Portray of the Destination
The city, capital of the province of Burgos, is located in the valley of the Arlanzon River, which is born in the Sierra de la Demanda, a mountainous area located in South-East of the Province of Burgos, and it stretches across the North of Castile and León, dividing the capital into two.
It was founded in 884 by the count Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, under the reign of Alfonso III. At the dawn of the 21st Century, the city and its administrations, via the Burgos Strategic Plan (2001-2015), bet on a series of projects and decisive action-taking lines that will affect its future in the city-planning, economic, cultural and social welfare fields. Expectations are really promising. Three convergent elements distinguish and make the city powerful: its strategic location, the drive of its industrial and trade sectors and the wealth of its Cultural Heritage.
A long historic background has provided it with singular and first-rate quality elements to be discovered by the visitor. It is destined to be a meeting point and a redistributing center of the international scene: hence the priority given to certain infrastructure works such as the ring road, the diversion of the railway or the startup of the Burgos airport, in whose surroundings a large business and transport center will be located, with a techno park and a Europe-projected dry port, capable of organizing the transportation of goods by land and sea via the ports of Bilbao and Santander. The streets of the city of Burgos are full of life. A simple touristic visit will become a truly unforgettable experience.
We would like to thank the "Patronato de Turismo" of Burgos for the pictures provided.
Pictures by Enrique del Rivero.
Geography
The Province of Burgos, in the autonomous region of Castile and León, is located NE of the Meseta -Plateau-, at the crossroads intersection between the latter and the Cantabrian area and the Ebro valley. The Plateau itself comprises only the SW half of the province, a region of barren moorlands and plains, constituted by Tertiary sediments of the depression of the Douro, dissected by this river and its tributaries.
The Sierra is included in the Douro Basin, basically in the Salas de los Infantes, the Comarcas de Villadiego and the Castrojeriz areas, the Alfoz de Burgos in the course of the Arlanzon river, the Tierras de Lerma watered by the Arlanza and the Ribera del Duero -Douro Riverside-, on both sides of Aranda de Duero.
There are three regions in the province: the humid Spain, the Ebro valley and the Meseta -Plateau-, which turns Burgos into a crossroads of various differing landscapes. High mountains, high plateaus or barren moorlands, gorges, corridors, valleys and fluvial countrysides (such as those of Mena, watered by the Cadagua, the Ebro riverside, Douro, Arlanza, Arlanzon and Pisuerga) succeed one another. It has a complex and rich diversity from the morphological and reliefs points of view, in which the calcareous and clayey elements alternate.
The steppe is the natural vegetation of the moorlands, competing with the cereal cultivations in more apt areas. Coniferous forests prevail in the Sistema Ibérico. In the Cantabrian Mounts, the oak grove alternates with the pastures. Mainly, the vegetation consists of juniper trees, oak trees, mastic trees and kermes oak trees and there are also even more important masses of pine, oak, Turkey oak and beech tree forests.
Climate
The climate is continental, determined by the considerable average height (700 m) and the presence of the mass of the Cantabrian Mounts- which stops the Atlantic inflow; temperature decreases with height, hence the highest mountain ranges are covered with perpetual snow areas. Thermal oscillation is about 17º C, winter is long and tough (four months with average temperatures below 6º C) and in the capital of Burgos, located at a height of 856 m, the average temperature in January is 2.5º C; summers are dry and the annual average temperature is 10º C. Rainfalls are scarce and range from the annual 380 mm of Aranda de Duero to the 480 mm of Burgos city, although they increase in mountain areas.
When to go
Since its climate is continental, it is advisable to visit the city during the spring and autumn seasons, when temperatures are mild.
History
Its official birth was certified in 884 by Count Diego Rodríguez Porcelos. Soon afterwards it was granted with the title of city or count's residence, which turned it into an administrative center of a vast regional space which, with count Fernán González unified to give way to the so-called “Great Countship of Castile”, in force until it was raised to the category of kingdom in 1037. In 1035, Fernando I turned it into capital of the kingdom of Castile and Alfonso VI, into Episcopal seat.
