When you think of holidaying in Spain, you might think of the sundrenched beaches of the Costa del Sol and of fast-paced cities like Barcelona and Madrid… and that’s probably it.
But there’s a hidden Spain around Castilla y León region worth discovering. After landing in Madrid it was just a two-hour drive north to medieval Segovia. I’m not sure what I expected: quaint streets and lots of crumbling old buildings maybe but certainly not fireworks and rock music.
We had arrived right in the middle of Segovia’s Fiesta celebrations and as night fell the Azoguejo Square was the place to be. A stage had been erected and crowds of people lined the streets, while the sight of the moon rising over the city’s Roman aqueduct made for an incredible backdrop.
Rosario Flores, daughter of famous flamenco dancer Lola Flores, was the headline act and watching her perform was mesmerising. She danced and moved around the stage without ever seeming to tire.
The tour started in Azoguejo square where any trace of the previous night’s festivities had been removed. Seeing the scale of the Aqueduct, (2833ft to be exact) which dates from the 1st Century and learning that it had been constructed without any mortar to hold the bricks in place is mind-blowing.
We were transported through the ancient streets of the Jewish quarter and finished up with a visit to the Alcazar, an ancient fortress and former royal palace complete with turrets and a moat.
While the Alcazar is beautiful in its own right you really need a guide to make the most of the experience. Lunch in one of Segovia’s best-known and oldest restaurants Mesón De Cánido meant trying the city’s signature dish, baked piglet, which I found offputting until I tasted it: the meat was so tender that it could be sliced with a plate.
Also within striking distance of Madrid, in Rueda is the Grupo Yllera Winery. Founded in 1970 on the ruins of an ancient 14th century winery, the Yellera family have been producing wine for six generations… a die-hard red wine drinker, I came home with a couple of bottles of their Verdejo white wine stashed in my suitcase.
The highlight of the tour of was undoubtedly the trip to the underground caverns that lie beneath the winery, the so-called Labyrinth of Ariadne. The owners have assigned various passageways of the Cavern to their wine and the Ancient Greek Legend of Ariadne and Theseus. Watch out for the Minotaur is all I’ll say.
Venturing into the heart of the region, we arrived in Burgos, which for most people are stop-offs along the Camino, which is a shame as both cities are a destination point in their own right. We were lucky enough to be staying in the shadow of the Burgos Cathedral.
The giant French Gothic structure and UNESCO World Heritage Site is the third largest cathedral in the country and dominates the Santa Maria square.
Burgos is home to one of only 24 Carthusian Monasteries in the world, the Cartuja de Miraflores. It was built by Queen Isabella as a resting place for her parents. The altarpiece which was designed by Diego De La Cruz with some of the gold brought back by Christopher Columbus from the New World has a pretty moving centrepiece.
Unlike the Alcazar in Segovia, Burgos Castle lies in tatters, a parting gift from Napoleon and his men but it’s still interesting and you can even climb underground.
Lunch in the El Cid restaurant was my first taste of one of the region’s signature dishes, Morcilla, aka black pudding cooked with onion and rice. I went off black pudding as a child but found myself craving it when I came home.
If Burgos was relaxing, León was busy. We picked up the pilgrim trail at the city’s Roman Wall.
There are remnants of the city’s past everywhere. Starting off in León’s oldest square, we also took in Casa de los Botines, the Modernist building designed by Gaudi which now doubles up as a bank.
Leon’s Cathedral with its incredible collection of stained glass windows dating from the 14th Century just about gives the Burgos Cathedral a run for its money.
It was the Basilica of San Isadora that really grabbed me though. The church is the final resting place of 11 kings and countless queens in the Royal Pantheon but the real draw is the Chalice of Doña Urraca in the museum, thought by some to be the Holy Grail.
Amid all of the history lies Leon’s contemporary art Museum, the MUSAC, the cuboid building with its multi-coloured windows that pay homage to the Cathedral’s stained glass windows is a work of art in itself.
Dinner in Hostal San Marcos was the perfect way to round out our trip, once a former monastery and now a luxury Parador (state run) hotel you need deep pockets but it’s worth it.
In Castilla y León history and modern life live side by side. Go NOW before it gets discovered.
Travel facts: Return flights Dublin-Madrid start from €115 with Ryanair in September. A double room at the 4* San Antonio El Real hotel in Segovia in September is €85 inc. breakfast. A one-night stay at the 3* Mesón Del Cid hotel in Burgos costs €119 for a double room including breakfast. A night at the 4* Hotel Silken Luis de León in León costs €126.98 for a double room with breakfast.
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