Burgos

Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, near the confluence of the Arlanzón and the Vena rivers and at the edge of the central plateau.

Burgos was settled in 884 by Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, Count of Castile, on behalf of the Leonese monarch. In the 11th century, urban development increased with the installment of a diocese, while the arrival of Frankish foreign elements fostered economic activity. By the 13th century, Burgos had already become the most important trading hub in the north of the Kingdom of Castile, influenced for its strategic location both along the Way of St. James and along north-south trade networks connecting the Castilian hinterland with the emerging Cantabrian port towns. Burgos experienced a long decline from the 17th century onwards.

Burgos became the headquarters of the Francoist proto-government (1936–1939) following the start of the Spanish Civil War. Declared in 1964 as Pole of Industrial Promotion and in 1969 as Pole of Industrial Development, the city has grown since then in terms of economic activity. At the regional level, Burgos forms part of an economic axis together with the cities of Valladolid and Palencia. In 2008, the international Burgos Airport started to service commercial flights.

The Museum of Human Evolution opened in Burgos in 2010. It features remains of the first hominids in Europe, who lived in the area 750,000–800,000 years ago. The Cathedral of Burgos is a World Heritage Site. Burgos was selected as the "Spanish Gastronomy Capital" of 2013.