In the Middle Ages, the castle rapidly attracted the surrounding population which settled in its most protected and sunny hillside in small groups or first districts of the incipient city: San Esteban, San Román, Nuestra Señora de Viejarrúa and San Martín. The first stores, which announced a splendorous future in this field, were opened.
The last decades of the 11th Century witnessed the establishment of the city of Arlanzon as a prominent nucleus of the Castile and León kingdoms taken as a whole. The 12th Century and the first half of the 13th witnessed an intense urbanization of the plain areas of the South of the city. The wall, raised during the second half of the 13th Century, includes: the castle, on the peak of the hillock; the cathedral and the districts of the fertile meadow, residence of the “bourgeoisie’. Some ancient districts remained outside the great walls. By the year 1200, Alfonso VIII promoted the construction of a monastic complex which brought about, together with its hospital, the districts of Las Huelgas and Hospital del Rey. After the depression of the 14th Century, the Crown of Castile recovered its vigor in the mid 15th Century. The wool trade was favored by national and international circumstances that opened the Flanders borders to the wool of Castile, a factor that favored the cultural and artistic enrichment of the city spectacularly.
In 1575, the city splendor began to fade as a consequence of the court being moved to Madrid and to the wool trade crisis that brought about the decadence of the city until the late 18th Century. The artistic creation drive remained alive only in the interior of the temples. During the last decades of the 18th Century the merchants recovered the Consulate building from its ashes in order to turn it into a nursery garden for economic, social and urban initiatives. Throughout the 19th Century and the first decades of the 20th, the capital of Burgos was remarkably transformed, both in its medieval interior and in its new streets and peripheral promenades. The local bourgeoisie took control.
As in most Spanish cities, the 1960’s were the beginning of an economic and urban development which effects can still be appreciated today. In 1964, the declaration of Burgos as Promotion Pole served for the capital of Burgos to develop with the best guarantees a city could be offered by then. And in the chronological center of the same cycle, the restoration of democracy, solemnly proclaimed by the 1978 Spanish Constitution, represented, for this city as well as for all the other cities of Spain, a golden opportunity.
Traditions
The city maintains those festivities in which the citizens of Burgos are able to show the peculiar, noble and warm character of their people. The celebration of San Lesmes, the Patron Saint of the city, is held on January 30. After the seriousness of the Holy Week, the bustle of the Corpus Festivities, in which small and big Giants accompanied by dancers announce, with their colourful costumes and peculiar dances, the Día del Señor (The Day of the Lord), follow.
The same dances take places on the day of the Curpillos –on the Friday after Corpus-, in the Huelgas district, one of the festivities that maintains the deepest popular feeling of the Burgos citizens. The major festivities honoring Saint Peter and Saint Paul take place in June and are filled with deeply felt ceremonies such as the Flower Offering to Santa María la Mayor, the traditional Cavalcade, the ‘peña’ -folk clubs- parades and the bullfights to finish with the ‘Día de las Peñas’ -literally, the Day of the Folk Clubs- in Fuentes Blancas.
San Antón Abad is celebrated on January 17, when a popular meal based on ‘titos’ (purple vetches) takes place in the Gamonal district. ‘El Obispillo’ (The Boy Bishop) is celebrated on December 28. In coincidence with the Day of the Innocents, a child, dressed as a bishop, takes part in different events.
And besides, the province of Burgos has a long and rich folk tradition which shows in its elaborate regional costumes that are used in festivities, parades and important events of the city even nowadays. The costumes consist of several elements, namely: socks, shoes, ‘pololos’ (typical ancient undergarments), petticoats, ‘manteo’ (long cloak), typical Burgos shirt, ‘justillo’ (jerkin), ‘jubón’ (doublet), ‘chambra’ (blouse), bodice, and ‘armilla’ (corset).
Gastronomy
One of the most renown and tasted dishes is the grilled lamb which, insofar as main dishes is concerned, competes against the ‘morcilla’ (blood pudding). From the first traditional cooks to the professional ones managing the cooking stoves of the most famous restaurants of the city, there has been a great evolution.
