Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez · CC BY 3.0Provincial capital
León (Spanish:; Leonese: Llión) is a city and municipality of Spain and the capital of the province of León located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, south of the Cantabrian Mountains in between the Bernesga and the Torío rivers. The municipality has a registered population of 122,866, and is the centre of a metropolitan area (including the neighbouring San Andrés del Rabanedo) of around 0.2 million.
Founded as the military encampment of the Legio VI Victrix around 29 BC, its standing as an encampment city was consolidated with the definitive settlement of the Legio VII Gemina from 74 AD. Following a period of political disorganization in the Duero Valley with settlements largely dislocated from emiral rule, León was populated towards 856 by the Kingdom of Asturias. After 910, the Asturian dynasty transferred their political centre from Oviedo to León, which henceforth became the head of the Kingdom of León.
Because of the hosting of the 1188 Cortes of León including a third estate with representatives from cities, the city has promoted the status of "cradle of Parliamentarism" in Europe, backed up by UNESCO and other institutions.
The city's prominence began to decline in the early Middle Ages, partly due to the loss of independence after the union of the Leonese kingdom with the Crown of Castile, consolidated in 1301.
After a period of stagnation during the early modern age, it was one of the first cities to hold an uprising in the Spanish War of Independence, and some years later, in 1833 acquired the status of provincial capital.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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The essentials for getting around León without surprises: how to get there, municipal facts and when it's most worth coming.
Coordinates: 42.5999° N, 5.5718° O
By bus: check the regional bus timetables, they change by season. If you come without a car, confirm the last service back before you leave.
We only list verified numbers. The town hall itself will give you the number of the clinic or the pharmacy.
There are no events in León's calendar yet, so any month works. Ask us about the local festivals: almost every village has one.
Spring
Fields in bloom and good walking temperatures.
Summer
Hot at midday; festivals tend to cluster in these months.
Autumn
Golden light, mushroom season and fewer visitors.
Winter
Cold and short days. Life gathers in the bar and the square.
Keep exploring
