Contenido

La ciudad de Burgos se ubica en el centro de la provincia de Burgos, a al norte de Madrid, en la comunidad autónoma española de Castilla y León. Las coordenadas de la ciudad son latitud y longitud . Su término municipal tiene una extensión de y se encuentra a sobre el nivel del mar según el Instituto Geográfico Nacional, llegando a una altitud de en el vértice geodésico del cerro de San Miguel, que preside la ciudad.

Su privilegiada situación, aproximadamente en el centro del norte peninsular, la sitúa como ciudad de paso obligado de la meseta hacia País Vasco y Francia, además de suponer el punto de partida de dos de los principales accesos a Cantabria.

Relief

Located in a low mountain area, it is located in the confluence area of ​​the Arlanzón River and several of its tributaries. The city is practically flat in the most populated areas, which extend mainly in the plain formed by the Arlanzón and Vena rivers.

Despite this, its municipal area includes low mountain areas, which are mostly hills that do not exceed 80 m above the level of the plain. The city center is located at an altitude of 859 m above sea level, while the altitude of the municipality varies from 827 m in the last section of the Arlanzón River in the municipality, to 997 m to the north, in Las Lomas.[2]​.

Hydrography

The main river axis of the city is the Arlanzón River, which crosses the municipal area from east to west receiving the following tributaries:

• - On the right bank: the Vena, which surrounded the walled fence, the Morquillas that flows into the Vena at Villímar; the Pico "Río Pico (Spain)"), once a tributary of the Vena and until its detour east of Villayuda crossed the old town of Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)"); the Mataperros stream in the San Pedro de la Fuente neighborhood; the Valdecerradillo stream in the Yagüe neighborhood and finally the Ubierna in the Villalonquéjar neighborhood.

• - On the left bank, the Cardeñadió, which flows between the Cardenal Mendoza Institute and the Carmen church (next to the Bessón bridge), the Doradillo stream that flows through Fuentes Blancas and the Valduercos stream at the Villargámar farm.

There are a large number of streams, some of which dry up during the summer, such as the Villatoro stream, which flows into the Ubierna river. Burgos is the Spanish city with the best quality of drinking water, and its supply is found in the nearby town of Arlanzón "Arlanzón (Burgos)"), collected from the homonymous river.[19]​.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, the climate of Burgos is a transitional climate included within the subtype continentalized Mediterranean climate (Cs) or interior Mediterranean climate, with a large thermal amplitude (about 17 °C) between the average temperatures of the warmest summer months (about 20 °C) and the coldest winter months (about 3 °C), a dry season in summer and annual rainfall below the 1000 mm, with an annual average of several years close to 600 mm. The climate variables of Burgos are different from both the typical Mediterranean climate of the Mediterranean coast (Csa) and the south of the peninsula, due to the altitude of the Northern Subplateau with lower temperatures and higher rainfall, and the Atlantic oceanic climate (Cfb), or humid temperate climate, which has abundant annual rainfall (> 1000 mm), without a dry season, and milder temperatures in winter.

However, except for the average minimum winter temperatures, Burgos with its annual rainfall approaches the Mediterranean transitional climate to the oceanic (Csb). The rainiest season is spring while summer is mild and much less humid than in Atlantic Spain. Winters are very snowy and cold, with minimum night temperatures that in cold waves can drop to .[20] Heavy snowfalls are usually common throughout the season, lasting even well into spring. Precipitation follows a pattern very similar to that of the typical Mediterranean climate and is between 400 °C, with a maximum during autumn and spring. The lesser influence of the sea, however, makes it a drier climate than typical.

The climate of Burgos, like that of other Spanish cities such as León "León (Spain)") or Teruel, has temperatures approximately two to five degrees lower than in the rest of the areas with this climate, motivated mainly by the altitude at which the city is located (between 800 and ).

Urban morphology

It is a city with a linear configuration, extended from east to west along the valley of the Arlanzón and Vena rivers, which has an old town with a notable monumental heritage, renovated in the 19th century, but essentially maintaining the urban fabric and its heritage, both architectural and environmental. A group of small towns, the Alfoz de Burgos, which has not yet grown excessively as in the cases of Valladolid, León or Salamanca, surrounds the city.

Shield

The coat of arms of Burgos appears documented since the year 1259, and is described as:[24]​.

On a field of chinople, half the body of a crowned king; the carnation face and square hair as was used and said in the Middle Ages; the gold crown with rhinestones and four acanthus rosettes interpolated with pearls. Purple mantle and above it three castles with three crenellated towers, masonry in saber..

They mean the three castles over which the city of Burgos had ownership and jurisdiction and which were:.

• - Lara, given to Burgos by Alfonso X, in 1255.

• - Muñó, given by Alfonso XI in 1332.

• - Cellorigo, in 1370, by Henry II.

The half-body of the king, which represents Ferdinand III,[25]​ and which already appears in a document in 1259 and which has been called the "Caput Castellae" by the chroniclers, expresses the fact that Burgos is the capital of the kingdom of Castile, a city in which kings were born, lived, administered justice and minted money.

Above the royal body, a silver wall that runs from side to side and rests at its ends on separate escutcheons with gold castles. This wall is loaded on its arch with a barbican and with three towers, the central one of the homage; It is masonry of sable..

It means the land of Castile defended by its castles in all its confines.

At the bell, a royal crown, of the same design as that of the king, proving the permanent rank of the city, mother of kings (quae reges peperit), as we read in the titles of Burgos.

As lambrequins, some bouquets of sinople, fruited in gold and gules ribbons in which are read, in saber, the titles most valued by the people of Burgos: "Caput Castellae", "Camera Regia", "Prima Voz et Fide"...(Head of Castile, Chamber of the King and the First in voice and in loyalty).

Flag

The flag of Burgos is made up of two horizontal stripes of the same width, the upper one red and the lower one brown, with the city's coat of arms centered on it. It was officially granted to the city by Emperor Charles I during one of his visits. As a curiosity, this flag, even though it is of medieval origin, breaks the laws of heraldry. This is so since it mixes gules (heraldic enamel equivalent to red) with fawn (an enamel equivalent to brown only used in England, and which does not obey the seven enamels of the European heraldic tradition). Therefore, an unusual exception in medieval flags.[26]​.

Hymn

The hymn to Burgos was composed in 1926 by the Burgos musician Rafael Calleja Gómez, with lyrics by Marciano Zurita. It is sung every year during the city festivals, in front of the Santa María arch.

Securities

The historical succession and the reason for the titles of the "Very Noble, Very Most Loyal and Very Beneficial City of Burgos" are:[27]​[28]​.

• - Noble City: It already appears in the documents of Alfonso X as a traditional title. In fact, in the documents from the time of Alfonso X and Sancho IV it appears as the City of Castile, and not just the City of Burgos.

• - Very Noble City: Granted by Fernando IV for his fidelity during his minority against the claims of the Infantes de la Cerda.

• - Very Loyal: Granted by Isabel I for her support against the supporters of Juana la Beltraneja, who owned the Burgos Castle, and had conquered it after a tough siege.

• - Very Most Loyal: Awarded by Charles I for defending the city of Pamplona with men and weapons against the French invasion of 1521-1523, and subsequently participating in the recovery of the Fuenterrabía fortress "Siege of the Fuenterrabía fortress (1521-1524)").

• - Very Beneficial: Granted during Franco's dictatorship in 1952.[29]​.

Shield titles

• - Caput Castellae: Head of Castile, as the main city and capital of the County of Castile and the kingdom later.

• - Camera Regia: King's Chamber, because it is the city where kings and queens were born and lived and from here, they administered justice, minted money, etc.

• - Prima Voz et Fide: First in voice and faithful. The representatives of Burgos were the first to speak in the courts and to sit first on the right of the king.

Other titles

In the old shields of the city, and in the current medals of the mayor and councilors, the legends that border the city's shield appear, to which is added the traditional phrase, in Latin and used by the city since the Middle Ages:

"Civitatis quae reges peperit regnaque recuperavit": "City that saw the birth of kings and recovered kingdoms." The first part refers to both the Counts of Castile and the kings who were born in the city, while the second refers to Burgos as the head of the kingdom that recovered other kingdoms for Castile and Christianity.[30]​.

The City Council of the city of Burgos has the treatment of Most Excellent, granted by Isabel II in 1855.[27]​.

Prehistory

The Arlanzón valley shows human occupation since ancient times. Just from the town center are the Atapuerca sites, considered the birthplace of the first European. Human remains have been dated to more than years old in the sites of the Sierra de Atapuerca. According to archaeopaleontological research, to date there are human bone remains of four different species: Homo antecessor (Lower Pleistocene), Homo heidelbergensis (Middle Pleistocene), Homo neanderthalensis (Upper Pleistocene) and Homo sapiens (Holocene), which correlates with the geospatial analyzes of settlement distribution carried out in the basin of the Arlanzón.[8]​[31]​[32]​.

In the city of Burgos there was also an important settlement from the Bronze Age to the First Iron Age on the Cerro del Castillo and Cerro de San Miguel, in addition to some Celtiberian evidence from the Second Iron Age and Romans, although the latter were very scarce.[7] At the moment, in the castle of Burgos there is only one sequence of radiocarbon dating for the levels from the Bronze Age to the First Iron Age. (sector levels: NX, NXII, NI, NV and NVI), with C dating ranging from 3230 ± 70 to 2400 ± 110 BP.[7]​[8]​[9]​[33]​[34]​ In another updated archaeological work, a new compilation and recalibration of all the radiocarbon dating of the castle was carried out, with the calibration curve Intcal13.[10]​.

According to this study, the ranges of radiocarbon dating recalibrated to probability reveal the existence of occupations from the Early/Middle Bronze Age to the transition to the Second Iron Age. However, although there is no dating for other levels, the work carried out also shows that there are important material remains from the Chalcolithic in El Castillo (Level Recent Prehistory from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not only documented in El Castillo and the Cerro de San Miguel, - as well as in the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca (, Cueva del Mirador and Cueva Mayor) -, but there are abundant sites in the Arlanzón valley, with numerous settlements from the Neolithic (to the millennium), Chalcolithic (millennium) and Bronze Age (millennium).[8]​[9]​[10]​.

Ancient Age

Although there is no evidence of important settlements in the city, there are numerous sites from the Roman era, especially in the areas closest to the Arlanzón River.

A Roman road runs through the north of the city between the neighboring municipalities of Villayerno Morquillas and Tardajos, from east to west. This is the Antonino Itinerary A-34, which linked Astorga with Bordeaux. Currently, confused as a simple rural road, its last remains between the area of ​​Casa la Vega and the railroad detour are in serious danger of disappearing due to urban plans in the area. The best preserved section of this road is located in the municipality of Quintanapalla.

Middle Ages

An Arab chronicle mentions a town sacked in the year 860 called Burchia, which seemed to correspond to the current Burgos, but in 2004 it was shown that the town of Burchia had nothing to do with the current city.[36]​.

Around the year 884, Alfonso III tried to stop the Muslim advance and sent Diego Porcelos to build a fortification on a hill on the right bank of the Arlanzón River. This would contribute to the place growing due to its strategic importance.

In 931, Fernán González managed to reunite the government of the counties of Burgos, Lara, Lantarón, Cerezo and Álava,[n. 3]​ leaving Burgos as the capital of the county of Castilla.

When Ferdinand I was crowned king of León in 1038, forming the kingdom of Castile, Burgos was chosen as its capital. In 1071 Sancho II imprisoned his brother García in Burgos to seize the kingdom of Galicia from him. In 1074 Alfonso VI, king after the death of his brother Sancho, gave up his palace in Burgos for the construction of the cathedral of Santa María. That same year, his sisters, Elvira and Urraca, transferred the diocese from Oca to Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)").

In 1080, Alfonso VI of León and Castile convened a general council of his kingdoms in the city and officially declared the abolition of the Hispanic liturgy and its replacement by the Roman one. After the conquest of Toledo "Conquest of Toledo (1085)") in 1085 by Alfonso VI, Burgos lost the capital of the kingdom of Castile in favor of this city. This did not paralyze the growth of Burgos, where some Cortes would continue to be held. Regarding this city, the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi writes in the century:.

Modern Age

The century was the century of its plenitude for Burgos. Towards the end of the century and the beginning of the century, the city, which had been born in an agricultural environment, turned its back on the countryside and dedicated itself to functions polarized around commerce. It was during the century when Burgos took full advantage of the advantages of its geographical location. In the city, the military conquest of Navarre by Castile was legalized, since the Duke of Alba reported this event on June 11, 1515 in the Castilian Cortes gathered in the city.

At the end of the century a period of decline began for the city. The main causes were not exclusively internal, as they reached a higher category: the Flanders wars, the discovery of America and the centralism of the absolute monarchs, aggravated by the circumstances of the transfer of the capital to Madrid, among others. Local causes also had an influence, such as the famous plagues, which especially punished the city, mainly in the last quarter of the century, decimating its population.

Once the economic and social framework of Burgos was dismantled, the roads and communication routes declined; Burgos entered into great drowsiness and isolation. The crisis is reflected in a document kept in the municipal archive, which says: "The City is so depopulated and without people, that those who exist go to live outside, because they cannot support themselves and the houses and buildings are almost all ruined and on the ground." Burgos remained in this state of desolation until the last decades of the century, when enlightened despotism seemed to slightly renew the city.

An attempt was made to restore the Consulate; The Royal Decree of March 16, 1763 restored the great institution of the Consulate, but a wool monopoly did not make sense in an economy with few exports. In Burgos everything had to be artificially implanted: money, merchants, means of transportation.

From the end of the century and during the century, the industrial promotion measures of Catalonia and the Basque Country by the enlightened monarchs, together with protectionist policies, managed to relaunch the incipient and uncompetitive manufacturing industry by applying tariffs to foreign products. For example, a yard of Flemish cloth went from costing 2 pesetas to 6, so that Catalan cloth that cost 5 pesetas began to be sold throughout Spain and the colonies. This brought with it a response from the English and Dutch, applying the same tariffs, so Castilian wool and grain stopped being sold. Thus, a bushel of Castilian wheat went from costing 10 pesetas to costing 5, also influenced by the emergence of the United States into the global cereal market. Castilla sold its products cheaper and was forced to buy more expensively. The result was a considerable impoverishment of Castile with consequent commercial and industrial stagnation.

The Consulate languished very soon and from 1781 it was oriented towards an Academy of Arts and Crafts and other charitable-cultural activities very much in tune with the mentality of the time. Something similar happened with the Faculty of Medicine, established in the old Concepción hospital "Hospital de la Concepción (Burgos)"), established in 1799, disappearing around 1817. At this time the city underwent superficial urban planning reforms: "The San Pablo bridge, the replacement of guardrails, the composition of roads, the Town Hall that is going to be built in the place of some old and indecent corridors."

