"La Ciudad Azul---The Blue City" Top 5 Page for this destination León by pabertra

León Travel Guide: 139 reviews and 245 photos

Leon is a lovely little town that lies in the north of Spain in the Castilla y Leon region. Represented by images of lions this town is proud of its historical heritage. The city got its name from the word legio, which the Roman Legion gave it in AD 68. Leon was also an important defense point against Moorish invaders during La Reconquista. The town is famous for its cathedral, which is arguably one of the most beautiful in Spain. The interior boasts huge, blue stained glass windows that have earned it the nickname The Blue City. Leon also boasts one of the few buildings, by Catalonian Architect, Antoni Gaudi, that lies outside of Barcelona. Leon has been an intermediate stop on the Camino de Santiago since the Middle Ages and if you pay attention you will see the golden shells built into the sidewalk as you walk along.

Some of the great things about Leon were all the little cafes with vintage posters, the fantastic shopping that abounded, and the completely untouristed market.

Where is Leon?

My Travel Sidekick, Alicia

What made this trip great? Well I met a lovely woman, named Alicia, from Jersey in the Channel Islands months before when I was traveling in Cordoba. We sat and talked for a few hours and really hit it off and exchanged emails. We semi seriously joked about her coming to see me in Salamanca later in the year. A few months down the road and she was in Salamanca visiting me! We made this trip to Leon during her stay and it made for incredible memories! Don't you just LOVE when you meet great people like this? I do and before long I will be on my way to Jersey to visit her!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Lovely, Small, Charming
Cons:Can be brutally cold!

Last visit to León: Sep 2004
Intro Updated Nov 13, 2004
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Reviews (18)

Cafe Stops Things to Do (18)

If you are around Leon in the fall you will undoubtedly need to make several intermediate cafe stops to warm your hands... more travel advice

Vintage Posters Things to Do (18)

Vintage posters abound in this lovely city. This one I spied in a fantastic cafe, however there is a store called El... more travel advice

Distant View of Picos de Europa Things to Do (18)

In the distance from Av. Palencia you can see the Picos de Europa rising majestically. Also along this area is the... more travel advice

Beautiful Building Things to Do (18)

I absolutely fell in love with this building. It is not famous or a main tourist sight, but it captured my eye and I... more travel advice

Comments (7)

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Greggor58 Oct 23, 2010 at 5:11 AM

I thnk Leon has made it onto the "list"...it looks like a really relaxing place to spend some time and soak up some ambiance..
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acemj Jan 16, 2006 at 5:41 PM

Cola Cao sounds great! Looks like it's a lot more than just the cathedral!
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trek06 Nov 22, 2005 at 8:08 PM

Wow, Leon looks like an awsome place to visit. Thanks for sharing.
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tpal Dec 30, 2004 at 10:22 AM

Hi Paige, Leon seems like a very beautiful surprise. Gaudi is one of my favorite architects but this is really unusual for him. I more use to his art nouveau style. Thanx for this...Tom
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jamiesno Dec 16, 2004 at 12:16 PM

Paige pigeons in the street are normal but you found chickens here in Leon! Way to go!! :-)
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gilabrand Dec 7, 2004 at 11:06 PM

I would never know that building was a Gaudi...
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Hosell Nov 28, 2004 at 11:07 AM

Another of your great pages,it seems that you had fun with Alicia visiting Leon!.This cathedral is one of my favorites in my country.I am sure that you needed that Cola Cao visiting Leon on this time!!!! :-)