Originally founded as a Roman military base in the first century BC, León has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its place in history as the first established location of a European parliament.  Seeing the architecture in León is like jumping back and forth into different periods of history.  It’s a mix of medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, and Modernist with the 13^th-century León Cathedral being a centerpiece of the old city.  Originally home to second-century Roman baths, it became a palace in the seventh century, and then a cathedral in 1301 with the cloister, north tower, and south tower being added on later.

Like the other towns and cities we had visited, the old town center was an easy and comfortable town to navigate on foot.  I enjoyed our group walking tour and going out on our own to explore further and do photography.

We were very fortunate to have a hotel room that gave us a beautiful view of both the cathedral and Casa Botines lit up at night.  Designed by Antoni Gaudi and completed in 1892, it was originally a fabrics company and then a bank.  Currently, it is a museum dedicated to Gaudi and Spanish art.

Scenes around León over two days:

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Coming up next: SOUTHWEST FRANCE, NORTHERN SPAIN & PORTUGAL #15: Santa Colomba de Samoza