Contemporary Age

The remains of El Empecinado are preserved in the funerary monument that was erected by popular subscription in Burgos in the middle of the century. The Spanish War of Independence especially affected the Castilian economy. The harvests of 1811 and 1812 were poor and scarce due to the uncertainty felt by the farmers and that the armies and guerrillas obtained supplies on the ground through requisitions. The lack of subsistence spread hunger and caused an intense mortality crisis in 1812. Not only did agricultural production fall, there were industries that almost disappeared, such as the wool textile industry of Castile, since the flocks of Merino sheep were used to feed the troops.

In addition, there was the looting of many of the works of art that the different religious buildings treasured, such as the Cartuja de Miraflores, the looting and dispersal of remains from the tomb of the Cid Campeador, and other convents that have already disappeared, especially by the Governor of Old Castile, General Darmagnac. The blowing up of the castle in 1813 by Napoleonic soldiers destroyed churches such as Santa María la Blanca "Iglesia de Santa María la Blanca (Burgos)"), as well as a large part of the cathedral's stained glass windows.

During the Spanish Civil War, the city of Burgos was the headquarters of the National Defense Board. The formation of the First National Government of Spain "Annex: First National Government of Spain (1938-1939)") (1938-1939) also took place in the city, during which the dictator Francisco Franco officially assumed the positions of Head of State and Government*.* The Franco government remained in Burgos until October 18, 1939, when it moved to Madrid. On August 9, the second Franco government was formed in this city.

On December 3, 1970, the so-called Burgos Trial took place, a trial against sixteen members of the terrorist organization ETA accused of the murder of three people. The death sentences of six of the defendants were not carried out and were commuted to prison sentences.[37]​.

In the century a new railway station was built in Burgos, located on the outskirts of the city, the old station is currently the children's and youth leisure center La Estación "La Estación (Burgos)"). A new hospital, the HUBU, was also built in Burgos to replace the old General Yagüe that was demolished in 2017.

On July 29, 2009 in Burgos there was an attack on the civil guard headquarters perpetrated by the terrorist group ETA. Fortunately there were no fatalities but there were 65 injured and the building was seriously damaged and had to be rehabilitated. This event was considered a "miracle", in what could have become the largest massacre perpetrated by ETA due to the amount of explosives, the time and the place chosen; since they were homes of entire families who were sleeping at that time.

Ya desde la Edad Media, actuó como un importante centro económico del norte peninsular, centrado en el comercio, sobre todo el relacionado con el de la lana, que tuvo su apogeo en el siglo .

En el siglo , se produjo una fuerte industrialización, culminada con la creación de los grandes polígonos industriales en la década de 1970. El establecimiento del Polo de Promoción Industrial de Burgos, unido a las ventajas de localización debidas a la posición geográfica, facilitaron el desarrollo de la industria, generando un tejido empresarial.

Su privilegiada localización geográfica,[13]​ le ha permitido convertirse en un importante nudo de comunicaciones en el norte de España, tanto de rutas nacionales como internacionales. Estos factores, unidos a un sector terciario desarrollado, con presencia destacada del turismo, la convierten en la 18.ª ciudad en actividad económica de la nación.[38]​.

Es la sede de algunas empresas con la mayor facturación de Castilla y León, como el Grupo Antolin (uno de los mayores grupos empresariales del sector de automoción a nivel mundial),[39]​ y posee fábricas de algunas de las empresas de mayor facturación de España, como Campofrío, San Miguel, Bridgestone, Smurfit Kappa, Matutano. También destacan por su actividad Adisseo España, Benteler España, Quesos Arias, Hiperbaric, Cerámicas Gala, L'Oréal,[40]​ Grupo Cropu, Gonvarri Industrial, Nicolás Correa, Kronospan,[41]​ o la única planta de producción de Ferroli") en España.

La ciudad de Burgos representa en torno al 60 % de la economía provincial y al 20 % de la regional, actuando como un centro económico provincial, que llega hasta incluso zonas limítrofes de La Rioja "La Rioja (España)") o Palencia "Palencia (provincia)"). En la actualidad, el sector económico con más peso es el industrial, aunque el sector servicios cada vez cuenta con mayor ocupación y desarrollo. En 2009, la ciudad lidera el sector de fabricación de piezas para el automóvil en la comunidad, puesto que existen 25 fabricantes que dan empleo a unos 5000 trabajadores.[42]​.

También existe industria química, como el Grupo Adisseo, que fabrica metionina para todo el mercado de Estados Unidos. Esta producción fue asumida en exclusiva en la planta burgalesa en 2012 debido a su alta competitividad industrial.[43]​ En la zona oeste de la ciudad se encuentra la Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre - Real Casa de la Moneda, en la cual se fabrican parte de los billetes de euro que se distribuyen por toda Europa.[44]​.

Primary sector

Although it decreases each year, there is still a large amount of agricultural land in the municipal area, with cereal crops such as wheat for the most part.

There are small farms for the production of eggs "Egg (food)") or milk, most grouped in cooperatives located in peripheral areas of the city.

Secondary sector

Burgos is a diversified city in which the services sector predominates, followed by a diversified manufacturing industry, and which benefits from its good location in certain logistics corridors, with important business activity. The number of work centers reaches an average of 42.9, which places it above cities such as Valladolid, Vitoria, Zaragoza, Seville and the national average, and its per capita income exceeds the national average by 12.5%.[45]​.

It has widely consolidated industrial land, as well as a large future expansion projected in the Burgos technology park and the center of economic activities (CAE).[46]​.

Burgos is considered a city of a predominantly industrial character. The city experienced its first major industrialization in 1964, being one of the cities declared an Industrial Promotion Pole, largely concentrated around the Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)" industrial estate and the Villalonquéjar industrial estate.

In 2007, Burgos employed in the sector (22% of the employed population), becoming the second industrial focus of Castilla y León in absolute terms, only slightly surpassed by Valladolid.[47]​ Its industrial index is higher than that of cities such as Valencia, Bilbao or Seville.

The industrial estates of Burgos bring together around 1,500 companies and their connections are unbeatable, all surrounded like a perfect spider web by the new infrastructure: the airport, the high-speed train and the new roads that circle the city.

It currently has a large area dedicated to industry, distributed between three main industrial estates and other smaller estates:[48]​.

Located northwest of the city and developed in four phases, three of them already consolidated and the last urbanized and with some companies already established there. It has a total of 10 million m², making it the largest industrial estate in Castilla y León,[49]​ where more than people work in 515 companies. The occupancy rate is 75%.

There are companies with a long industrial history, such as the Nicolás Correa Group, whose spin-off, Hiperbaric, is the world's leading supplier in the manufacture of high-pressure equipment for food.[50]​.

In 2014, the city became the southern European headquarters of the company Benteler, previously located in Barcelona, ​​due to the high productivity and efficiency of its workforce.[51]​.

Located to the east of the municipality, between the neighborhoods of Gamonal, Villímar, Villayuda-La Ventilla and Villafría; Well connected, it occupies a gross area of ​​, with 950 companies. The occupancy rate is 97.9%. Important companies such as the San Miguel brewery, Campofrío, Bridgestone, Gonvarri and Matutano (PepsiCo Group) are located there.

Located south of the city, along the A-1, with access from the BU-V-1002 and BU-P-1001 roads. Together with the adjoining industrial estates of Los Pedernales (Villagonzalo Pedernales) and El Clavillo (Villariezo) they together make up more than the gross land.

Tertiary sector

The city has tertiary activities linked to administrative, financial and tourist services, being the headquarters of a savings and credit cooperative (Caja Rural de Burgos). Previously, it was also the headquarters of two savings banks (Caja de Burgos and Caja Círculo), of which only their respective foundations currently remain: Fundación Caja Burgos and Fundación Caja Círculo.

After the mergers of the savings banks, Caja de Burgos is integrated into CaixaBank and Caja Círculo into the Ibercaja Group. The headquarters of the territorial management of Castilla y León and Asturias of CaixaBank is located in the city.[53]​.

The CEEI, European Business and Innovation Center of Burgos, located in the Villafría neighborhood, favors the creation of companies, especially innovation.[54]​.

At the beginning of 2010, the urbanization of the Burgos technology park began, which will occupy a plot of , and will affect two municipal areas, Burgos and Cardeñajimeno. It will become the largest technology park in Castilla y León, and will mainly host technological activities of companies in sectors such as capital goods, robotics, automotive, new materials and agri-food.[55]​.

There are currently two main markets of these characteristics: the North Market in Plaza de España and the South Market, very close to the bus station. In the Gamonal neighborhood there is also another municipal market in the area known as G-9. They are characterized by being made up of dozens of sales stalls that offer mostly artisanal products of provincial or regional origin.

In addition, on weekday Wednesdays and Saturdays, there is a fruit and vegetable market with stalls from local and regional producers.[56]​ The traditional location of this market is in the vicinity of the El Plantío stadium, but due to the works it is undergoing, it has been moved to the Gamonal neighborhood.[57]​.

Currently there are three large shopping centers, located in such a way as to cover the majority of citizens:

• - Parque Burgos shopping center. In the southern part of the city, the Hipercor hypermarket is located there. This shopping center is accessed through the BU-11 highway, leaving Burgos towards Madrid (next to the Landa junction).

• - El Mirador Shopping Center. Located on the Santander highway, leaving Burgos before reaching the Villatoro neighborhood, there is the Carrefour hypermarket.

• - Camino de la Plata Shopping Center. Located between the populous neighborhood of Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)") and the expansion, in the geographic center of the city, the Alcampo hypermarket is located there.

The city has a wide hotel offer, which has contributed to the municipality and the province having the hotel establishments with the best quality-price ratio in Spain, surpassing European cities such as Berlin or Prague.[58]​.

In March 2012, there were a total of hotel companies, distributed among 46 hotels, 35 hostels and guesthouses, and three private hostels. This represents 50% of the province's total.

Burgos cuenta con una población de (INE "Instituto Nacional de Estadística (España)") 2025).

Burgos engrosa la lista de grandes ciudades españolas. Esta cifra supone el 48,92 % de la población total provincial,[6]​ ocupando dentro de ella el primer puesto demográfico, seguido de Miranda de Ebro y Aranda de Duero. En la comunidad de Castilla y León es la segunda ciudad más poblada, detrás de Valladolid y delante de Salamanca. El gentilicio de Burgos es burgalés o burgalesa.

A finales del siglo , la población se vio mermada debido a diversos fenómenos, entre ellos a una epidemia de peste.

La población de la ciudad ha experimentado un incremento considerable desde principios del siglo , sobre todo después de la guerra civil, y especialmente entre 1950 y 1980, debido en parte a un fuerte proceso de industrialización producido al ser nombrada Polo de Desarrollo Industrial. El único decremento de población se produjo en los años 1990, debido a la crisis y a la migración de parte de la población a municipios del área metropolitana y del alfoz, marcando un mínimo de en 1998. En el año 2012 se marcó un dato histórico demográfico, con .

Town planning

Burgos is currently a medium-sized city within the Spanish scale.

Burgos was born from the small buildings that arose around the slopes of the Castillo hill, so the oldest areas of the city are located between this hill and the Arlanzón river. This distribution was typical at the time of repopulation during the Reconquista.

The first urban framework was of a military and defensive nature. It is believed that the first buildings were two watchtowers located at the top of the hill, which were followed in the following years by a simple wall and a castle. Burgos quickly became, thanks to its strategic and privileged geographical location, a true crossroads through which the main medieval roads and highways that crossed the Castilian plateau passed and converged.

As the Reconquista progressed, the city gained tranquility and the construction of other buildings outside the wall could begin. These buildings were the basis of what the city is today.

In the century it began to lose its military importance and the Camino de Santiago began to take over. It is then that Burgos begins to adopt its typical elongated configuration from east to west, marked by the river valley. In 1075 it became an important episcopal seat, mainly due to the influence of the Camino de Santiago passage, producing spectacular demographic, social, artistic and economic growth. At the beginning of the century the city already had about 1000 inhabitants. Esguevas and canals are opened to clean up the city.

In the century the Romanesque cathedral, which was only 150 years old, was demolished, and later the current Gothic cathedral was built. With the support of King Ferdinand III and Bishop Mauricio, construction of the current temple began in 1221. The wall and the monastery of Las Huelgas also date from this century. The city already has 7,000 inhabitants.

Over the centuries it became the center of commerce animated by the activities of Jews and Moors who had their own neighborhoods in the city. Burgos was already organized around the Plaza Mayor. At the end of the century Burgos had 20,000 inhabitants.

The Jewish quarter of Burgos was for a long time the most important and the most populated in all of northern Spain. It was located near the castle. There were two Jewish quarters: Arriba and Abajo, both separated by Fernán González Street.

It is very likely that Burgos had several synagogues over time, but hardly anything is known about them and neither about their location nor their subsequent destiny. The only data is that documents from 1440 speak of a synagogue near the San Martín arch.

Of the Jewish cemetery in Burgos, it can only be said that a document from 1386 shows that it was on the road to San Andrés.

In the century was the century of prosperity. Palaces and large civil buildings are built and the city reaches 25,000 inhabitants. The Vega neighborhood emerges on the other side of the river. However, the expulsion of the Jews and the Moriscos would begin a stage of deterioration and decline that lasted almost until the 20th century.

A series of factors that converge in the history of Burgos in the second half of the century cause its prosperous development to slow down and the great Castilian city to enter a deep depression, which caused the population to decrease to 4,500 inhabitants.

In this century, the streets of the city were described as narrow and lacking in light, the narrowness being caused due to the need to take advantage of the urban core garrisoned by the wall, since at the time there was a prohibition on building on the outside of the walls.[62]​.

What stands out most about the city at the time was the existence of water currents that crossed the city at various points with different uses, the main one being sanitation and drainage. These internal currents or rivers are called Esguevas, and it was in the century when they were definitively channeled.

In the century a slow recovery began, reaching 14,000 inhabitants. From this period are the Town Hall building, the barracks on Vitoria Street and Paseo del Espolón.

At the beginning of the century the French troops arrive. They came in 1801 and left on June 13, 1813 after blowing up the castle. With them, however, came a new urban concept, such as the creation of Espoloncillo.

In 1834, Burgos became the provincial capital. This entails the installation of more barracks. The Paseo de la Isla, the Paseo de la Quinta and the entire upper part of the Espolón are created. Most of the buildings in the historic center are from this era.

At the beginning of the century the Ensanche began. Large avenues were created, which today distribute much of the city's traffic. Plaza de España can be considered the nerve center, since Avenida de la Paz, Avenida del Cid and Avenida de los Reyes Católicos start from it. It is also the main stop for numerous urban bus lines, distributed around the Dolphins roundabout.

