You'll have to check into the Hostal de San Marcos parador to appreciate most of this palatial former monastery, although the historic chapter house and magnificent cloister can be viewed by nonguests. The plateresque exterior is also superb, sectioned off by slender columns and decorated with delicate medallions and friezes that date from 1513. It's particularly lovely when floodlit at night. It was undergoing renovation at the time of research.
Convento de San Marcos
León
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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The cathedral’s striking plateresque southern facade is created from caramel-coloured sandstone with elaborate sculptural detail. Work began in 1471 and…
Nearby León attractions
1. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
0.32 MILES
León's showpiece Museo de Arte Contemporáneo has been acclaimed for the 37 shades of coloured glass that adorn the facade; they were gleaned from the…
0.55 MILES
Abutting the southwestern corner of the Real Colegiata de San Isidro is a fragment of the former muralla (old city wall). The wall dates to the 1st…
3. Real Colegiata de San Isidoro
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4. Real Basílica de San Isidoro
0.56 MILES
Even older than León's cathedral, the Real Basílica de San Isidoro provides a stunning Romanesque counterpoint to the former's Gothic strains. Fernando I…
0.58 MILES
Spread over four floors, the exhibits in this well-presented city museum begin with stone artefacts in the basement, thereafter journeying through the…
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Close to the main entrance into the old town, the ayuntamiento (town hall) occupies a charmingly compact Renaissance-era palace.
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Antoni Gaudí's contribution to León's skyline is the castle-like, neo-Gothic Casa Botines (1893), though the zany architect of Barcelona fame seems to…
0.64 MILES
León's recurring Renaissance theme finds expression in the splendid Palacio de los Guzmanes (1560), where the facade and patio stand out. The latter is…