Burgos

History

Burgos is the capital city of the province of Burgos. Situated in Northern Spain, Burgos today has a population of nearly 200 000 inhabitants, of which 178 000 live in the city and the rest of them in the suburbs.

Once upon a time, the city had a different name. When the Romans conquered it, the city was known as Celtiberian city, probably because of the Celtic people that lived on the Iberian Peninsula. In the fifth century, Burgos was occupied by Visigoths and later, in the ninth century, by Arabs for a short period of time.

Till the eleventh century Burgos gained great power and became the capital of the Kingdom of Castile. Positioned at the center of trade between the Bay of Biscay and the south of the country, it attracted many merchants, foreign and domestic and many pilgrims.

Many battles throughout history took place on the territory of Burgos – battle between Castile, Aragon, León and Navarre, war with Napoleonic France and Carlist civil war in the 19th century.

Places to visit

Burgos has outstanding buildings – ancient churches, magnificent cathedral, old monasteries, well preserved walls of the city and famous arc of Fernán González.

Burgos Cathedral is an excellent example of Gothic style. As it was built over a period from the beginning of the 13th century till the end of the 18th century, it displays other architectural styles. This cathedral is the only cathedral in Spain under the protection of UNESCO. Around the cathedral, there are 19 chapels. There are also many works of art to be seen: collection of paintings, sculptures, choir stalls, tombs…

A female monastery was built in the year 1180 by the famous king Alfonso VIII who is known as the founder of the first University in the whole of Spain.

A famous palace Cartuja de Miraflores was at first built as a recreation residence of a famous King and his wife but later on transformed into a monastery. Famous architects and painters of the time worked on the monastery construction.

How to arrive in Burgos

You can arrive in Burgos by bus or train. The city has international bus and railway stations. It houses an airport with regular flights available to Barcelona, Paris and Palma de Mallorca.

With the many efforts Burgos has embarked on to maintain mobility, in 2007 the city won the principal award in Europe connected with mobility. Now they are trying to make the main hub of the city free from any cars and to make public transport 100% clean. And soon, it will be possible to take a bicycle on loan for free.