Vitoria Street "Calle Vitoria (Burgos)") was mostly built at this time, constituting one of the great backbones of the city. It connects the historic center with Gamonal, and is home to some of the city's main organizations and institutions.

The city barely exceeded the perimeter of the walls if it were not for the suburbs of La Vega, on the other side of the river, and San Lesmes in the eastern area. Without major variations we reached 1940 with inhabitants. In this decade, the first large industries began to be established that would change the economic plan of the city. The sixties are when modern Burgos really took off, with the annexation of several towns that have become neighborhoods of the city. It is a decade marked by the creation of the Industrial Development Pole that would bring the first important industrialization to Burgos.

In 1970, the tallest residential building in the city was built, the Feygon "Edificio Feygon (Burgos)"). It has 16 floors and a little more than , only behind the cathedral, which is still the tallest building, surpassing the . It was not until 1978 when more buildings of that height were built in the Vena area.[63]​.

Some towers are being planned in the surroundings of the future AVE city, which will reach up to 25 floors. Also in the area around the old station is a 20-story tower.

Declaration of development pole and annexation of Gamonal. Development and spectacular population growth. Vitoria Street is one of the longest streets in the city, reaching , connecting Gamonal with the center. It will be widely surpassed by the boulevard, reaching 12 km.

During the 60s and 70s, some of the main traffic arteries of the city were created, such as Avenida del Cid, Avenida de Cantabria "Avenida Cantabria (Burgos)"), Avenida de los Reyes Católicos and Avenida de la Paz, which distribute a good part of the city's traffic, and which start from the same origin, in the Plaza de España. Since the 90s, the city has experienced an urban resurgence that is evident in some of its buildings, simple, but with modern lines.

During the first decade of the century, the challenge of choosing the European capital of culture for 2016 meant a great effort of reflection and promotion in the city marketing environment. For this purpose, the Strategic Document of the City of Burgos Plan 2020 was created, which included the brand study of the city of Burgos, by Gildo Seisdedos Domínguez, director of the Urban Management Forum of the Instituto de Empresa (IE).[64]​.

Throughout the city's recent history, several pedestrianization plans have been developed with the aim of returning areas of the historic center to pedestrians. It began in the 80s and 90s, with San Juan Street, Hortelanos, La Paloma Street and Plaza del Rey San Fernando and Laín Calvo Street. A new plan was carried out between 2000 and 2010, pedestrianizing the Plaza Mayor, the Santamaría Bridge and San Lesmes.

During 2010 and 2011, there were important pedestrianizations, such as those on the esplanade of the old N-120 Human Evolution Complex or Concordia Street.

In 2008, the works were completed that redirected the railway route from the south to the north of the city, adjacent to the Villalonquéjar industrial estate, passing through the vicinity of Villatoro "Villatoro (Burgos)"), to a tunnel that accesses the new railway station, northeast of the city, near the BU-30. Thanks to this, rail traffic through the center was eliminated, avoiding accidents and the passage of hundreds of trains a day, which blocked the passage from the northern zone to some parts of the southern zone for dozens of minutes a day.

In 2010, the urbanization works began on the new transversal axis of the city, the so-called Railway Boulevard, which, with its more than 1000 meters in length, will run along the old train route as it passes through the city, becoming the longest avenue in Europe. bicycles) and some parking area.

On March 25, 2011, the first section of the boulevard, corresponding to the first kilometer, was inaugurated. In December 2011, the section between the old Cellophane and Calle del Carmen was opened, completing the work tendered in 2012.

It refers to the new urban planning that arose due to the opening of the northern inner ring road and the inauguration of the new railway station. It is a residential and service area, which in the future will be connected to the boulevard, and will have shopping centers, large parks, and direct access to the University Hospital of Burgos. In 2011, the necessary urban planning procedures began to begin urbanization in 2012.

The project consists of more than ten towers of between 15 and 25 floors. The construction of a new bus station for national and international traffic is also planned, leaving the current station as the head of provincial and metropolitan lines.

Metropolitan area

Burgos has small towns in its vicinity that use part of the services in a special way, and can be considered as a small metropolitan area. All of them belong to the city alfoz, but not all of these are included. They form, together with the city, a conurbation of . This makes it the 32nd most populated metropolitan area in Spain.

The proximity to the city and the lower cost of housing has meant that demographic growth continues more or less parallel to that of the capital.

Although some of them are located outside the ring road, the temporal proximity makes them heavily dependent on the capital. Its small size does not allow the development of some services, such as healthcare.

In 2010, the Burgos Metropolitan Transport came into operation, which connects all these municipalities with the capital.

Municipal government

Since June 17, 2023, the mayor of the municipality is Cristina Ayala, from the Popular Party (PP).[67]​.

Supramunicipal institutions

It has the provincial delegation of the Junta de Castilla y León, located at the Bilbao roundabout, which represents the highest governing body of the region in the province. It includes the following organizations:

The Government Subdelegation is the main headquarters of the State Administration in Burgos, located in the building of the old Bank of Spain on Vitoria Street.

Territorial organization

En 1785 quedó dentro del partido de Burgos, uno de los catorce que formaban la Intendencia de Burgos, hasta la creación de la provincia de Burgos en 1833.

For years, close to Burgos there were several independent population centers that, with the growth of the city, have become attached as neighborhoods. These were Las Huelgas, the King's hospital "Hospital del Rey (Burgos)"), Villargámar and Gamonal de Riopico.

The city is divided into districts and neighborhoods:

In May 2016, the City Council approved five citizen participation districts:[69]​.

In January 2010, the revision of the General Urban Planning Plan was initially approved, a document that aims to incorporate the modifications introduced with the pretext of making the railway variant "Bulevar del Ferrocarril (Burgos)") economically profitable, which frees up 12 km of railway route, bypassing the north and with the construction of the new station.

In 2013, Burgos received the Reina Sofía Award for Accessibility from Spanish Municipalities, for its efforts in the integration, normalization and active participation of citizens, regardless of their social status.[70]​.

The municipality also has the towns of Castañares "Castañares (Burgos)"), Cortes "Cortes (Burgos)"), Cótar, Villafría de Burgos, Villagonzalo-Arenas, Villalonquéjar, Villatoro "Villatoro (Burgos)"), Villayuda or La Ventilla "La Ventilla (Burgos)") and Villímar.

They are characterized by being small centers around a historic center, where a church is usually found. Originally, some of them were an independent municipality (like Villafría). However, throughout the century, they annexed each other and the capital. Others, such as Villatoro "Villatoro (Burgos)"), have been towns that have always belonged to the municipality of Burgos.

In recent years, redevelopment projects have been carried out on several of them, with the aim of improving the street network and accesses.

El origen medieval de la ciudad queda patente debido al gran número de edificaciones de la época.

religious architecture

Burgos has a large number of churches, convents, monasteries and other historical religious buildings, a result of the importance that the city had during the Middle Ages and the Modern Age. Most of the buildings are of Gothic architecture. In some of them, the oldest stained glass windows in Spain are found.[71]​.

It is the most representative building in the city. Its construction began in 1221 following French Gothic patterns and was completed in 1260. It underwent very important modifications over the centuries (spires of the main façade, chapel of the Constable, dome of the transept; these advanced Gothic elements give the temple its unmistakable profile).

Among its visitors, the Flycatcher clock "Papamoscas (Burgos)") is very popular for its unusual nature. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. In 2011, the cathedral received a total of about .[72]​.

It is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1189 by King Alfonso VIII of Castile, considered one of the largest in Spain. It is part of the National Heritage.

A good part of the Castilian nobility and royalty are buried there. It also houses the Museum of Medieval Fabrics of Burgos.

The monastery houses the Navas de Tolosa banner, a trophy taken from the Arabs in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, which is considered the best preserved Almohad tapestry.

Monastic complex built about three kilometers from the center of the city of Burgos, in the Fuentes Blancas park. It was founded in 1441 by King John II of Castile, thanks to the donation that the monarch himself made of a hunting palace to the Carthusian Order, where they settled until a fire in 1452 caused the destruction of the building. In 1453 it was decided to build the complex that has survived to this day, conceived to be the burial place of the parents of Isabella the Catholic, John II and Isabella of Portugal, who rest there together with their brother, the Infante Alfonso.

Some of the best architects, sculptors and painters of the time worked on its construction, such as Simón de Colonia, Gil de Siloé, or Pedro Berruguete, among others, becoming one of the most prominent groups within Gothic art at the end of the century.

In 2010, rehabilitation work was carried out, such as that of the Elizabethan door leading to the charterhouse. The restored chapels attached to the main nave are today an interesting museum with the monastery's works of art.

Of Gothic style, it was possibly built on the hermitage of San Bartolomé that existed towards the end of the century.

It has a structure in three naves with a transept and side chapels, among which the Buena Mañana chapel stands out, with a Gothic altarpiece from the end of the century, the work of Gil de Siloé; the chapel of the Kings, with a Renaissance altarpiece attributed to the latter; and the funerary chapel of the Nativity, added in the century and attributed to Juan de Matienzo.

The chapel of the Santísimo Cristo was added in the century by the Burgos architect Juan de Vallejo. Finally, on the sides of the temple, there is the Texada arch, which allowed the passage of large goods carts from the Cantabrian ports.

Gothic in style, the current temple was built on an ancient Roman temple at the end of the century and during the first half of the century. For decades this church has not had worship (moved to the nearby church of San Nicolás de Bari) and is the well-known Altarpiece Museum.

Located in front of the main façade of the cathedral. It was built in 1408 on top of another Romanesque temple. It is presided over by one of the most impressive and monumental altarpieces of Castilian Renaissance Art, made in the century in the workshop of Simón de Colonia, designed by him and made by his son Francisco. Also of great interest are its Gothic tombs, the Renaissance arch of María Sáez de Oña and Fernando de Mena and the panels of the Burgos School of the Master of San Nicolás.

Gothic building, begun in the 19th century. It constituted the church of the old town of Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)"). It has a Latin cross plan, with a single nave with transept, quadripartite vaults (except in the presbytery) and longitudinal ligature (backbone), following the model of the cathedral. It also has a portico at the foot and a slender bell tower. The stone cross of the century that presided over the attached cemetery (now disappeared) has been moved to some gardens near the porch. Among its sculptural decoration, the Calvary and the typical Jacobean iconography stand out.

Late Gothic monument from the centuries and located on Calle de la Merced. Today it continues to have a religious use as a parish of the Jesuit fathers, while the old convent premises, inhabited by the Mercedarians for more than three centuries, are today integrated into a hospitality business.

Building built in the century halfway between Gothic and Renaissance. The façade by Juan de Vallejo, several altarpieces and the burial place of prominent Burgos artists of the time stand out.

It is a Gothic church located on the Camino de Santiago. It was ordered to be built by Alfonso VI of Castile in 1074 in honor of Saint Lesmes "Lesmes (saint)"), patron saint of the city, housing the remains of the monk. At the request of Juan I of Castile, it was completely rebuilt at the end of the century, expanding significantly a century later. Its southern façade stands out, with three large naves in a hybrid Gothic-Renaissance style.

Gothic temple with neoclassical modifications, located a few meters from the Cathedral.

Legend places the Oath of Santa Gadea in this temple, starring the Cid Campeador, who forced, according to legend, King Alfonso VI the Brave to swear that he had not taken part in the murder of his brother Sancho II the Strong, king of Castile, who was murdered while besieging the city of Zamora.

Baroque, from the end of the century. It previously belonged to the Jesuits.

Located at one end of the Plaza de San Juan, it is a building built in the century and rebuilt on subsequent occasions. It was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1944. It served as a pilgrim hospital, and belonged to the Benedictine order. Fragments of the century church and the century chapter house are preserved.

Its restoration received the Europa Nostra award in 2017.[73]​.

It preserves a Renaissance cloister, where there is a museum that exhibits the works of the Burgos painter Marceliano Santa María.

Building built in 1916 in neo-Renaissance style, after having demolished the primitive medieval one, and located adjacent to the cathedral. Archbishop José Cadena Eleta ordered its construction to the architects Julián de Apráiz and Javier de Luque, who opted for a historicist style "Historicism (architecture)"). Its balconies in the corners, the stained glass windows, the Throne Room, and in general all its interior decoration stand out. It is located between the Paseo de la Audiencia and the cathedral.

It is a simple building in which Saint Amaro "Amaro (French saint)" is buried. It is located in the eastern part of the city, adjacent to the King's hospital "Hospital del Rey (Burgos)"). The hermitage is delimited by a wall, like a sanctuary.

It is located south of the city. It is a Gothic building built mainly in the 19th century. Except for the monastery of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas, it is the oldest convent in the city that maintains community life.

It is a Gothic construction dating from the 19th century, located in the southern part of the city. The cover and several tombs stand out. Currently, it is inhabited by Augustinian canonical nuns.

The parish church of San Pedro and San Felices is a Catholic temple built in the century southwest of the Spanish city of Burgos. It was also known as San Pedro Saelices (corruption of San Felices). On the main altar an image of the Virgin of Rocamador is displayed, an invocation related to the Camino de Santiago.

civil architecture

In front of the Coronery door of the cathedral, the Colonia house was built in the second half of the century. On its site, Juan de Vallejo began the construction of a palace acquired in 1565 by Andrés de Maluenda.

Although the building, made of stone and brick, as was common in Burgos domestic architecture, was transformed by its successive owners; the last, in the century, was the count of Castilfalé.

It was the occasional residence of personalities such as King Ferdinand VII and Napoleon Bonaparte. Granted by its last owners, the counts of Castilfalé, to the Burgos City Council in 1969, it was restored and rehabilitated as a municipal archive in 1985.[74]​.

Also known as the Casa del Cordón "Casa del Cordón (Burgos)"), it is an old Renaissance palace originating from the century that stands in the historic center of Burgos. Its promoter was Pedro Fernández de Velasco, constable of Castile. The initial design is attributable to Juan de Colonia and his son Simón and it is a civil building in the late Gothic style. As proven by an inscription on its façade, the Catholic Monarchs received Christopher Columbus in the building after his second trip to the Indies. Philip I the Beautiful also died there.

It houses the headquarters of said government. It is a neoclassical building that dates back to the beginning of the century. Its restoration was completed in 2008.

It was built in 1883 by the lawyer and banker Juan Muguiro y Casi in the orchard that he had acquired on Paseo de la Isla de Burgos, with the intention of spending the summer in the city. His style is romantic with neo-Gothic influences. In 1942, the building was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest "Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain)").

In its premises is the provincial museum, the former Archaeological Museum, which was built in two adjacent palaces from the 19th century. Its interior patio with supported galleries stands out.

Located attached to the Casa Miranda, Burgos Museum, a complex of which it is a part. It is one of the best examples of the Burgos Renaissance and was built by Juan de Vallejo in 1547. The main door is topped by a large shield with the arms of the owners of the century, from whom it receives its name.

