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Autonomous Region of Castilla y León |
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 Winter grips the countryside in a fist of steel, while summer burns the dry plains with a heat that can turn the very rocks to dust. The climate of Castilla y Leon has been likened, along with the immensity and uniformity of the rolling plains, as ‘unforgiving’.
In reality, although the winters are cold, long autumns turn the countryside into a cascade of colour while winters are rarely so cold as to prevent optimistic enjoyment.
Here is the heart of Spain, the geographic and, since Felipe II moved the Spanish Court here is 1561, the administrative centre of a vast former empire and seat of the modern day national government.
The autonomous region of Castilla y Leon is made up of 9 provinces all of which are major industrialised centres and all of which possess archaeological and artistic wonders; punctuation marks in time that stand in mute testament to the hopes, fears and genius of civilisations long since relegated to the dusty pages of history.
 Castilla y Leon has many wonders to delight the senses. The soaring gothic towers of Burgos cathedral, the home place of the fabled El Cid – renowned warrior of the Reconquest. Valladolid with its sombre cathedral and industrialised heartlands has several attractive churches that exemplify the Plateresque style.
Segovia, with its spectacular Roman aqueduct and fairytale castle is the the crown jewel of the province of the same name.
The castle, or Alcázar, has been reconstructed to its original splendour after it was destroyed by a fire. Contemporary builders used the opportunity to incorporate many of their own ideas based on tastes and styles of the late 19th century. The result is a wonderful construction of spinneret towers and crenulated walls that dominates the skyline and from which spectacular views of the Sierra de Guadarrama can be admired.
The Roman aqueduct is tangible evidence of the genius of their engineers; its 165 arches rise to 29 metres above the town and its immense granite blocks are held together with nothing but the strength of imagination and gravity.
 Ávila, capital of the province of the same name, possesses pristine city walls dating back to medieval times. The city lies about 113 km to the northwest of Madrid and is the highest city on the Iberian Peninsula.
Ávila typifies many of the towns of Castilla y Leon. This is a land that has been fought over during centuries by the Christians and the Moors and many towns and villages still retain their forbidding fortifications; stark memories of wars of deadly attrition that are now mere picturesque reminders for the curious.
To the south of Ávila province are the Sierra de Gredos, rich in uncontaminated air, alpine villages and, in winter, ski slopes. The natural park is one of incalculable importance to indigenous species of flora and fauna.
 Salamanca, an ancient university town, constructed in sandstone with golden hues, is of immense symbolic importance, not only as a seat of learning but also as a turning point in the Reconquest of Spain by the Christians from the Moors. The city was definitively recaptured from the Moors in 1085 whereupon the victorious Christians built many churches to the glory of their god.
Leon lies at the termination of the Cantabrian Mountains, whose forbidding bulk separates it from Asturias and Galicia further north. As with all cities in Spain, Leon is steeped in history.
Its cathedral, begun in the mid 13th century is a fabulous mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles, and its 1800m2 of stained glass windows sheds dappled patterns of sunlight onto the ancient final resting places of warriors of the Reconquest.
The old city, surrounding the Plaza Mayor, comprises narrow cobbled streets that are home to an active and innovative latter-day café culture.
Castilla y Leon is not only the heartland of Spain, it is a treasure trove of experiences waiting to be discovered. History can almost be felt here and the food and wine simply has to be tasted to be believed, no book or description could possibly provide complete and full justice to their excellence.
More information:
http://www.turismocastillayleon.com
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 18 September 2008 )
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