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Santander is a surfer’s paradise, its numerous found in the Cathedral, dating back to the thir-
Religious Tour beaches overlooking the ocean, give the image of teenth century. Gothic in its genre, it is dedicated
to the Virgin Mary, and numerous gaudy stained
a city similar to those of Ireland or Scotland.. The
of North Spain Palacio de la Magdalena has the characteristic glass windows that tell the story of the Old Testa-
6 days T-shaped plan and is made in a union of different ment are spectacular within the main nave. Then
styles reminiscent of France and England. Today
we move on to visit another religious building:
it holds the record as the most visited place in the the Real Basilica of San Isidro, built in the 11th
1st Day: Bilbao, capital of the Basque Country city. At the top, on a promontory you can see the century, frescoed in memory of the Sistine Chap-
Arrival in Bilbao by plane and departure to vis- Lighthouse, famous is also its park The Parque de el, where the rulers of the Leon rest there and
it religious Bilbao. First stop at the Cathedral of La Magdalena which extends over an area of over where the remains of San Isidro were buried,
Santiago de Compostela. Located in the heart of 300,000 square meters at the end of the penin- a great literary exponent from the 6th century.
the historic center, it stands along a section of sula de la Magdalena. Do not miss the covered Then you arrive in the Plaza Mayor, baroque and
the Camino de Santiago, and is in the Gothic / market, Mercado de la Esperanza, where you can majestic. The town hall stands there; nearby we
medieval style. In addition to the main portal, to find fresh fish, fruits, vegetables but also honey also find the Palazzo del Conte Luna with Gothic
the north we find the Puerta del Angel, entrance and cheese. architecture mixed with the Moorish one. Gaudi
to the cloister. The interior has three naves di- also built a building there: Botines house, mod- Business Proposals in Spain
vided by columns. There are several chapels. At Curiosity; The city center is modern since it was ernist and neo-medieval. The Barrio Humedo,
the end of the visit, going on foot, you can visit rebuilt after being destroyed by the terrible fire full of narrow bars and restaurants, encloses the
the church of Saint Anton, in Renaissance style in 1941 that erased most of the medieval quar- Medieval Leon.
with a rectangular shape, bell tower and a single ter (37 whole streets on an area of 14 hectares).
large nave, to which two others were added. Af- This fire is known by the inhabitants of Santander 5th Day: Leon - Carrion de los Condes - Burgos
ter the lunch based on pintxos, it will be the turn with the nickname “El Andaluz” (the Andalusian) 180 km
of the visit of the church of San Nikolas, in honor because it broke out in Cádiz Street and ended in Depart to Burgos with a stop in Carrion de los
of Saint Nicole of Bari. Square plan in the shape Seville Street. Condes. This last small medieval village, which
of a Latin cross, it has a central dome and sev- has always been an important stop towards the
eral chapels, in Baroque style, built in ‘ 700. Not Camino di Santiago, has 9 churches and 5 con-
far away, always reachable on foot, there is the 3rd Day: Santander - Santillana - San Sebastian vents: the famous Convent of Santa Clara where
church of San Francisco de Asis, suggestive, with de Garabandal - Covadonga - Leon (Km. 308 ) the nuns offer their sweets. Once in Burgos, also
red marble floors. The center of the ancient and About thirty km from Santander we find Santil- this medieval city among whose most important
historic city of Casco Viejo is full of narrow streets lana del mar, a small medieval town, which was monuments we find the Cathedral dedicated to
and restaurants, animated in the evening by fun built around a Monastery in the ninth century the Virgin Mary and Unesco heritage. It was the
and where it could be easy to meet pilgrims where the remains of the Juliana martyr rest- birthplace of the famous medieval leader Cid
who are walking the Camino del Norte towards ed, hence its name. The village is quiet with its Campeador, buried under the cathedral. Plaza
Santiago de Compostela. Bilbao also shows an wooden houses, stone streets and many handi- Mayor is full of characteristic restaurants, bars
ultra-modern and avant-garde side, in constant craft shops. The town is famous for the Caves of and shops. Don’t miss the visit of the Castle and
evolution. The emblem of this side is the Gug- Altamira, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its belvedere.
genaheim museum, part of the Guggenheim called the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric times, Curiosity: It is said that among the ruins of the
foundation, rich in contemporary, European and with the ceiling painted 20-30 thousand years Goceano Castle in Burgos, there is a ghost of a
American but also Spanish works of art, almost a ago in prehistoric times. Do not miss a visit to the medieval knight, such Don Blas of Aragon, a ter-
futurist boat. Masterpiece of the architect Frank church dedicated to Juliana of Nicodemia, mar- rible being who seems to guard a a treasure that
O. Gehry, it hosts thousands of visitors from all tyred in Turkey and then transported by monks cannot be find.
over the world: a city little visited by tourists un- in the ninth century to Santander. After a short
til a few years ago, it owes its increase in recent stop for lunch based on typical dishes such as 6th Day: Burgos - Bilbao 155 km
years to the museum, inaugurated in 1997! cocido lebaniego and montañes (boiled meat Depart for Bilbao and return back by plane.
Curiosity: The original Basque language name of chickpeas and cabbage) without forgetting then
the city is Bilbo. the Arch Angel Michael and the Virgin Mary have
appeared repeatedly to 4 children between age Santander
The city is divided into 8 districts (districts) and 11 and 12 in 1961, leaving them messages and
has 18 parks! prophecies. At the end, departure for Covadon-
ga, in Asturias.This town is a place of pilgrimage
60 tons of titanium, normally used for aircraft for its ecclesiastical complex that rises in the Pi-
construction, was used to build the facade of the cos National Park of Europe, between forests and
Gugggenheim museum. mountains. The sanctuary is made up of the grot-
to, inside which there is a chapel with the ‘altar of
A few km from the city center, there are several the Virgin, The image of the Saint has the Child in
beaches whose sea with crystal clear waters is her arms and in her right hand a very suggestive
extremely clean. gold flower and for this reason today Covadonga
is a great place of pilgrimage. Then there is the
In Spain you eat the tapas, while in Bilbao the Basilica in neo-Romanesque style. Departure, at
pintxos please! the end, for Leon
Curiosity: Santillana is known as the country of
2nd Day: Bilbao - Santander 100 km the 3 lies: its name does not derive from a saint 297
Depart for Santander with a short stop in Portu- (Saints), nor from a plain (llana), nor from the sea
galete. This town is a stop in the Camino del Norte (Mar) although it is nearby
and is the next one in Bilbao. Very nice it is its me-
dieval old town; you should visit the Convent of The name Picos de Europa, Peaks of Europe in
Santa Clara and the Basilica of Santa Maria. Once English refers to the first European mountains
in Santander, the capital of Cantabria, we head visible for ships arriving from America.
towards the centre where we find the Cathedral
(Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción) orig- 4th Day: Leon
inally in Gothic style and, after the fire, only the It’s a capital of the Léon-Castile province, a city
Cloister remains. The city does not have many rich in history and culture. It’s a Stage of the
historical monuments because in 1941 a big fire French Camino de Santiago, relevant for the
destroyed much of the Casco Viejo. Today it holds tourists at an international level. The monument
the record as the most visited place in the city. par excellence, the center of Christianity, can be
I luoghi della Fede The places of Faith