Adjacent to the Íñigo Angulo House is the Melgosa House (only the façade and the lot are preserved), which will also house the future expansion of the museum with the Decorative Arts and Modern Art sections.

It is a neoclassical style building, designed by Manuel Eraso in 1796 and located on Paseo del Espolón. It was the headquarters of groups of Burgos merchants during the Modern Age to charter ships from the Cantabrian ports to those of Flanders. Later it housed the Royal Provincial Academy of Drawing. The ground floor, at street level, is a free exhibition hall open to the public.

Located in the western part of the city, next to the Camino de Santiago. It was founded by Alfonso VIII in 1195. Dependent on the monastery of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas. In the century it had 87 beds, being one of the most important hospitals on the entire Jacobean route, it was a large reception center for pilgrims.

military architecture

It is located on the hill of its name elevated above the level of the city. It was ordered to be built by Count Diego Porcelos at the time of the Reconquista, in the year 884,[75]​ and under the command of Alfonso III.

The defensive building became a large Royal Alcazar and a place of prison, and a place of accommodation for nobles. The final construction of the castle took place towards the end of the century or the beginning of the century. In 1813, Napoleon's soldiers blew it up shortly before leaving the city.[76]

It is one of the most emblematic monuments of Burgos. It is one of the old twelve access gates to the city in the Middle Ages, rebuilt as an arch in honor of Charles I of Spain. It connects the Santa María Bridge, over the Arlanzón River, with the Plaza del Rey San Fernando, where the cathedral stands.

The city was completely walled between the 20th and 2nd centuries, with work beginning in the time of Alfonso X the Wise. The wall had more than 90 towers and 12 gates, almost as thick, about as long, as high as about , and spanned about . Due to the expansion of Burgos over the centuries, part of the walls were demolished. Currently, numerous remains of it are preserved, among which the following stand out:[77]​.

• - Walk of the Cubes. This was the wall that surrounded the perimeter of the city in the 17th century. In this section, the largest and best preserved of all the remains of the city walls, the wall canvas alternates with the semicircular cube, hence its name. Almost at the end of the walk, just before Doña Lambra's tower, we find an arch with a grill known as the Jewish quarter door, or Jewish gate, because it was where the Jews entered their neighborhood. After the Jewish quarter of Toledo, the Burgos aljama was the most important in Castile.

• - San Martín Arch. It was built by Mudejar master builders who used brick and stone. The Arab techniques used by them are also present in the horseshoe arch. This was the entrance door for the kings on their royal visits to the city, and through it the pilgrims leave heading to Santiago, an example of this can be seen on the intrados of the arch; a shell reminds us.

• - Arch of Saint Stephen. In the vicinity of the Castle, when descending through San Esteban we will find another section of wall and the Mudejar arch of the same name. This gate is the manifestation of medieval Burgos and is, without a doubt, the most interesting gate from an architectural point of view of all those preserved from the primitive fence.

• - Arch of San Juan. Entry gate for pilgrims into the city, it is currently greatly modified. Next to it, the so-called Casa de la Muralla, an office building designed by the architect Albert Viaplana, was built in the century.[78]​.

• - Arch of San Gil. Located in the northeast area of ​​the city. It had a tower attached to it called the , which was eliminated after a renovation. It was said that women who wanted to meditate and perform penances to get away from the world were welcomed there. It was a very important entrance, because from here you went or came to Santander "Santander (Spain)").

Bridges

Bridge built of stone that connects the southern part of the city with the Plaza del Cid. It is adorned with different sculptures related to the life of the Campeador. It connected the walled enclosure with the old convent of San Pablo, defended the tower of the same name and according to tradition it was built at the expense of the Brotherhood of the Three Wise Men, founded by Count Fernán González and commonly known as the Brotherhood of the 13 Knights, since its statutes establish that its members must not exceed that number.

Medieval stone bridge, located in the western part of the city. It allows you to cross the Arlanzón River, connecting the neighborhood of San Pedro de la Fuente "San Pedro de la Fuente (Burgos)") with the King's hospital "Hospital del Rey (Burgos)"). It allowed pilgrims traveling the Camino de Santiago to cross the river once they had crossed the city. Today exclusively pedestrian.

This Bridge joins the intersection of Paseo de Fuentecillas and Avenida de la Independencia, giving continuity to the latter, with José María Villacián Rebollo avenue. It connects the Southwest area, mainly the university campus, with the northern interior ring road.

Disappeared monuments

The Human Evolution Complex is currently located on the site it occupied. Inside the Fórum Evolución congress palace of said complex, restored parts of the floor of said monastery are preserved integrated into the modern building. During the century, the Cavalry barracks was used as a military building. After it was demolished, its site was used for decades, transforming it into a surface parking lot, known as the Cavalry parking lot, in use until 2005 when the current Evolution Complex began to be built on it.

It was located on San Francisco street, between the church of San Gil and the monastery of San Francisco. Successfully rehabilitated and modernized, today it is the Cáritas headquarters in the city that has, among other facilities, a dining room, workshops and a shelter for people in need, in addition to the restored chapel of the old convent.

Located near the church of San Gil "Iglesia de San Gil Abad (Burgos)"), currently only a building remains in ruins, of which a beautiful stone rose window stands out. The building was rehabilitated to prevent its collapse. It was the place where the wealthy population of the city sought to have a burial site. Among the remains that are believed to still be among the ruins would be those of Almirante Bonifaz, conqueror of Seville, or Diego López V de Haro, lord of Vizcaya and founder of the city of Bilbao. The stones began to forge their splendor in the century with a larger nave of . It was also the archive of the Catholic Monarchs, and here they deposited the will of Queen Isabel, who was fascinated by the temple. The monastery was large in size, as it had up to 21 chapels.[79]​.

There is no remains of the primitive Carmelite convent located near the Arlanzón River. The current monastery is later, since during the French invasion of 1808 it suffered serious destruction and plunder. Recovered and rehabilitated by the monks in 1813, its fate was sealed with the Confiscation of 1835, which led to its exclaustration, the division of the estate and its sale to different bidders. Conventual life was reestablished in 1877, but in the middle of the century the church was demolished and a modern temple was built in its place.

It was one of the oldest and most important hospitals in the city, founded by King Alfonso VI three months before the conquest of Toledo. It is located in the neighborhood of San Pedro de la Fuente "San Pedro de la Fuente (Burgos)") and its purpose was to serve the poor and collect pilgrims who passed through the Camino de Santiago.

Built outside the city walls, on the banks of the Vena River, where Saint Lesmes "Lesmes (saint)") attended to the pilgrims who arrived along the Camino de Santiago. The State Public Library in Burgos currently stands on its site, a modern building that preserves the restored original doorway of the old hospital.

The church of San Román was located in the upper area of ​​the city of Burgos, near the castle. It was an important parish[80]​ with its own cemetery and was related to the Camino de Santiago (having had a small hospital for pilgrims, the Rocamador hospital).[n. 4]​ Originally it was Romanesque, but when it was destroyed in the century it was a Gothic construction. In 2014 excavations began[82]​ and in 2015 the first remains of this church were found,[83][84]​ destroyed during the War of Independence (specifically, on October 18, 1812).

Other places of interest

It is the most central and popular tree-lined and landscaped walk of all the parks in Burgos. It emerged at the end of the century and took shape during the century. It connects the Santa María arch with the Plaza del Cid, next to the Principal theater "Teatro Principal (Burgos)") and the Provincial Council palace. The Consulate of the Sea is also located on this promenade and through the arches of the town hall the promenade connects directly with the Plaza Mayor. El Espolón has statues of kings and illustrious people related to the city, a beautiful music temple, ponds, fountains and strikingly trimmed trees. This walk is considered "the living room" of the city.

Formerly known as the Mercado Menor square. It is a construction in the shape of an irregular polygon, located adjacent to the Paseo del Espolón, in the heart of the old town. First called the weekly market square, granted by kings Ferdinand the Catholic and Charles I, it became the largest center of commercial activity in Burgos. The Puerta de las Carretas opened there; it would currently coincide with the arches of the town hall, where the carts entered the markets that supplied the city and the stalls were distributed around it. sale, under the arcades that surround the square. With the reform that occurred in 1791, the definitive establishment as the administrative center of the city took place. The Puerta de las Carretas and the adjoining wall were demolished, giving the green light for new buildings to be built, aligned with the surroundings of the square through arcaded facades. In this way, the road that linked France with Madrid and the space to the north was demolished. mercantile

It is one of the streets with the most history in the city, most of the Camino de Santiago runs through it. It begins near the church of San Gil "Iglesia de San Gil Abad (Burgos)"), running west uphill, surrounding the cathedral.

Among the large number of unique and historical buildings that are found along its route, the Fernán González arch stands out, already past the cathedral. It was built by the master Juan Ortega de Castañeda in 1586. It is formed by a semicircular arch escorted by two circular columns. At the top, several shields recall the heraldic tradition of the honoree. It is located on the site of the residence of Count Fernán González, the first independent count of Castile.

Located in front of the Cordón house. During the Middle Ages, it was the main trading point of the city. It was divided into two squares (the current Plaza de Santo Domingo and Plaza de la Libertad) at the beginning of the century with the construction of the Antón Porticoes.

La Llana de Afuera is a square located on the east façade of the cathedral, next to the Condestables chapel, which gives access through two passageways to an interior square called Llana de Adentro that through another passage connects with Calle de la Paloma. The surrounding space located to the east of the cathedral, between Laín Calvo and Fernán González streets, is known as Las Llanas, as Huerto del Rey street, also known as La Flora "Flora (mythology)"). The area is an architectural complex of medieval traces, made up of churches, houses, arches and squares. For decades it has been one of the city's party areas, frequented mainly on weekends by young people and university students.

Parks and green areas

Most of the parks in the city of Burgos are located around the Arlanzón River. Precisely, the banks of the river itself constitute a green corridor throughout the city.

The San Miguel hill is one of the lungs of the city. The city was born in this place and grew along the southern slope of the castle hill. Progressively, the upper neighborhoods disappeared. After the castle itself was blown up by Napoleonic troops in 1813, military installations were later located there. In the 1950s, the engineer Mariano Jaquotot, who would later become mayor of the city, decided to fill the Castle Hill with trees, which until then had remained completely bare.

In addition to the ruins of the Castle, its museum, the medieval well and the underground galleries (all of which can be visited), there are two bars-restaurants in the area, there are also some sections of the city walls that surround the park (San Esteban, Las Murallas street) and several parking areas in different places on the hill, both next to the Castle and near the viewpoint over the city.

Very close to the parking next to the Castle grounds is one of the park's leisure attractions, both for children and adults, it is a rope park among the pine forests with several circuits for different ages. Also on San Miguel Hill is the Bird Conservation Center where these animals are recovered. Nearby there is a greyhound racing track. It also has recreational areas for children with swings and a circuit throughout the park to practice exercise with outdoor facilities, as well as a mountain bike route and you can also go hiking if you wish. Likewise, there is a terraced area with gardens and an ornamental fountain between the castle and the viewpoint. The most notable thing about the park, in terms of views, apart from those enjoyed from the highest tower of the castle, are the views from the Mirador, from which you can get a great panoramic view of a good part of the city, especially the cathedral and the historic center. A metal sign on the railing allows you to identify the most characteristic places and monuments of the city.

Located upstream of the Arlanzón River, it is located in the eastern part of the city. It is a large park, with recreational areas, an artificial beach on the river and a BMX bicycle circuit. In this area is the Miraflores Charterhouse. Its name comes from the numerous sources it has (from the Prior, from La Teja, from La Salud and from Los Castaños).

This walk, located on the banks of the Arlanzón River, on land of an ancient island formed between the river and the city's canals, is considered a true botanical garden.

It is located on the right bank of the Arlanzón. It is a romantic walk. It has a great botanical variety, as well as monuments. Thus, you can find a bust of Miguel de Cervantes, the Arcos de Castilfalé, the fountain of the monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza, the doorway of the Romanesque hermitage of Cerezo de Río Tirón, as well as a large fountain-waterfall and a very complete park with interesting swings for children where the best-known characters of the city are represented.

Health

The city of Burgos has two large publicly owned health centers, managed by Sanidad Castilla y León (Sacyl):.

• - Burgos University Hospital (HUBU), built under the CPP regime (Public-Private Collaboration), has been in operation since 2012 and has replaced both the Divino Valles provincial hospital,[90]​ and the city's former main public hospital, the General Yagüe hospital. It has a total of 677 basic beds, of which 42% of the rooms are single and if necessary they could be doubled to reach a total number of 900 beds.

• - Fuente Bermeja Hospital"): it is part of the Burgos hospital complex in the specialty of psychiatry along with the units of the same specialty of the Divino Valles hospital and the University hospital.

The city also has two private hospitals: San Juan de Dios and Recoletas, numerous health centers; There is also a permanent Spanish Red Cross post, and 114 pharmacies spread throughout different parts of the urban area.

With the opening of the University Hospital of Burgos, the 3 public hospitals that the city had were left partially or totally unused or changed, depending on the case:

• - Yagüe General Hospital: it was the main hospital of the city, in March 2016 its interior dismantling began with the recycling of materials by a specialized and nationally recognized company that was also in charge of the exterior demolition work of the building during the summer and until November 2016.[91]​.

• - Divino Valles Provincial Hospital: today it is maintained as a complement to the University Hospital with the Mental Health districts and it also houses the facilities of the Forensic Anatomical Institute and also houses the Continuing Care Point (PAC) that brings together out-of-hours emergencies that were divided into two health centers in the city. The headquarters of Burgos Blood Donors and the Blood Bank are also located in this hospital.

• - Burgos Military Hospital"): its facilities have been remodeled and adapted to other uses and now its different modules are faculties of the University of Burgos and one of its pavilions is the Huelgas health center that serves the area.

Justice

The city is home to the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla y León, the highest judicial body of the autonomous community, located in the Palace of Justice of the Island, as well as the Prosecutor's Office of Castilla y León.

Transportation and communications

The city has a developed communications system that, together with its privileged geographical location, makes it the main transport node in northern Spain. Proof of this is ALSA's vehicle parking and maintenance headquarters for northern routes.[92]​.

Burgos is the most awarded Spanish city in terms of sustainable transport. Initiatives such as the implementation of biodiesel in the municipal fleet (Police, Firefighters, Buses), the renewal of part of the bus fleet, the Bicibur bicycle loan system or the control of vehicle access to the historic center, have received recognition from awards such as Civitas City of the year 2007 or the Energy Globe Award in 2009.[93]​.

Its wide avenues, together with the recent opening of inner ring roads and parts of the outer ring road, allow fluid traffic, making it the provincial capital in Spain that has the lowest number of streets with traffic jams, with less than one percent.[94]​.

