Burgos, Spain

Burgos is a city in northwestern Spain and is the administrative center of the province of Burgos in the Autonomous Community of Castile and Leon. This is a thriving and extremely conservative city on the way to St. James, located on both banks of the Arlance River. 
Archaeological evidence suggests that the Burgos region was inhabited as early as the Neolithic, around 4500 BC. In 884, King Alfonso III of Asturias, in an attempt to deter the attacks of the Moors, founded a fortress here. Later in 1038, with the formation of the Kingdom of Castile, Burgos was chosen as the capital and remained so until the liberation of Toledo in 1085.
The Burgos Gothic cathedral "Santa Maria", whose construction began in 1221 and lasted until the XV century, is the most famous landmark in the city. In 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of the most prominent Spanish masters take part in the construction. The third largest after the cathedrals of Seville and Toledo, this building exudes unadulterated magnetism as an amazing masterpiece of the late Gothic style.
Numerous sculptures depict Christ on the cross, and Hans Memling with "Virgin Mary with Child" and "Christ on the Column" by Diego de Siloe add more beauty to the interior of the cathedral. Its side chapels and altar are works of art, along with a star-shaped vault and richly decorated sculptural walls.
The monastery of Las Welgas, located on the outskirts of Burgos, was founded by King Alfonso VIII in 1180. It began in the Gothic style and was later completed in almost all architectural styles. 
Burgos is known throughout Spain for its white sheep's cheese and especially for its Morcia de Burgos pork loin. Slightly spicy, its most important ingredient is rice, often confused by foreigners with bacon.