | Approx. 137,000 (city proper) |
| Autonomous Community | Castilla y León |
| People | leonés / leonesa |
| Languages | Spanish, Leonés (dialect) |
| Location | Northeastern Spain |
| Tourist Office | Opposite the Cathedral Tel: (+34) 987 |