Numerous national roads, highways and highways run through the municipality that link the city with all the capitals that surround it. Thanks to its location, Burgos has prospered economically as a hub for both national transport (Madrid-Basque Country, Barcelona-Logroño-Vigo), and international transport (France-Morocco, Portugal-France, French Way of Saint James). The main and best developed axis of land communications is the N-I, which connects Burgos with Madrid and the French border. Other highways that connect the city with León "León (Spain)") and Valladolid form the second major communications axis, source of important traffic with Portugal and Galicia. New highways are planned to connect with Rioja "La Rioja (Spain)") and Cantabria.

The following express routes stand out:

The city is completely circumnavigated by the BU-30. It allows any external traffic to avoid having to enter the city and travel to its destination in any direction using expressways.

The main access from the south (coming from Madrid on the A-1) is via the BU-11, entering the city through Plaza del Rey.

There are other national highways originating in the city, including:.

The regional network:

In the secondary network, there is the Poza highway, among others.

A new highway is currently being planned that will have its starting point in the north of the city. This is the A-73 that will connect Burgos with the Cantabrian coast through Aguilar de Campoo. The first two sections, between Burgos and Quintanaortuño, opened in 2013. The rest have been rescinded by the Ministry of Public Works due to the economic crisis, but are still planned, and their completion is expected before 2024.

The splitting of the section of the N-120 highway between Logroño and the capital is also planned, where it will connect with the easternmost part of the Camino de Santiago highway A-231 and which will be called A-12 (Burgos-Logroño-Pamplona). Currently, the sections in the province are in the project drafting process.

One of the main roads that has decongested the city's traffic is the Northern Interior Ring of Burgos, which is a street with two lanes in each direction, which runs from the Villímar neighborhood (to the east) to the Villalonquéjar neighborhood (west), passing points of great interest in the north of the city such as the University Hospital of Burgos, Burgos Rosa Manzano station or the cemetery, also connecting the Gamonal-Villayuda industrial estate with that of Villalonquéjar.

For internal transportation in the city there is a fleet of urban buses that operate on 40 lines, two of which are night lines. In 2011, about 14 million travelers were counted.[95]​.

The entity in charge of managing the service is the Municipalized Urban Bus Service of Burgos. The main bus nodes are located in Plaza de España, Antón arcades, Vitoria street "Calle Vitoria (Burgos)") 7, Arlanzón avenue, Gran Teatro street and Mío Cid square.

In 2010, the BonoBus contactless card system was put into operation. The following year, automatic recharging machines were installed at the city's main stops.[96]​.

The ticket price is one of the ten lowest in Spain, and the bus ticket has the lowest price per trip in the entire country.

Because the line planning is old and too centralized, a total restructuring is planned, in which the Railway Boulevard will become one of the main public transport axes, thanks to its dedicated lanes (one for each direction). For now, line 22 Boulevard-Hospital Universitario is the one with the longest route along the boulevard.

Burgos also has a taxi service and has 15 stops spread throughout the city: Avenida del Cid (Feygon building), Plaza del Cid, Calle de Vitoria 27, Avenida del Cid 96 (former General Yagüe hospital), Calle Madrid 5, Avenida de la Audiencia (next to Plaza de Castilla), Avenida de Castilla y León (next to Plaza de Bilbao and the Junta de Castilla y León building), Paseo de los Pisones 1, old military hospital, Divino Valles hospital, University Hospital (HUBU), Vitoria street (next to the Juan neighborhood), Human Rights Avenue (next to the Antigua health center in Gamonal), Rosa de Lima train station, airport.

Since 2005, Burgos has had the so-called Metropolitan Transport, a bus system that connects the municipalities of Alfoz with the capital. It consists of nine lines that offer service to more than 51 municipalities.[97]​.

In 2011, a slight increase in frequencies was carried out in some services. The unification of the transport card with the current contactless card of the urban bus service is also planned, improving transfers.

The use of bicycles as a means of transport is increasing due to various actions such as the recently renovated bicycle rack installation reaching the current 1,300 parking spots or the Registration Service to prevent theft. It has the second highest percentage of bicycle use in Spain (7.8%) only behind Vitoria, and well above other Spanish cities such as Barcelona or Seville.

The city has a bike lane network of just over , becoming the 6th Spanish city in terms of bike lane kilometers, and the first in kilometers per inhabitant. The main axis is the one that connects Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)") with the historic center and the university following the route of the Arlanzón River.

Thanks to the boulevard and its length, there is a continuous 12 km double bike lane, sharing the road with the rest of the road traffic, significantly improving travel times between the ends of the city. Most of this bike lane of the route is distributed in two directions, that is, each of the directions of circulation of the bike lane are separated by the median of the avenue itself.

There is a public bicycle loan service, the first of its kind in Spain.[98] This service allows you to rent a bicycle for a limited time. There are a total of 23 lending platforms distributed throughout the city (one of them double), at the most strategic transport points. Each of them has anchorage for 10 bicycles.

Currently, the use of Bicibur requires prior registration with which to use the service together on the city bus card, although it is planned to introduce a system that allows rental with a simple bank card, favoring its implementation. In 2011, the service had registered people. In 2016 the service was completely renewed with new white bicycles (initially they were blue and later red) and now includes advertising for a shopping center in the city on the same bike.

The Burgos bus station is located on Miranda street, very close to the historic center and a few meters from the cathedral. Built in 1949, it has undergone successive renovations, the last in 2006. It is a stop on national and international routes, as well as the head of provincial lines and metropolitan bus lines.

It is planned to move the station to the outskirts, in the northeastern area of ​​the city, in front of the current train station (thus favoring intermodality), very close to an access to the BU-30, improving the entry and exit times of long-distance buses. The current station would continue serving provincial and metropolitan lines and the new station would continue serving national and international lines.

The city is considered a major railway hub, along which two lines run, both managed by Renfe: the Madrid-Irún line, and the direct Madrid-Burgos railway through Aranda de Duero.

In 2010, it was 150 years since the arrival of the railway to the city, since the first train arrived on October 25, 1860. It joined Madrid with the French border and was considered the main railway communication route between Spain and Europe. Located in the middle of the route, Burgos would soon become an important communications hub between the center and the north of the country.

Since December 2007, the city is connected to the main provincial capitals through the Alvia high-speed service. It also has other Long Distance and Medium Distance services, which connect it with the main population centers of the country. A daily average of 18 long-distance trains and 12 medium-distance trains circulate through the station, which translates into a number of users around 330,000 annually.[99]​.

On December 13, 2008, the railway variant was inaugurated and with it, the new railway station, under the name Burgos Rosa de Lima station, a name later modified to Burgos Rosa Manzano station in 2021 and belonging to Adif. Located to the northeast of the city, near the Villímar neighborhood, the station is accessed from Avenida de los Príncipes de Asturias (inner northern ring road). The station is adapted for the next arrival of the AVE.

The city will be one of the four stops on the Valladolid-Burgos-Vitoria high-speed line. Currently all the sections between Valladolid and Burgos are completed, and although the AVE was expected to arrive in Burgos around 2017, the delays that arose in the works delayed the inauguration of the service until 2022.

The AVE significantly reduces travel time, connecting the city with surrounding capitals in short periods of time, such as:

• - Burgos-Valladolid: .

• - Burgos-Bilbao: .

• - Burgos-Madrid: .

Burgos has a dry port for the transport of goods. It is located in the Villafría neighborhood, very close to the airport and is served by the railway line of the Gamonal industrial estate and the Burgos-Villafría station. It has connection with the ports of Barcelona, ​​Valencia and Bilbao. It is worth highlighting the double weekly two-way connection with Barcelona.[100]​.

In September 2011, a freight train came into operation from the port of Bilbao to Madrid, a service that is planned to increase to 2 weekly frequencies.[101]​.

The implementation of a tram in the city was planned, which would run along the boulevard. It would consist of a line about 12 km long and would originate at the train station and end at the university. As rolling stock, it was planned to use a Translohr, a pneumatic tram, at a lower cost and with greater safety. Its cost was estimated between 80 and 120 million euros.

Due to the economic and real estate crisis, the project has been put on hold until the necessary financing is found when economic conditions improve. Currently, the means of transport used instead of the tram is the city bus, since specific bus lanes are available on a large part of the boulevard.[102]​.

The new terminal at Burgos airport was inaugurated on July 7, 2008, the old terminal and hangars are located on a nearby plot. On July 10, 2008, Burgos airport began operating commercial flights after its complete remodeling, in which nearly 45 million euros were invested. The airport facility is located next to the Villafría neighborhood, a few east of the city center. Access to it is via the BU-12 highway, which connects the roundabout where the A-1 highway and the N-120 highway (Logroño-Vigo) meet with the airport facilities, through a one-lane road in each direction exclusively for the airport.

Despite its recent inauguration and having come into operation in the middle of the economic crisis, in its first year it managed to surpass other similar Spanish airports in the number of commercial passengers, such as those in Vitoria, Logroño or León.[103]​.

Villafría is the maintenance headquarters of the Aeronova company, where its entire fleet is located.[104]​.

In 2014, the regular destination offered throughout the year was with Air Nostrum to Barcelona.

During the summer, charter flights were offered to various places on the peninsula and the islands, such as Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Alicante or Malaga, through the company Aeronova.

Since 2015, the airport stopped having regular passenger flights after problems arose with the only company that operated at the airport at that time: LeonAir.

Thanks to the initiative of the Burgos City Council to increase the budget, 3 weekly flights (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) to and from Barcelona have been operational since June 2018 with Air Nostrum.

Specific charter flights are also offered during long weekends or specific holidays. The airport obtained permission to operate flights outside Schengen airspace, in order to operate destinations such as the United Kingdom.

The airport also transports goods, mainly in the automotive sector to northern Spain, England and Eastern Europe.[105]​.

Education

Abbreviatedly known as the UBU, it is a public university, dependent on the Junta de Castilla y León. It was created in 1994 as a spin-off from the University of Valladolid, based on the campus it had in the province of Burgos. It has its headquarters in a building located next to the Camino de Santiago as it passes through the city, which was founded by Alfonso VIII, in 1195, as the King's hospital "Hospital del Rey (Burgos)"). It is the youngest of the four public universities in the Community, and the smallest in number of students.

Despite its recent creation, in 2012 it held first place in research within Castilla y León.[106]​ Since the 2014-2015 academic year, it has taught some of its degrees and master's degrees in online mode.[107]​.

It is the only online private university in the community. It is headquartered in the building of the old Major Seminary.[108]​ It was recognized as a university in 2011.[109]​.

You can also pursue university studies at the National University of Distance Education center and at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Spain.

Within the research sector, Burgos has institutions such as the National Center for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH), the Burgos Research Area, the State Reference Center for Care of People with Rare Diseases and their Families of Burgos (CREER) and the Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITCL), among others.

Among the projects are the Burgos technology park and the Burgos-Riopico economic activities complex (CAE), a multimodal platform that aims to bring together transport and companies in the service sector.[110]​.

Foundation sponsored by the Government of Castilla y León that aims to disseminate and promote the use and knowledge of the Spanish language, as well as promote and support the training of Spanish teachers at all levels of education. It has its headquarters in the Palace of the Island.

It has various quality accreditations such as teaching Spanish language to foreigners, granted by the Cervantes Institute.[111]​.

It houses an exhibition hall with temporary exhibitions, changing biannually. Admission is free and has the same schedules as the Institute itself. The contents are related to the world of literature, but also art in its various forms.

At the beginning of the 70s, the School of Arts and Crafts was created in the city of Burgos, located on Francisco de Vitoria s/n street. and after almost four decades, in 2012 he began his teaching activity in his new center located on Sahagún Street, s/n. from the same town, under the name of the School of Art and Higher School of Design and Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets of Burgos, is known as the EASD Burgos. Currently he teaches studies in Professional and Higher Artistic Education in Plastic Arts and Design as well as a Baccalaureate in Arts.[112]​.

En la ciudad se encuentra la librería más antigua de España en funcionamiento, aunque el local actual no se corresponde con el original, ya que se ha trasladado recientemente.[113]​ Fue fundada en el año 1850 por Santiago Rodríguez y además fue también en su momento una imprenta y una editorial con el lema «La escuela redime y civiliza».[113]​[114]​.

Museums

The city has a museum offering that has increased significantly in recent years.

Formerly known as the Provincial Archaeological Museum, it is housed in two adjacent palaces from the 19th century, the Casa de Miranda and the Casa de Íñigo Angulo, forming a block between Calera and Miranda streets. The Museum's collections have an exclusively Burgos origin, by origin or destination, and show the historical and cultural evolution of the province.

The Museum of Medieval Fabrics, located in the Huelgas Reales monastery of Burgos, is a museum that houses medieval women's, men's and children's civil clothing from the , , and , and centuries.

Although the set of pieces found is made up of about 300 elements, the exhibition is made up of 51 pieces on which an exhaustive restoration and cleaning task has been carried out. One of the most striking pieces of great historical value is the Las Navas de Tolosa banner. The good state of conservation of the fabrics, attributed to the high quality of the silk, has allowed their conservation, becoming the most important collection of these characteristics in the world.[115]​.

This museum belongs to the Archbishopric of Burgos and brings together altarpieces from the 1st century from various towns in the province of Burgos. It is located inside the church of San Esteban, currently without worship. It also houses pieces of metalwork from the period.

It is a set of spaces inside the cathedral, which houses a multitude of works mostly from various chapels that, for reasons fundamentally of security and conservation, are exhibited in this museum space, which is accessed from the upper cloister. The museum also has works ranging from goldsmithing to tapestries and paintings, all displayed throughout four chapels and the Chapter House. Among the multitude of important works it houses, the document of the deposit letter of the Cid Campeador stands out.

It is the most visited museum in the city, and also has an interpretation center with an area open free of charge to the public with temporary and permanent exhibitions.

A modern building located in front of the church of San Esteban "Iglesia de San Esteban (Burgos)"). The building is made up of three original volumes that overlook the city and suggest a permanent dialogue with it. It has several exhibition spaces interconnected by walkways from which suggestive urban views can be seen, in addition to others located on lower floors. It houses permanent and temporary collections of contemporary art.

Started to build in 2006, the MEH is one of the most important museums on human evolution in the world.[116]​ It exhibits the findings from the Atapuerca archaeological site.

It was inaugurated on July 13, 2010 by Queen Sofía. The environment includes the CENIEH, National Research Center on Human Evolution, already in operation, in addition to the future auditorium and conference center in Burgos that will be inaugurated in the first quarter of 2011.

It was the city's book and printing museum, it opened its doors on July 23, 2010 and closed on July 23, 2019. It was the only one of its kind in Spain. It was a private museum initiative in which around 200 publications were exhibited, including originals and replicas, in addition to other illustrative elements related to written history.[117]​.

