With around 140,000 inhabitants, León city (Castile and Leon region) has a lot to offer its visitors, such as its Cathedral the most remarkable building of Leon, The Roman Walls, Basilica of San Isidoro, San Marcos monastery, the Old Town, and many more.
Leon Cathedral: Saint Mary Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María)
Saint Mary Cathedral, called the Pulchra Leonina, in León, was built on the site of a previous church between the 13th and 15th centuries in Gothic style, being really one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Spain and Europe it is considered to be a Gothic masterpiece. In fact, its more than 125 colorful stained glass windows and its three large stained glass rose windows are viewed as some of the finest stained glass windows in the world ( dating between 13th and 15th centuries). Either way, visitors will enjoy the colorful stained glass windows more if they stare at them inside the Cathedral when the sunlight shines through them. It is a must-see place.
The Cathedral of León has three facades, west, north and south; the west one is the most imposing facade with its three wonderful portals, two bell towers and one clock tower with its large stained glass rose window on the front of the facade. Moreover, inside the Leon Cathedral, which has three naves, interesting chapels, a stunning choir stalls from 15th century; a cloister (13th-15th centuries); a beautiful altarpiece from 15th century in the main chapel; the fine mausoleum of the king Ordoño II (13th-15th centuries), beautiful paintings, sculptures and artworks among others. Therefore, a must for tourists who arrive in León is to visit it. By the way, the local people must feel very proud to have this outstanding Cathedral.
On the other hand, if people are quite interested in religious art and culture, we suggest visiting the Diocesan Cathedral Museum, which is in itself worth a visit, has 17 rooms full of artworks, above all paintings and sculptures from the prehistory to the 20th century. Moreover, if tourists have plenty of time we recommend going upstairs to get the clerestory platform in order to enjoy the breathtaking view of the Cathedral, they will probability stay there for 30 minutes before going down the 64 stairs.
The ticket to visit the Cathedral costs between 2 and 5 euros and the Diocesan – Cathedral Museum costs about 5 euros. The Cathedral and the Diocesan Museum both of them are located in the Regla square.
More places to visit in Leon city
– What to visit in Leon city: A brief guide with the more visited places in the city.
– Castile and Leon: Read here the best places and cities to visit in this region, as Salamanca, Burgos, or Segovia.