Burgos

Burgos is a city in Castile and Leon in northern Spain, with a population of 175,000 in 2023. It's best known for its cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site and stopover on the Way of St. James pilgrimage trail to Santiago. The mediaeval hero El Cid was born near Burgos and is buried in the cathedral. "Burgos" means a fortified village: when founded in 884 AD the Christian warlords of the north were pushing back the Moors, so the region was dotted with forts and castles hence "Castile". This was an independent kingdom from 1065 to 1230 before re-uniting with León, and "El Cid" is the best-known warrior of that period. Throughout the Middle Ages Burgos was a cathedral city and a stopover for pilgrims on the route to Santiago, and it still is. Burgos withered from 1561 when power and patronage ebbed away to Madrid, and in later years all of Spain declined as its northern competitors rose, especially at sea. The industrial revolution largely passed Burgos by, but this means its old quarter has been preserved. The city's importance for trade and pilgrimage is because it's on a plateau between the natural transport corridors of the Ebro valley, draining east to the Mediterranean near Tarragona, and the Douro (or Duero) valley, draining west to the Atlantic at Porto. Burgos stands at 856 m altitude so it has sunny days but is chilly at night.

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Burgos is the starting point of From Brugos to Santiago in three weeks and it’s a stopover point on Saint Jean Pied de Port to Finisterre, The Camino de Santiago in 31 days, The Camino de Santiago in 35 days, The Camino de Santiago in 26 days, Winter route via valcarlos and The Camino Aragonés. You can reach Santiago de Compostela in 22 days and Fisterra in 22 days.