The name of the museum referred to Fadrique de Basel, also known as Fadrique Alemán, who was the most renowned Burgos printer of the century. He practiced his profession in Burgos for thirty years, leaving important traces, such as the first edition of Celestina.

The museum project was born from the hands of Editorial Siloé, aiming to create a space in which the history of the book from the birth of writing to the current editions, which made it unique in Spain, would be narrated, with original copies and facsimiles.[118]​.

Burgos Castle is open all year round and combines a rehabilitation of the basic structure of what was the castle, and an interpretation center that explains the history of the fortress located in the same location where Napoleon's Imperial Battery was located during the War of Independence.

One of its main peculiarities is the guided tour of the so-called Moro cave, an underground gallery that connects with a century-old well used in the past for water supply. It is a unique well in Europe due to its depth and characteristics, an authentic work of medieval engineering.

The Castle is in a state of consolidated ruin but the history of this fortress and its current enhancement make it one of the most emblematic places to visit in the city of Burgos.

Located in the monastery of San Juan, it permanently displays a wide repertoire of paintings by the Burgos painter Marceliano Santa María. It was inaugurated in 1966, based on a series of paintings donated by his family, including portraits, history paintings and Castilian landscapes.

The old monastery is undergoing a new phase of rehabilitation, after having installed new covers on the ruins of the church and new comprehensive rehabilitation works are being carried out on the entire building, which includes covering the cloister, cleaning the facades and renewing supplies, among others, which is why the Marceliano Santa María Museum is being modified to house more artists in the future.[119]​.

It forms one of the eight museums that the army has in Spain. Located in the emblematic Capitanía Palace "Palacio de Capitanía General (Burgos)"), its museum collections remember a part of the country's Military History. The exhibition is divided into four rooms: flags, miniatures, weapons and transmissions.[120]​.

Cultural spaces

It was inaugurated on September 19, 2012 by Queen Sofia, with the musical and choral performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony and the Hymn to Burgos. It is part of the Human Evolution Complex, it is the building with the largest budget and size.

Its facilities include a main auditorium with more than 1,500 seats, as well as a secondary auditorium and an exhibition hall.

This cultural infrastructure is destined to become one of the most important venues for conferences and events in northern Spain. Its privileged location, in the heart of the city, and the availability of an underground car park with 1,400 spaces, will give the complex great value.

It is the most emblematic theater in the city. Elizabethan style, after a successful rehabilitation, it currently hosts celebrations of the Municipal Institute of Culture, in addition to other events of an artistic nature, it has exhibition halls, a library and on the ground floor there is a museum about the traditions of Burgos: La Casa de los Gigantillos.

Located on Santa Águeda Street, it hosts public and private events. The building was the old municipal warehouses.

It is a multipurpose pavilion located in a part of the city known as El Plantío, along with other sports facilities such as the football stadium and one of the city's heated and summer swimming pool complexes. It has a capacity of 9,454 people. It hosts the Sampedros bullfighting celebrations. After its renovation, in the Coliseum Burgos multipurpose pavilion, apart from the bulls, there will be concerts and sporting events, among other uses.

Cultural facilities

It is a cultural facility made up of three elements: MEH, Auditorium and CENIEH.

• - State Public Library: Managed by the Government of Castilla y León, it currently occupies a recently constructed building raised on the site of the old San Juan hospital, of which it preserves the entrance arch.[121]​.

• - Municipal Library: Dependent on the Municipal Institute of Culture, it provides its services through several branches scattered throughout the city.[122]​ In addition, it offers different services through the Internet, including a Virtual Reading Club[123]​ and a virtual desktop.[124]​

• Gonzalo de Berceo Library: head of the municipal library system of Burgos, it is the largest of the municipal libraries and the one with the largest bibliographic collection.[125] Inaugurated in 1994, it is located in the Gamonal neighborhood "Gamonal (Burgos)").

• Principal Theater Library: it is located in the heart of the city, in an emblematic building that houses the headquarters of the Municipal Institute of Culture.[126] It was opened coinciding with the restoration of the Principal Theater "Teatro Principal (Burgos)"). Its bibliographical collection is specialized in theater, although it is used as a study room.

• María Teresa León Library: located in the Gamonal Norte area, it was opened in 2003. It has a bibliographic collection specialized in comics.[127]​

• Miguel de Cervantes Library: the most recently opened municipal library (2006), located in the San Pedro de la Fuente neighborhood. It is a modern building with references to the author of Don Quixote.[128]​

• Río Vena civic center library: inaugurated at the beginning of 1997, it has 174 reading positions for the public, distributed in several rooms located on the first floor of the building, which also houses other municipal services.[129]​

• Library of the San Agustín civic center: inaugurated at the beginning of 2007, it occupies more than distributed on several levels.[130]​

• Capiscol civic center library: inaugurated in 2006, it has 82 reading positions for the public, distributed in several rooms located on the first floor of the building.[131]​

• Vista Alegre Civic Center Library: with and oriented primarily toward a family audience, it was inaugurated in 2005.[132]​.

• - Río Vena: Juan de Padilla street, s/n. It has a meeting room, playroom, library, space transfer program, a sports library and a sports area.

• - Vista Alegre: Victoria Balfé street, s/n. It has a library, conference room, youth and children's area, exhibition hall, computer room and several classrooms for workshops.

• - Capiscol: Sonsoles Ballvé street. It has a newspaper library, a library (specialized in children and young people), a media library, a computer room and a space transfer program. It is located in the old offices of the Campofrío sausage factory.

Gastronomy

Burgos gastronomy has mainly meat and legume dishes as typical dishes. It is worth highlighting the blood sausage and Burgos cheese as typical dishes of the city as well as in the province. Also of special importance are roast lamb, Castilian soup, Burgos soup and beans or caparrones, outstanding specialties of the city.

But without a doubt the most famous dish in the city is the so-called Olla Porida, which is a stew of beans, blood sausage, chorizo, ribs, bacon and other meat products from pork. Among the most traditional desserts, the yemas de Burgos ("yemas de Burgos"), or the grandfather's dessert"), made from Burgos cheese and honey, stand out.

Although the city is not located in an area with a designation of origin, wine is a fundamental piece in the local gastronomy thanks to the proximity of the wines with designation of origin Ribera del Duero "Ribera del Duero (wine)"), Arlanza and Rioja.

Burgos has been selected as the Spanish capital of gastronomy in 2013, thanks to its combination of modernity and tradition.

As in other areas of Spain, in Burgos it is also common to have tapas "Tapa (food)") or pinchos, as they are more commonly called in Burgos, as an appetizer or replacement for lunch or dinner. The most frequent "Tapa (gastronomy)" tapas areas are those near the Plaza Mayor), such as San Lorenzo Street or Sombrerería Street, among others. Among the most recognized "Tapa (food)" tapas, the cojonuda"), the patatas bravas or the potato omelette stand out.

Cultural itineraries

The city has been a crossroads since ancient times. Since Roman times, there have been numerous roads that connected the area with other parts of the empire. Once the Middle Ages entered and the city was founded, Burgos was a strategic place through which a good part of Castilian trade was carried out. It is also worth noting the importance of the city as it is located on the main axis of communication between Madrid and France, the so-called northern axis, one of the busiest in the country, which makes Burgos a city of passage and junction of roads.

Burgos is crossed by the French Camino de Santiago. It currently has three pilgrim hostels: the Casa del Cubo, municipal property, the Emaús, and the Santiago and Santa Catalina.

The city is a stage of the Camino del Destierro or Camino del Cid. Furthermore, the capital of Burgos has numerous elements that recall the figure of the Castilian knight such as the monument to Solar del Cid (next to the Arco de San Martín), the church of Santa Águeda "Iglesia de Santa Águeda (Burgos)") or the arch of Santa María. The city also houses important Cidian pictorial works such as the large canvases by Vela Zanetti that are exhibited in the dome of the palace of the Provincial Council of Burgos and other architectural works such as the eight statues, the work of the sculptor Lucarini, that are on the San Pablo bridge and that represent the friends of the Cid Campeador or the statue of the Landa knot.

The Camino de la Lana, coming from Alicante, reaches the Castilian city, where it connects with the Camino de Santiago. This Wool route is one of the oldest commercial routes on the peninsula.

Burgos is the 13th town through which the Charles V Route passes. King Charles I of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire spent the night in the city on his last trip through the peninsula, from the port of Laredo "Laredo (Cantabria)") to the Yuste monastery, and it was then that the new portal of the Santa María arch was inaugurated in his honor.

This is a night itinerary through various historical areas of the city. Starting at the cathedral, a tourist train travels through 27 other landmarks, most of them illuminated.

Project developed by the municipal library that allows you to travel different routes through the city while listening to literary fragments about those places written by different authors of universal, Spanish and local literature.[135]​.

Pilgrimage, tourist, cultural and heritage route that brings together the seventeen cities where Saint Teresa of Jesus left her mark in the form of foundations.[136]​ The route does not have an established order or a limited time since each pilgrim or visitor can do it how and in the time they wish.

Festivities

There are many festivals and fairs that are celebrated in Burgos throughout the year.

The first of them is that of San Antón "Antonio Abad (saint)"), which is celebrated on January 17; That day, a popular and free meal based on titos is held in the Gamonal neighborhood "Gamonal (Burgos)".

During the Sunday closest to January 30, the festivities of the city's patron saint, San Lesmes "Lesmes (saint)") are celebrated. The French origin of the former abbot of the monastery of San Juan led to the twinning of Burgos with his hometown, Loudun.

The celebration begins in the City Hall area. The municipal corporation, together with invited authorities from Loudun, moves escorted by full-dress guards to the church of San Lesmes "Iglesia de San Lesmes Abad (Burgos)"). There the offering to the saint is made, by the mayor, of a candle and a bagel of bread. After the religious ceremony, the festival continues in the Plaza de San Juan, where the chorizo, blood sausage, wine and bagels of bread offered to the saint (blessed) are tasted.[137]

Every year, the Castellana Recreational Society has gathered a large number of Burgos residents at the door of the Burgos cathedral since 1988 with their original chirigotas and costumes, having dressed up in costumes of: bullfighters, pilgrims, Templars, tourists, altar boys, witches, etc. The costumes are designed by Román García Rodrigo and made by the members of the troupe themselves.

The last weekend of May the pilgrimage of the Virgen Blanca #Romería_de_la_Virgen_Blanca "Church of San Pedro de la Fuente (Burgos)") is celebrated, which until 2005 was held to coincide with a medieval market that was no longer held. The pilgrimage consists of carrying the image of the Virgin from the church of San Pedro de la Fuente "Iglesia de San Pedro de la Fuente (Burgos)") to the esplanade of the castle, where the temple of Santa María la Blanca "Iglesia de Santa María la Blanca (Burgos)") was located (which housed the image and which was destroyed in 1813).

The oldest festival in Burgos is Curpillos. Traditionally it was celebrated the day after Corpus Christi. When Corpus Christi stopped being celebrated on a Thursday to move to Sunday, Curpillos underwent changes, starting to be celebrated the first year, on the following Monday, in successive years it was celebrated on the following Friday and currently it is the Friday before or after Corpus Christi, depending on whether Corpus Christi is early or late so that Curpillos does not coincide with the Friday on which the major festivals of Burgos, the Sampedros, begin at the end of June. Curpillos is also known as El Día del Parral since it is celebrated in the place with the same name. The festival begins in the Las Huelgas monastery with a procession with the Banner taken from the Moorish chief Miramamolín after the victory of the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. After the civil and religious celebration, a pilgrimage is held in El Parral. In this popular festival, the peñistas set up stalls selling drinks and food (chorizo, morro, blood sausage, tortilla...) for sale to the entire audience. There is a concert/DJ inside the park and numerous market stalls are set up for the occasion in the streets near Parral Park between the Las Huelgas neighborhood and the University area (San Amaro). In 1953 the City Council declared the Curpillos festival as a holiday by popular acclaim and it is a local holiday in the work calendar of the city of Burgos.

Events

Since 1977, this festival has been held uninterruptedly, turning the Burgos summer into an attractive meeting point for world cultures.

International, national, regional and local groups participate in it. It is a non-competitive annual exhibition with samples of songs, music and dances from the peoples of the world dedicated to the exhibition of traditional dances and music by folklore groups, strengthening ties of friendship between them and the peoples, promoting understanding in the field of traditions and popular arts, making cultural diversity known. The participating groups carry out parades and parades through squares and streets, folklore entertainment, craft markets, exhibitions, dance workshops, music recitals and performances and concerts. They have been through representing and more than .

This festival has become the cultural benchmark of the summer. It is usually celebrated during the third week of July, outdoors, in the Plaza de San Juan. For five days, Burgos becomes the universal center of peace, tolerance, diversity, integration and cultures.

It is organized by the City of Burgos Folklore Committee and is sponsored by the Municipal Culture and Tourism Management of the Burgos City Council and the collaboration of public and private entities. An important axis of the festival is cultural volunteering and citizen participation. His organization and careful treatment and dedication to the participants makes him recognized by everyone who knows him.

It is recognized as an international festival by the International Council of Festival Organizations of Folklore and Traditional Arts and Traditional Culture (Cioff), an entity that is an official collaborator of UNESCO and is accredited by the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee.

The Municipal Institute of Culture and Tourism of the Burgos City Council launches the White Night of Burgos for the first time on May 17, 2008, choosing this date as the eve of the celebration of the Pilgrimage of the White Virgin.

The White Night of Burgos aims to be a free cultural event open to all citizens that is celebrated in numerous spaces for public use, both open and closed. Parks, squares, streets, theaters, artistic creation centers, museums and the city's historical heritage will be visited by artists in an original way with original proposals for a White Night. It is a night of artists invading the streets and spaces and institutions with restricted access open to citizens. The city's hospitality industry also opens its doors with suggestions for the White Night of Burgos.

The years 2020 and 2021 are not celebrated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participation has been spectacular in all the editions held from 50,000 people in the first edition to 180,000 in 2011, never dropping to more than one hundred thousand spectators in the rest of the editions.[138]​.

Currently, the organization of this event corresponds to the Municipal Management of Culture and Tourism of the Burgos City Council.

Music

Since 2005, Burgos has had the Burgos Symphony Orchestra, which periodically develops concert cycles in this city.

Typical costume

According to the local folklorist Justo del Río, the typical Burgos costume consists of stockings, bloomers, petticoats, a manteo, apron, and a skirt on the lower part of the body, and on the left side a white scarf. The upper part consists of a shirt, jerkin and doublet. You can also wear earrings, a sober black bow, and black pump-heeled shoes as accessories.

Sport

Founded in 1936 and refounded in 1994, it is the soccer team of the city of Burgos. It is one of the historic clubs in Spain, since it competed in the first division for six seasons. Numerous financial problems led to its disappearance in 1983. In 1994 the club was refounded, which spent a season in the second division, but the failure to convert to SAD at the end of the 2001/02 season caused the club to be relegated. He currently plays in the second division after recently being promoted.

