Valladolid

 

 

THE CITY OF VALLADOLID

Valladolid is the capital of the province of Valladolid, and of the autonomous community of Castilla y León. With a population of about 300,000 inhabitants it is located in the interior of Spain, in the center of the region of Castilla y León.

Valladolid began to become important from the 11th century, when Count Ansúrez came to govern the city in the name of the King Alfonso VI. It reached its peak during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs (15th century), when its university became one of the most important in the country. The city also played a leading role in key episodes in Spanish history, being twice the capital of the country, firstly with the King Carlos I (16th century) and later when the King Felipe III came to the throne (17th century). Valladolid preserves an important heritage of monuments in its old quarter, especially aristocratic houses and religious buildings, which are witnesses of the history of the city. Outstanding among them is the unfinished Cathedral, the historical buildings of the University and the National Museum of San Gregorio. The city also preserves houses where great historical characters once lived, like the Cervantes’ house, where the author of Don Quijote lived with his family between 1603 and 1606 and finished his masterpiece, and the Christopher Columbus House-Museum, where the navigator spent the last years of his life.

The Plaza Mayor, presided over by a statue of Count Ansúrez, is right in the center of the city. Being the heart of the city, it is surrounded by many shops, restaurants and bars. It is the perfect place for a walk into the city to enjoy the gastronomy of Valladolid, with its diversity of dishes, meats, fish and craft deserts together with the excellent wines produced in the region. The walker has here a good opportunity to experience the tapas by entering a bar, having a glass of wine while tasting a tapa, moving to the next-door bar and so on.

You can find information about the different activities that are held in the city through this link.

 

 

 

THE PROVINCE OF VALLADOLID

The province of Valladolid also maintains an important cultural legacy in each of its towns and villages. Palaces, noble houses, monasteries, churches, roman paved roads, bridges from different eras and styles, and overall castles (one of the two symbols of the autonomous community of Castilla y León) populate the geography of Valladolid

 

Castle of Peñafiel

 

The province of Valladolid is known worldwide for its wines, and the gastronomy of this land always has the best wine for each dish. The province holds five wine Designations of Origin: Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Cigales, Toro and Tierra de León which produces red, white and rosé wines. Roast young lamb cooked in a wood-fire oven is the unquestionable protagonist of the gastronomy of Valladolid.

You can find more information about the province of Valladolid in this document  and through this link.