Castilla y Leon Attractions

Adjoining the cathedral is the Bishop's Palace, a Neo-Gothic building by Antoni Gaudí (1893). It now houses the Museo de los Caminos, with a variety of material on the history of the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela, and also collections of Roman antiquities and Maragato costumes.

32km/20mi north of Palencia on N 611, just beyond the Canal de Castilla, is Frómista, which was an important staging-point for pilgrims on the Way of St James. Its most notable monument is the brick-built church of San Martín (1066), which belonged to an 11th century Benedictine monastery. It is a magnificent example of Spanish Romanesque architecture, with two round towers on the plain west front and an octagonal tower over the crossing. The church of Santa María has a large 15th century retablo.

Astorga, still partly surrounded by walls dating from the late Roman period, is an old-world episcopal city beautifully situated on an outlier of the Manzanal range. Described by Pliny in Roman times as a "splendid city" ("urbs magnifica"), it rose to prosperity and power in the ninth century and became an important staging point on the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela. The Roman walls are best seen from the main road (N VI) on the west side of the town.

In the basement of the building to the left of the Town Hall is the Ergástula Romana, an underground room 60m/200ft long, 10m/35ft wide and 8.5m/28ft high which is said to have been a prison for Roman slaves.

On the Plaza Romana are the remains of a third C. mansion with fine mosaic floors.

In the arcaded Plaza Mayor can be found the 17th century Casa Consistorial. A notable feature is the clock, with two figures in Maragato costume which strike the hour (at present removed during the restoration of the clock).

In the center of this nature park, which lies at heights of between 800m/2,625ft and 2,100m/6,900ft, is the Lago de Sanabria. Among the trees that grow here are Turkey oaks, chestnuts and holly. The fauna includes roe deer and partridges, and the numerous mountain streams are well stocked with trout.