Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nearby paradors offer unique accommodations for those who prefer to “base”
themselves here. Paradors are historic buildings and palaces that the Spanish gov-
ernment has converted into hotels.
Day Excursion to
Burgos
Home of El Cid
Depart from Madrid Chamartin Station
Distance by Train: 211 miles (340 km)
Average Train Time: 3 hours
City Dialing Code: 947
Tourist Information Office: Plaça Alonso Martinez, 7 Bajo, 09003 Burgos
Tel: 947 20 31 25 or 20 18 46; Fax: 947 27 65 29
www.turismoburgos.org
E-mail: oficinadeturismodeburgos@jcyl.es
Hours: September 30-June 30: 1000-1400 and 1630-1931 daily; July 1-August
31 1000-2000 daily
Notes: To reach the office on foot (about a 15-minute walk), exit the station and
go straight ahead until you cross the Arlanzon River. Turn right and proceed along
Paseo de la Isla Avenue to the arch where the walkway Paseo del Espolon begins.
Burgos is north of Madrid, approaching France, and on the crossroads to Portugal.
Birthplace of the warrior El Cid, Burgos is the capital of Burgos province, one of the
nine provinces of Castile and Leon.
El Cid and his wife, Ximena, are entombed in the 13th-century cathedral, one
of the world's outstanding examples of Gothic architecture. Its twin spires rise to
greet you long before your Talgo train comes to a halt in the Burgos Station.
The nave of the cathedral and the ambulatory and portals of El Sarmental and
Coroneria date from its beginnings in 1221. The latest additions, dating from the
16th century, include Diego de Siloe's Golden Stairs; the chapels of La Consola-
tion, Santiago, and Navidad; and Juan de Vallejo's exquisite lantern.
Burgos was the site where the Castilians initiated their campaigns against the
Muslims to reclaim Madrid in 1083 and Toledo in 1085. In the 20th century Gen-
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