People seem to have cottoned on to this; witness the fact that León is the most visited province of the whole region of Castilla y León (873,964 visitors in 2001). This record is even more impressive if we take the competition into account, for the rivals for the tourists´ attention in this region with World Heritage cities like Ávila, Segovia and Salamanca.

Perhaps Leon on its own would not suffice to fight off such formidable rivals as Salamanca, Segovia, Ávila, Burgos et al, but taken in conjunction with the Picos de Europa, plus El Bierzo, plus Babia, plus Ancares, plus Cabrera, plus Maragatería, etc. etc. its pulling power is second to none. Sights such as the cathedrals of León itself and Astorga, basilicas such as San Isidoro, castles such as the Castillo de Ponferrada, Castillo de Villafranca del Bierzo, Castillo de Valencia de don Juan, Castillo de Grajal de Campos, churches and monasteries such as the Iglesia de Santiago de Peñalba, Monasterio de San Miguel de Escalada; the long distance pilgrimage path, the Camino de Santiago, which crosses towns and villages like Cacabelos, Molinaseca, Sahagún or Villafranca del Bierzo all make it well worthwhile to ponder a long sojourn in the city.

Leon´s notoriously harsh winters makes it advisable to avoid the city in the winter months, unless you are keen to ski or enjoy some of the delicacies of this time of year: botillos (spiced sausage), morcillas (blood sausage), cocidos (meat in a pot)...

Festivals of special interest in the capital are the Semana Santa, declared to be of national interest, and San Froilán (5 October).

A weekend is long enough to reconnoitre the city. If we get there on Friday afternoon-evening we can spend the remaining daylight hours in exploring the area known as Burgo to have a wine or beer with the tapas served up free as bar snacks before tucking into a succulent evening meal. We can choose between restaurants with creative cooking like Vivaldi (Barrio Húmedo) or opt for typical León cooking.

Saturday is sightseeing time. Leon is designed to be strolled through, so leave the car behind. The visit can start at the Baroque-style Hostal de San Marcos, where the writer Quevedo was incarcerated. Also well worth a look is the Basílica de San Isidoro (Sistine Chapel of Romanesque art), the cathedral and the Casa de Botines (by Antoni Gaudí). The visit will probably wind up at about dinner time. Since we are now in the Barrio Humedo, we can sip a few wines before trying out any of the restaurants in the square of this district.

On Sunday mornings the mercadillo del rastro (flea market) is held in the Avenida de Papalaguinda. A whole morning is needed for a proper visit. We are now on the banks of the River Bernesga, a delightful spot for a post prandial stroll on spring and summer afternoons.

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