Courts That Moved On: Spain's Former Capitals
Cities that governed kingdoms and then lost the court. Imperial Toledo, royal Leon and Burgos, the Navarrese capitals, and the seat of Galicia.
- Cities & Villages7
Aragón · Castilla y León · Castilla-La Mancha · Galicia · La Rioja · Navarra
- Trip Anchor1
- Overnight2
- Day Trip1
- Quick Stop3
- The Camino Staging Towns · 5 shared places
- Great Places Without a Car · 2 shared places
- High-Speed Spain: Cities the AVE Reaches · 2 shared places
- Spain's Best Food Cities · 1 shared place
Before Madrid, Spain was ruled from elsewhere. Each of these towns kept the architecture a capital builds and lost the traffic that goes with it, which is exactly why they repay a visit now. Most are a day from Madrid or on the Camino.
7 places
León
A storied city with exceptional cathedral stained glass and a long-standing free-tapas culture.
Burgos
A significant stop on the Camino circuit defined by its grand Gothic cathedral and compact center
Pamplona
A historic Camino crossroads city offering a sophisticated pintxos scene and handsome architecture
Santiago de Compostela
The sacred granite-built pilgrimage destination at the end of the Camino de Santiago
Toledo
A former imperial capital dense with history, medieval lanes, and two historic synagogues.
Nájera
An ancient capital of the Kingdom of Navarre, set against red sandstone cliffs.
Zaragoza
A historic city bridging Madrid and Barcelona, notable for its grand basilica and distinct Mudéjar architectural heritage
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