The team trains and competes in the El Plantío municipal stadium, with capacity for 12,654 spectators, all of them seated, after having undergone several renovations.

Founded in 1994, it was a provincial team until 2015, it became professional in order to compete in the LEB Oro, it is the basketball club of Burgos and currently competes in the ACB League. After the disappearance of CB Atapuerca, the FEB invites the new team to participate in the LEB Oro category, as compensation to the fans and the city of Burgos for not having been able to ascend to the ACB League for three consecutive years and after the disappearance of the previous club. In the summer of 2017 and after the change in the conditions of access to the top category, the club became the first team from the city to compete in it. Due to sponsorship issues, he competes under the name Hereda San Pablo Burgos. He currently competes in LEB Oro.

The team competes at the Coliseum Burgos, with capacity for 9,454 spectators, all of them seated. The team trains at the El Plantío municipal sports center.

It was the basketball club of Burgos and currently continues to compete in professional basketball. He achieved three consecutive promotions to the ACB League in the 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons playing in the LEB Oro, but did not manage to debut in the top category due to not meeting the entry requirements for the association. At the end of this last season and seeing that the team was not going to be admitted to ACB, the board of directors decided to dissolve the club and stop competing, showing that the team had reached its ceiling and would not be able to be promoted in the coming seasons. In the end he did not disappear and is currently competing in the LEB Oro. Due to sponsorship issues, he competes under the name Autocid Ford Burgos.

The team trains and plays its matches at the El Plantío municipal sports center, with capacity for 2,500 spectators, all of them seated.

Official rugby club of the city. Founded in 1970, it received a bronze plaque from the Spanish Rugby Federation in 1996.[143] After obtaining two promotions in seasons 12/13 and 13/14, after several seasons in the Division of Honor B (group A), it achieved promotion in the 2017/2018 season. Since then it has played in the Division of Honor, the highest category of Spanish rugby. Due to sponsorship issues, it competes under the name of UBU Colina Clinic.

Its field is located in the San Amaro sports complex. With capacity for 1500 spectators, of which 500 are seated.

Media

Burgos has a local newspaper, Diario de Burgos, the most read in the city, which also includes information of a provincial nature. Together with El Mundo "El Mundo (Spain)") the Correo de Burgos and online newspapers such as Burgos Conecta and Burgos Noticias are distributed.

There are also several free newspapers and magazines such as Gente, which is a newspaper born in Burgos, which became national in circulation, but local in each city in which it is distributed.

Radio Arlanzón, Radio Castilla-Cadena Ser Burgos, Cope Burgos, Punto Radio Burgos, Radio Nacional de España, Radio Evolución Burgos and 24FM.

There are channels Canal 54 "Canal 54 (Burgos)") and CyL8.

• - Portal:Burgos. Content related to Burgos.

• - Province of Burgos.

• - Wikipedia in Spanish hosts other articles about Burgos.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia gallery about Burgos.

• - Wikiviajes hosts travel guides to or about Burgos.

• - Burgos City Council.

Contenido

La ciudad de Burgos se ubica en el centro de la provincia de Burgos, a al norte de Madrid, en la comunidad autónoma española de Castilla y León. Las coordenadas de la ciudad son latitud y longitud . Su término municipal tiene una extensión de y se encuentra a sobre el nivel del mar según el Instituto Geográfico Nacional, llegando a una altitud de en el vértice geodésico del cerro de San Miguel, que preside la ciudad.

Su privilegiada situación, aproximadamente en el centro del norte peninsular, la sitúa como ciudad de paso obligado de la meseta hacia País Vasco y Francia, además de suponer el punto de partida de dos de los principales accesos a Cantabria.

Relief

Located in a low mountain area, it is located in the confluence area of ​​the Arlanzón River and several of its tributaries. The city is practically flat in the most populated areas, which extend mainly in the plain formed by the Arlanzón and Vena rivers.

Despite this, its municipal area includes low mountain areas, which are mostly hills that do not exceed 80 m above the level of the plain. The city center is located at an altitude of 859 m above sea level, while the altitude of the municipality varies from 827 m in the last section of the Arlanzón River in the municipality, to 997 m to the north, in Las Lomas.[2]​.

Hydrography

The main river axis of the city is the Arlanzón River, which crosses the municipal area from east to west receiving the following tributaries:

• - On the right bank: the Vena, which surrounded the walled fence, the Morquillas that flows into the Vena at Villímar; the Pico "Río Pico (Spain)"), once a tributary of the Vena and until its detour east of Villayuda crossed the old town of Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)"); the Mataperros stream in the San Pedro de la Fuente neighborhood; the Valdecerradillo stream in the Yagüe neighborhood and finally the Ubierna in the Villalonquéjar neighborhood.

• - On the left bank, the Cardeñadió, which flows between the Cardenal Mendoza Institute and the Carmen church (next to the Bessón bridge), the Doradillo stream that flows through Fuentes Blancas and the Valduercos stream at the Villargámar farm.

There are a large number of streams, some of which dry up during the summer, such as the Villatoro stream, which flows into the Ubierna river. Burgos is the Spanish city with the best quality of drinking water, and its supply is found in the nearby town of Arlanzón "Arlanzón (Burgos)"), collected from the homonymous river.[19]​.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, the climate of Burgos is a transitional climate included within the subtype continentalized Mediterranean climate (Cs) or interior Mediterranean climate, with a large thermal amplitude (about 17 °C) between the average temperatures of the warmest summer months (about 20 °C) and the coldest winter months (about 3 °C), a dry season in summer and annual rainfall below the 1000 mm, with an annual average of several years close to 600 mm. The climate variables of Burgos are different from both the typical Mediterranean climate of the Mediterranean coast (Csa) and the south of the peninsula, due to the altitude of the Northern Subplateau with lower temperatures and higher rainfall, and the Atlantic oceanic climate (Cfb), or humid temperate climate, which has abundant annual rainfall (> 1000 mm), without a dry season, and milder temperatures in winter.

However, except for the average minimum winter temperatures, Burgos with its annual rainfall approaches the Mediterranean transitional climate to the oceanic (Csb). The rainiest season is spring while summer is mild and much less humid than in Atlantic Spain. Winters are very snowy and cold, with minimum night temperatures that in cold waves can drop to .[20] Heavy snowfalls are usually common throughout the season, lasting even well into spring. Precipitation follows a pattern very similar to that of the typical Mediterranean climate and is between 400 °C, with a maximum during autumn and spring. The lesser influence of the sea, however, makes it a drier climate than typical.

The climate of Burgos, like that of other Spanish cities such as León "León (Spain)") or Teruel, has temperatures approximately two to five degrees lower than in the rest of the areas with this climate, motivated mainly by the altitude at which the city is located (between 800 and ).

Urban morphology

It is a city with a linear configuration, extended from east to west along the valley of the Arlanzón and Vena rivers, which has an old town with a notable monumental heritage, renovated in the 19th century, but essentially maintaining the urban fabric and its heritage, both architectural and environmental. A group of small towns, the Alfoz de Burgos, which has not yet grown excessively as in the cases of Valladolid, León or Salamanca, surrounds the city.

Shield

The coat of arms of Burgos appears documented since the year 1259, and is described as:[24]​.

On a field of chinople, half the body of a crowned king; the carnation face and square hair as was used and said in the Middle Ages; the gold crown with rhinestones and four acanthus rosettes interpolated with pearls. Purple mantle and above it three castles with three crenellated towers, masonry in saber..

They mean the three castles over which the city of Burgos had ownership and jurisdiction and which were:.

• - Lara, given to Burgos by Alfonso X, in 1255.

• - Muñó, given by Alfonso XI in 1332.

• - Cellorigo, in 1370, by Henry II.

The half-body of the king, which represents Ferdinand III,[25]​ and which already appears in a document in 1259 and which has been called the "Caput Castellae" by the chroniclers, expresses the fact that Burgos is the capital of the kingdom of Castile, a city in which kings were born, lived, administered justice and minted money.

Above the royal body, a silver wall that runs from side to side and rests at its ends on separate escutcheons with gold castles. This wall is loaded on its arch with a barbican and with three towers, the central one of the homage; It is masonry of sable..

It means the land of Castile defended by its castles in all its confines.

At the bell, a royal crown, of the same design as that of the king, proving the permanent rank of the city, mother of kings (quae reges peperit), as we read in the titles of Burgos.

As lambrequins, some bouquets of sinople, fruited in gold and gules ribbons in which are read, in saber, the titles most valued by the people of Burgos: "Caput Castellae", "Camera Regia", "Prima Voz et Fide"...(Head of Castile, Chamber of the King and the First in voice and in loyalty).

Flag

The flag of Burgos is made up of two horizontal stripes of the same width, the upper one red and the lower one brown, with the city's coat of arms centered on it. It was officially granted to the city by Emperor Charles I during one of his visits. As a curiosity, this flag, even though it is of medieval origin, breaks the laws of heraldry. This is so since it mixes gules (heraldic enamel equivalent to red) with fawn (an enamel equivalent to brown only used in England, and which does not obey the seven enamels of the European heraldic tradition). Therefore, an unusual exception in medieval flags.[26]​.

Hymn

The hymn to Burgos was composed in 1926 by the Burgos musician Rafael Calleja Gómez, with lyrics by Marciano Zurita. It is sung every year during the city festivals, in front of the Santa María arch.

Securities

The historical succession and the reason for the titles of the "Very Noble, Very Most Loyal and Very Beneficial City of Burgos" are:[27]​[28]​.

• - Noble City: It already appears in the documents of Alfonso X as a traditional title. In fact, in the documents from the time of Alfonso X and Sancho IV it appears as the City of Castile, and not just the City of Burgos.

• - Very Noble City: Granted by Fernando IV for his fidelity during his minority against the claims of the Infantes de la Cerda.

• - Very Loyal: Granted by Isabel I for her support against the supporters of Juana la Beltraneja, who owned the Burgos Castle, and had conquered it after a tough siege.

• - Very Most Loyal: Awarded by Charles I for defending the city of Pamplona with men and weapons against the French invasion of 1521-1523, and subsequently participating in the recovery of the Fuenterrabía fortress "Siege of the Fuenterrabía fortress (1521-1524)").

• - Very Beneficial: Granted during Franco's dictatorship in 1952.[29]​.

Shield titles

• - Caput Castellae: Head of Castile, as the main city and capital of the County of Castile and the kingdom later.

• - Camera Regia: King's Chamber, because it is the city where kings and queens were born and lived and from here, they administered justice, minted money, etc.

• - Prima Voz et Fide: First in voice and faithful. The representatives of Burgos were the first to speak in the courts and to sit first on the right of the king.

Other titles

In the old shields of the city, and in the current medals of the mayor and councilors, the legends that border the city's shield appear, to which is added the traditional phrase, in Latin and used by the city since the Middle Ages:

"Civitatis quae reges peperit regnaque recuperavit": "City that saw the birth of kings and recovered kingdoms." The first part refers to both the Counts of Castile and the kings who were born in the city, while the second refers to Burgos as the head of the kingdom that recovered other kingdoms for Castile and Christianity.[30]​.

The City Council of the city of Burgos has the treatment of Most Excellent, granted by Isabel II in 1855.[27]​.

Prehistory

The Arlanzón valley shows human occupation since ancient times. Just from the town center are the Atapuerca sites, considered the birthplace of the first European. Human remains have been dated to more than years old in the sites of the Sierra de Atapuerca. According to archaeopaleontological research, to date there are human bone remains of four different species: Homo antecessor (Lower Pleistocene), Homo heidelbergensis (Middle Pleistocene), Homo neanderthalensis (Upper Pleistocene) and Homo sapiens (Holocene), which correlates with the geospatial analyzes of settlement distribution carried out in the basin of the Arlanzón.[8]​[31]​[32]​.

In the city of Burgos there was also an important settlement from the Bronze Age to the First Iron Age on the Cerro del Castillo and Cerro de San Miguel, in addition to some Celtiberian evidence from the Second Iron Age and Romans, although the latter were very scarce.[7] At the moment, in the castle of Burgos there is only one sequence of radiocarbon dating for the levels from the Bronze Age to the First Iron Age. (sector levels: NX, NXII, NI, NV and NVI), with C dating ranging from 3230 ± 70 to 2400 ± 110 BP.[7]​[8]​[9]​[33]​[34]​ In another updated archaeological work, a new compilation and recalibration of all the radiocarbon dating of the castle was carried out, with the calibration curve Intcal13.[10]​.

According to this study, the ranges of radiocarbon dating recalibrated to probability reveal the existence of occupations from the Early/Middle Bronze Age to the transition to the Second Iron Age. However, although there is no dating for other levels, the work carried out also shows that there are important material remains from the Chalcolithic in El Castillo (Level Recent Prehistory from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not only documented in El Castillo and the Cerro de San Miguel, - as well as in the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca (, Cueva del Mirador and Cueva Mayor) -, but there are abundant sites in the Arlanzón valley, with numerous settlements from the Neolithic (to the millennium), Chalcolithic (millennium) and Bronze Age (millennium).[8]​[9]​[10]​.

Ancient Age

Although there is no evidence of important settlements in the city, there are numerous sites from the Roman era, especially in the areas closest to the Arlanzón River.

A Roman road runs through the north of the city between the neighboring municipalities of Villayerno Morquillas and Tardajos, from east to west. This is the Antonino Itinerary A-34, which linked Astorga with Bordeaux. Currently, confused as a simple rural road, its last remains between the area of ​​Casa la Vega and the railroad detour are in serious danger of disappearing due to urban plans in the area. The best preserved section of this road is located in the municipality of Quintanapalla.

Middle Ages

An Arab chronicle mentions a town sacked in the year 860 called Burchia, which seemed to correspond to the current Burgos, but in 2004 it was shown that the town of Burchia had nothing to do with the current city.[36]​.

Around the year 884, Alfonso III tried to stop the Muslim advance and sent Diego Porcelos to build a fortification on a hill on the right bank of the Arlanzón River. This would contribute to the place growing due to its strategic importance.

In 931, Fernán González managed to reunite the government of the counties of Burgos, Lara, Lantarón, Cerezo and Álava,[n. 3]​ leaving Burgos as the capital of the county of Castilla.

When Ferdinand I was crowned king of León in 1038, forming the kingdom of Castile, Burgos was chosen as its capital. In 1071 Sancho II imprisoned his brother García in Burgos to seize the kingdom of Galicia from him. In 1074 Alfonso VI, king after the death of his brother Sancho, gave up his palace in Burgos for the construction of the cathedral of Santa María. That same year, his sisters, Elvira and Urraca, transferred the diocese from Oca to Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)").