While keeping the blood pudding and the lamb as main ingredients, the traditional dishes are also cakes and delicatessen which quality equals that of the nouvelle cuisine. Creative recipes as those of the ‘Hojaldre de Morcilla’ (Blood Pudding Puff Pastry), the ‘Saquitos de Morcilla’ (Little Bags of Blood Pudding), lamb cooked in sugar, ‘escabechados de caza’ (game marinade), foie, etc. without overlooking the “Grandfather’s dessert”, prepared with the typical Burgos Cheese with thin honey layers and accompanied with nuts.
The wine from the Ribera del Duero area of Burgos, a protected Designation of origin which fame is internationally well-known.
The confectionery is excellent here: traditional pastries as the “yemas de Burgos” -a pastry made with egg yolks-. All of that well accompanied by a good wine from the Ribera del Duero. At present, there is a trend towards appreciating original products, something that has brought about the incipient opening of stores specialized in selling typical gastronomy, which are located in areas that are highly visited by tourists and local citizens as well.
Basic Dictionary
Yes:si. No:no. Hello:hola. Good bye:adios. Good morning:buenos días. Good afternoon:buenas tardes. Good night:buenas noches. Please:por favor. Sorry:lo siento. Thank you:gracias. Doctor:médico. Pharmacy:farmacia. Numbers: 1:un. 2:dos. 3:tres. 4:cuatro. 5:cinco. 6:seis. 7:siete. 8:ocho. 9:nueve. 10:diez. 11:once. 12:doce. 13:trece. 14:catorce. 15:quince. 16:dieciséis. 17:diecisiete. 18:dieciocho. 19:diecinueve. 20:veinte. 21:veintiuno. 22:veintidós. 30:treinta. 40:cuarenta. 50:cincuenta. 60:sesenta. 70:setenta. 80:ochenta. 90:noventa. 100:cien. 1000:mil. Days of the week: Monday:lunes. Tuesday:martes. Wednesday:miércoles. Thursday:jueves. Friday:viernes. Saturday:sábado. Sunday:domingo. Common words: big/small:grande/pequeño. Hot/Cold:caliente/frío. Open/Clossed:abierto/cerrado. Good/bad: bueno/malo. New/old:nuevo/viejo. Push/Pull:empujar/tirar. Entrance/exit:entrada/salida. Ladies/Gentlemen:señoras/señores. Far/near:lejos/cerca. Left/Right:izquierda/derecha. Taxi:taxi. Bus:autobús. Meals: Breakfast:desayuno. Lunch:comida. Dinner:cena. Menu:menú. Wines:vinos. Dessert:postre. The bill:la cuenta. Common sentences: Do you speak English?:¿Habla inglés?. I don´t understand:no entiendo. where is it?:¿donde está? How much is it?:¿Cuánto es? What time is it?:¿Qué hora es? Could you help me?:¿Puede ayudarme?
Currency
Euro. It is divided into 100 cents. There are 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5-Euro bank notes. There are eight Euro coins, in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent and 1 and 2 Euro.
Currency Exchange
1 EUR (Euro) = 1.20 USD (United States Dollar), 1 EUR (Euro) = 0.66 GBP (Sterling Pound )
Prices
Compared with other EU countries and perhaps due to its touristic vocation, Spain is one of the cheapest countries for traveling. Obviously, prices vary depending upon the season, since they are higher in summer and lower in winter, that is to say, when they are out of season.
Useful Info
Official nameBurgos
CountryKingdom of Spain
Time Zone+1 GMT
Official LanguageSpanish
Surface area108 sq km
Population172,421 inhabitants
Political RegimeConstitutional Monarchy
Public holidays
January 1: New Year; January 6: Epiphany; March 19: Saint Joseph’s Day; April 24: Celebration of the Castile and Leon Autonomous Region; May 1: Labor Day; June 29: Saint Peter’s Day; August 15: Our Lady of Asunción; 12 de Octubre: National Celebration of Spain; November 1: All Saints' Day; December 6: Spanish Constitution Day; December 8: Immaculate Conception's Day; December 9: Santa Leocadia; December 25: Christmas Day.
