Burgos is approximately two and a half hours by car, north of Madrid. It’s an easy drive and also easily accessible by train, with the train station being quite close to the town centre.
It’s a lovely city with many historical landmarks, the most important of which is the Cathedral of Burgos (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The cathedral is Gothic-style and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It holds many interesting sculptures and artworks and also the tomb of El Cid. Admission price includes a commentary phone, which gives detailed explanations and descriptions of the cathedral history, architecture, interior and artworks.
We stayed at the NH Collection Palacio de Burgos. This hotel is set in a beautifully renovated Gothic building and is very centrally located — only five minutes walk to the cathedral and Burgos central.
Tapas are popular in Burgos but I have to admit, I wasn’t a big fan of the selection. There seemed to be a lot of morcilla (blood sausage) and anchovies, neither of which I eat (but that’s my personal taste). We were given two tapas bar recommendations close to the cathedral: La Favorita and La Boca del Lobo. These were obviously popular local choices as they were VERY busy. We did try the tapas at Del Lobo, they offered a wide variety and were very tasty.
The food in general in Burgos seemed to be a little expensive (hamburgers from approx. 18 € to 26€) but the wine was very reasonable. Unfortunately, due to dire hunger circumstances on Saturday we ended up eating in one of the few restaurants that were not busy. I was served frozen chicken (that appeared to have been pre-cooked/roasted and then frozen but not defrosted properly!) and it was quite frankly, awful! The staff didn’t charge me the 18 € for my “dish”!
The following day saw Burgos redeemed when we ate at Casa Azofra. The house speciality here is Cordero Lechal Asado and it was delicious! Served with a crisp salad and a lovely house red — I highly recommend it!
We only spent two days in Burgos but we plan to return and take more time wandering around this lovely historic town. This is a great weekend place to visit that’s not too far out of Madrid.