Religion
Burgos is mainly Catholic like the rest of Spain, but freedom of worhisp is acknowledged and respected here.
Religion90% Catholics
Arrival / Departure
It is very easy to arrive in the Province of Burgos. Located in the North of Spain and in the northeastern extreme of the Autonomous Region of Castile and Leon, the province of Burgos has a central position in the Spanish territory.You can get here by road, train or flight.
Two railway lines cross the province. The first one (Burgos-Madrid) stretches from Burgos capital heading South, until it leaves the province behind, entering Segovia. The line Madrid-Valladolid-Hendaya that crosses the province in the direction SE-NW is almost perpendicular to the other. In the future, Burgos will offer the high speed railway that will link it with Madrid and France.
The Villafría airport, in the province of Burgos, has a 1,500 meter long asphalt runway and two hydraulic concrete platforms for planes to park. An enlargement and remodelling, both of the runway and infrastructure of the existing terminal is expected soon.
Safety
Taking into account the importance of Tourism for Spain, travelers’ security is a top priority for the country. However, this does not invalidate the general advice tourists are provided with before travelling. Therefore, we recommend that you carry with you just the money you need every time you go out and not all the money you have. Likewise, be extremely cautious in crowded places so that thefts can be prevented.
Visa
Citizens of other EU member countries, Argentina, Mexico as well as of other Latin American countries, or of the U.S. do not need a visa to enter Spain. But, in every case, a round-trip ticket must be presented. Likewise, citizens coming from Australia, Anguila, Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea, Hong Kong, the British Virgin Islands, Caiman Islands, Israel, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Santa Helena, Singapore, Turks and Caicos Islands will not need a visa either, as long as their stay is less than 90 days long.
Clothing
Rules are not too strict insofar as clothing is concerned and they change according to the season, place and circumstances. Spaniards are not used to dressing too formally to go to work or share their leisure time with others; they usually wear comfortable and casual clothes but bearing in mind that warm clothes are essential in January.
Electricity
220V AC, 50 Hz. Normally, sockets consist of two rounded pin plugs.
Radio and Television
The national TV channels are TVE1, TVE2, Antena 3, Tele 5 and Cuatro. Then, you will be able to enjoy the regional ones in Burgos such as: Channel 54 Burgos, Channel 4 Miranda, Channel 4 Ribera, TELEMEDINA - MERINDADES, Channel 4 Burgos ANDA, ONDA LERMA TV, AJUSCO TV.
In the radio stations field you will find: RNE, Cadena SER, Cadena 100, Radio Clásica, Cadena COPE, Onda Cero, 40 Principales.
Telephone
The international dialling code for Spain is 34 while the area code for Burgos is 947. In order to make an international call, you must first dial 00, then the country code and then the telephone number. It is not necessary to dial a special code to make local calls within Spain. Insofar as the mobile field is concerned, the country’s technology is GMS but in many cases it is not compatible with that of other countries.
The most important mobile operators are Amena (website: www.amena.com); Movistar-Telefonica Mobiles (website: www.movistar.tsm.es); and Vodafone (website: www.vodafone.es). You will usually find public telephone booths along the streets that work with either current circulating coins or cards that you can buy in places such as the “locutorios” –facilities where you will find several telephone booths from where you will be able to call using no coins or cards but paying your calls cash once you have made them. In these places, among other services, you can also send and receive faxes as well as find PCs to get connected to the Internet, paying afterwards for having used them.
Police092
Ambulance112
Fire Brigade080
Tourist health care services112
Newspapers and Magazines
Besides all the national newspapers like Abc, El Mundo, El País, Estrella Digital, La Razón and La Vanguardia, Burgos also offers important regional media among which the following are worth mentioning: DIARIO DE BURGOS(www.diariodeburgos.es) and EL MUNDO EL CORREO DE BURGOS (www.elcorreodeburgos.com).
With regard to magazines, you may find the following ones: “Época”, “Semana”, “Interviú”, “Primera Línea” and “Tiempo de Hoy”.
Postal Service
Spain has an efficient postal service. Letter deliveries within Europe often take between three and five days. Certified mail costs 2.5 Euros minimum. Business hours: Mondays through Fridays 8.30 AM to 8.30 PM. Saturdays: 8.30 AM to 1.00 PM. Website: www.correo.es.
You may also request international services such as Fedex or UPS.
You will find the following post offices in the city of Burgos:
Plaza Conde de Castro, 1. Tel.: +34 947 262 750;
Avda. Castilla y León, 46-48. Tel.: +34 947 220 578;
Avda. Eladio Perlado, 53. Tel.: +34 947 470 952;
Avda. Castilla y León s/n, office A/44, A/45 (Alcampo), Tel.: +34 947 241 433 and
Plaza Conde Guadalhorce, s/n, Tel.: +34 947 203 325.
Health Care Services
The Spanish health care system is good. In this regard, there is no alert. The only caution you should bear in mind involves the rigorous sun and its severe effects which can cause sunstroke However, it is worth mentioning that Spain offers an extensive healthcare network. Primary as well as specialized healthcare services are provided in these facilities. The region offers the following healthcare facilities in particular: Urban Healthcare Centers, Rural Healthcare Centers, Hospitals, Women’s Healthcare Units, etc.
Airport
The province of Burgos has its own airport in Villafría and besides, the airports of Madrid – Barajas, Vitoria – Foronda, Bilbao – Sondica and Valladolid are very close. The Villafría third category civil airport is located some 4 km northeast of the center of Burgos (terretory belonging to the municipality, between the towns of Gamonal and Villafría). It is located by the N-1 road, in the kilometre 244.4 from where it has a perfect direct entrance.
Public Transport
Burgos has a complete transportation infrastructure, with good communications by road as well as a railway network. Public transport services are efficient, with a great number of urban bus lines. They cover a vast portion of the Burgos territory and even connect the city with its surroundings. There is an important number of Urban Bus lines that cover the whole city. The Night Service (‘Buho’ or ‘Owl’) operates on Fridays and Saturdays during the whole school season. There is no service during the holidays. You will find the TARJETA MONEDERO, a service that allows you to travel by bus without cash money.
Railway
Burgos is one of the main train regional stations of the province. Address: Plaza de la Estación s/n or Calle Moneda, 21 (ticket sales), city of Burgos. Station Business Hours: Open 24 hours.
Bus
There are many international, national and regional bus lines that connects the Province of Burgos with many destinations.
Urban buses address: Plaza Virgen del Manzano s/n, Tel.: +34 947-288829
Bus station address: C/ Miranda s/n, Tel.: +34 947-288855E- Mail: estaciondeautobuses@aytoburgos.es
Bus lines conveniently located next to the RENFE train station: round trip lines (150 m away from the Station): Line 3 (Juan Yagüe - G3), Line 5 (Barrio del Pilar - G3), Line 7 (Barrio del Pilar - G2).
Car
Burgos is in within the Spanish State Road Network and it is provided with the biggest amount of highways (N-1 road heading towards Madrid, N- 620 road towards Valladolid and Palencia and the N-120 road, Camino de Santiago Highway that links it with Leon) and other motorways (heading towards the Basque Country and La Rioja, Catalonia, Zaragoza and the boundaries of Irún and La Junquera).
Car Rentals
The following are some of the main car rental companies of the city:
EUROPCAR Address: 32 Santa Clara, 09002, BURGOS, Tel.: +34 947-273745, Fax No.: +34 947-273745 , Website: www.europcar.es.
HERTZ ESPAÑA S.A. Address: 5 General Mola, 09002, BURGOS, Tel.: +34 947-201675, Fax No.: +34 947-275228 Website: www.hertz.es.
Ship
Due to its geographic position, it is impossible to enter the city by ship.
Destination Tourism Office in Spain Spanish embassy in the destination Taking pictures See climate
www.worldweather.org
Currency converterwww.xe.com/ucc
A dinnerApprox. 20 to 30 €
A coffee1 €
The Bus0.75 € cents approx.
The taxi1.10 € when the meter starts running (standard), 1.44 € (night), 1.65 € (public holidays)
The train4 € approx., depending upon the destination