In 1080, Alfonso VI of León and Castile convened a general council of his kingdoms in the city and officially declared the abolition of the Hispanic liturgy and its replacement by the Roman one. After the conquest of Toledo "Conquest of Toledo (1085)") in 1085 by Alfonso VI, Burgos lost the capital of the kingdom of Castile in favor of this city. This did not paralyze the growth of Burgos, where some Cortes would continue to be held. Regarding this city, the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi writes in the century:.

Modern Age

The century was the century of its plenitude for Burgos. Towards the end of the century and the beginning of the century, the city, which had been born in an agricultural environment, turned its back on the countryside and dedicated itself to functions polarized around commerce. It was during the century when Burgos took full advantage of the advantages of its geographical location. In the city, the military conquest of Navarre by Castile was legalized, since the Duke of Alba reported this event on June 11, 1515 in the Castilian Cortes gathered in the city.

At the end of the century a period of decline began for the city. The main causes were not exclusively internal, as they reached a higher category: the Flanders wars, the discovery of America and the centralism of the absolute monarchs, aggravated by the circumstances of the transfer of the capital to Madrid, among others. Local causes also had an influence, such as the famous plagues, which especially punished the city, mainly in the last quarter of the century, decimating its population.

Once the economic and social framework of Burgos was dismantled, the roads and communication routes declined; Burgos entered into great drowsiness and isolation. The crisis is reflected in a document kept in the municipal archive, which says: "The City is so depopulated and without people, that those who exist go to live outside, because they cannot support themselves and the houses and buildings are almost all ruined and on the ground." Burgos remained in this state of desolation until the last decades of the century, when enlightened despotism seemed to slightly renew the city.

An attempt was made to restore the Consulate; The Royal Decree of March 16, 1763 restored the great institution of the Consulate, but a wool monopoly did not make sense in an economy with few exports. In Burgos everything had to be artificially implanted: money, merchants, means of transportation.

From the end of the century and during the century, the industrial promotion measures of Catalonia and the Basque Country by the enlightened monarchs, together with protectionist policies, managed to relaunch the incipient and uncompetitive manufacturing industry by applying tariffs to foreign products. For example, a yard of Flemish cloth went from costing 2 pesetas to 6, so that Catalan cloth that cost 5 pesetas began to be sold throughout Spain and the colonies. This brought with it a response from the English and Dutch, applying the same tariffs, so Castilian wool and grain stopped being sold. Thus, a bushel of Castilian wheat went from costing 10 pesetas to costing 5, also influenced by the emergence of the United States into the global cereal market. Castilla sold its products cheaper and was forced to buy more expensively. The result was a considerable impoverishment of Castile with consequent commercial and industrial stagnation.

The Consulate languished very soon and from 1781 it was oriented towards an Academy of Arts and Crafts and other charitable-cultural activities very much in tune with the mentality of the time. Something similar happened with the Faculty of Medicine, established in the old Concepción hospital "Hospital de la Concepción (Burgos)"), established in 1799, disappearing around 1817. At this time the city underwent superficial urban planning reforms: "The San Pablo bridge, the replacement of guardrails, the composition of roads, the Town Hall that is going to be built in the place of some old and indecent corridors."

Contemporary Age

The remains of El Empecinado are preserved in the funerary monument that was erected by popular subscription in Burgos in the middle of the century. The Spanish War of Independence especially affected the Castilian economy. The harvests of 1811 and 1812 were poor and scarce due to the uncertainty felt by the farmers and that the armies and guerrillas obtained supplies on the ground through requisitions. The lack of subsistence spread hunger and caused an intense mortality crisis in 1812. Not only did agricultural production fall, there were industries that almost disappeared, such as the wool textile industry of Castile, since the flocks of Merino sheep were used to feed the troops.

In addition, there was the looting of many of the works of art that the different religious buildings treasured, such as the Cartuja de Miraflores, the looting and dispersal of remains from the tomb of the Cid Campeador, and other convents that have already disappeared, especially by the Governor of Old Castile, General Darmagnac. The blowing up of the castle in 1813 by Napoleonic soldiers destroyed churches such as Santa María la Blanca "Iglesia de Santa María la Blanca (Burgos)"), as well as a large part of the cathedral's stained glass windows.

During the Spanish Civil War, the city of Burgos was the headquarters of the National Defense Board. The formation of the First National Government of Spain "Annex: First National Government of Spain (1938-1939)") (1938-1939) also took place in the city, during which the dictator Francisco Franco officially assumed the positions of Head of State and Government*.* The Franco government remained in Burgos until October 18, 1939, when it moved to Madrid. On August 9, the second Franco government was formed in this city.

On December 3, 1970, the so-called Burgos Trial took place, a trial against sixteen members of the terrorist organization ETA accused of the murder of three people. The death sentences of six of the defendants were not carried out and were commuted to prison sentences.[37]​.

In the century a new railway station was built in Burgos, located on the outskirts of the city, the old station is currently the children's and youth leisure center La Estación "La Estación (Burgos)"). A new hospital, the HUBU, was also built in Burgos to replace the old General Yagüe that was demolished in 2017.

On July 29, 2009 in Burgos there was an attack on the civil guard headquarters perpetrated by the terrorist group ETA. Fortunately there were no fatalities but there were 65 injured and the building was seriously damaged and had to be rehabilitated. This event was considered a "miracle", in what could have become the largest massacre perpetrated by ETA due to the amount of explosives, the time and the place chosen; since they were homes of entire families who were sleeping at that time.

Ya desde la Edad Media, actuó como un importante centro económico del norte peninsular, centrado en el comercio, sobre todo el relacionado con el de la lana, que tuvo su apogeo en el siglo .

En el siglo , se produjo una fuerte industrialización, culminada con la creación de los grandes polígonos industriales en la década de 1970. El establecimiento del Polo de Promoción Industrial de Burgos, unido a las ventajas de localización debidas a la posición geográfica, facilitaron el desarrollo de la industria, generando un tejido empresarial.

Su privilegiada localización geográfica,[13]​ le ha permitido convertirse en un importante nudo de comunicaciones en el norte de España, tanto de rutas nacionales como internacionales. Estos factores, unidos a un sector terciario desarrollado, con presencia destacada del turismo, la convierten en la 18.ª ciudad en actividad económica de la nación.[38]​.

Es la sede de algunas empresas con la mayor facturación de Castilla y León, como el Grupo Antolin (uno de los mayores grupos empresariales del sector de automoción a nivel mundial),[39]​ y posee fábricas de algunas de las empresas de mayor facturación de España, como Campofrío, San Miguel, Bridgestone, Smurfit Kappa, Matutano. También destacan por su actividad Adisseo España, Benteler España, Quesos Arias, Hiperbaric, Cerámicas Gala, L'Oréal,[40]​ Grupo Cropu, Gonvarri Industrial, Nicolás Correa, Kronospan,[41]​ o la única planta de producción de Ferroli") en España.

La ciudad de Burgos representa en torno al 60 % de la economía provincial y al 20 % de la regional, actuando como un centro económico provincial, que llega hasta incluso zonas limítrofes de La Rioja "La Rioja (España)") o Palencia "Palencia (provincia)"). En la actualidad, el sector económico con más peso es el industrial, aunque el sector servicios cada vez cuenta con mayor ocupación y desarrollo. En 2009, la ciudad lidera el sector de fabricación de piezas para el automóvil en la comunidad, puesto que existen 25 fabricantes que dan empleo a unos 5000 trabajadores.[42]​.

También existe industria química, como el Grupo Adisseo, que fabrica metionina para todo el mercado de Estados Unidos. Esta producción fue asumida en exclusiva en la planta burgalesa en 2012 debido a su alta competitividad industrial.[43]​ En la zona oeste de la ciudad se encuentra la Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre - Real Casa de la Moneda, en la cual se fabrican parte de los billetes de euro que se distribuyen por toda Europa.[44]​.

Primary sector

Although it decreases each year, there is still a large amount of agricultural land in the municipal area, with cereal crops such as wheat for the most part.

There are small farms for the production of eggs "Egg (food)") or milk, most grouped in cooperatives located in peripheral areas of the city.

Secondary sector

Burgos is a diversified city in which the services sector predominates, followed by a diversified manufacturing industry, and which benefits from its good location in certain logistics corridors, with important business activity. The number of work centers reaches an average of 42.9, which places it above cities such as Valladolid, Vitoria, Zaragoza, Seville and the national average, and its per capita income exceeds the national average by 12.5%.[45]​.

It has widely consolidated industrial land, as well as a large future expansion projected in the Burgos technology park and the center of economic activities (CAE).[46]​.

Burgos is considered a city of a predominantly industrial character. The city experienced its first major industrialization in 1964, being one of the cities declared an Industrial Promotion Pole, largely concentrated around the Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)" industrial estate and the Villalonquéjar industrial estate.

In 2007, Burgos employed in the sector (22% of the employed population), becoming the second industrial focus of Castilla y León in absolute terms, only slightly surpassed by Valladolid.[47]​ Its industrial index is higher than that of cities such as Valencia, Bilbao or Seville.

The industrial estates of Burgos bring together around 1,500 companies and their connections are unbeatable, all surrounded like a perfect spider web by the new infrastructure: the airport, the high-speed train and the new roads that circle the city.

It currently has a large area dedicated to industry, distributed between three main industrial estates and other smaller estates:[48]​.

Located northwest of the city and developed in four phases, three of them already consolidated and the last urbanized and with some companies already established there. It has a total of 10 million m², making it the largest industrial estate in Castilla y León,[49]​ where more than people work in 515 companies. The occupancy rate is 75%.

There are companies with a long industrial history, such as the Nicolás Correa Group, whose spin-off, Hiperbaric, is the world's leading supplier in the manufacture of high-pressure equipment for food.[50]​.

In 2014, the city became the southern European headquarters of the company Benteler, previously located in Barcelona, ​​due to the high productivity and efficiency of its workforce.[51]​.

Located to the east of the municipality, between the neighborhoods of Gamonal, Villímar, Villayuda-La Ventilla and Villafría; Well connected, it occupies a gross area of ​​, with 950 companies. The occupancy rate is 97.9%. Important companies such as the San Miguel brewery, Campofrío, Bridgestone, Gonvarri and Matutano (PepsiCo Group) are located there.

Located south of the city, along the A-1, with access from the BU-V-1002 and BU-P-1001 roads. Together with the adjoining industrial estates of Los Pedernales (Villagonzalo Pedernales) and El Clavillo (Villariezo) they together make up more than the gross land.

Tertiary sector

The city has tertiary activities linked to administrative, financial and tourist services, being the headquarters of a savings and credit cooperative (Caja Rural de Burgos). Previously, it was also the headquarters of two savings banks (Caja de Burgos and Caja Círculo), of which only their respective foundations currently remain: Fundación Caja Burgos and Fundación Caja Círculo.

After the mergers of the savings banks, Caja de Burgos is integrated into CaixaBank and Caja Círculo into the Ibercaja Group. The headquarters of the territorial management of Castilla y León and Asturias of CaixaBank is located in the city.[53]​.

The CEEI, European Business and Innovation Center of Burgos, located in the Villafría neighborhood, favors the creation of companies, especially innovation.[54]​.

At the beginning of 2010, the urbanization of the Burgos technology park began, which will occupy a plot of , and will affect two municipal areas, Burgos and Cardeñajimeno. It will become the largest technology park in Castilla y León, and will mainly host technological activities of companies in sectors such as capital goods, robotics, automotive, new materials and agri-food.[55]​.

There are currently two main markets of these characteristics: the North Market in Plaza de España and the South Market, very close to the bus station. In the Gamonal neighborhood there is also another municipal market in the area known as G-9. They are characterized by being made up of dozens of sales stalls that offer mostly artisanal products of provincial or regional origin.

In addition, on weekday Wednesdays and Saturdays, there is a fruit and vegetable market with stalls from local and regional producers.[56]​ The traditional location of this market is in the vicinity of the El Plantío stadium, but due to the works it is undergoing, it has been moved to the Gamonal neighborhood.[57]​.

Currently there are three large shopping centers, located in such a way as to cover the majority of citizens:

• - Parque Burgos shopping center. In the southern part of the city, the Hipercor hypermarket is located there. This shopping center is accessed through the BU-11 highway, leaving Burgos towards Madrid (next to the Landa junction).

• - El Mirador Shopping Center. Located on the Santander highway, leaving Burgos before reaching the Villatoro neighborhood, there is the Carrefour hypermarket.

• - Camino de la Plata Shopping Center. Located between the populous neighborhood of Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)") and the expansion, in the geographic center of the city, the Alcampo hypermarket is located there.

The city has a wide hotel offer, which has contributed to the municipality and the province having the hotel establishments with the best quality-price ratio in Spain, surpassing European cities such as Berlin or Prague.[58]​.

In March 2012, there were a total of hotel companies, distributed among 46 hotels, 35 hostels and guesthouses, and three private hostels. This represents 50% of the province's total.

Burgos cuenta con una población de (INE "Instituto Nacional de Estadística (España)") 2025).

Burgos engrosa la lista de grandes ciudades españolas. Esta cifra supone el 48,92 % de la población total provincial,[6]​ ocupando dentro de ella el primer puesto demográfico, seguido de Miranda de Ebro y Aranda de Duero. En la comunidad de Castilla y León es la segunda ciudad más poblada, detrás de Valladolid y delante de Salamanca. El gentilicio de Burgos es burgalés o burgalesa.

A finales del siglo , la población se vio mermada debido a diversos fenómenos, entre ellos a una epidemia de peste.

La población de la ciudad ha experimentado un incremento considerable desde principios del siglo , sobre todo después de la guerra civil, y especialmente entre 1950 y 1980, debido en parte a un fuerte proceso de industrialización producido al ser nombrada Polo de Desarrollo Industrial. El único decremento de población se produjo en los años 1990, debido a la crisis y a la migración de parte de la población a municipios del área metropolitana y del alfoz, marcando un mínimo de en 1998. En el año 2012 se marcó un dato histórico demográfico, con .

Town planning

Burgos is currently a medium-sized city within the Spanish scale.

Burgos was born from the small buildings that arose around the slopes of the Castillo hill, so the oldest areas of the city are located between this hill and the Arlanzón river. This distribution was typical at the time of repopulation during the Reconquista.

The first urban framework was of a military and defensive nature. It is believed that the first buildings were two watchtowers located at the top of the hill, which were followed in the following years by a simple wall and a castle. Burgos quickly became, thanks to its strategic and privileged geographical location, a true crossroads through which the main medieval roads and highways that crossed the Castilian plateau passed and converged.

As the Reconquista progressed, the city gained tranquility and the construction of other buildings outside the wall could begin. These buildings were the basis of what the city is today.

In the century it began to lose its military importance and the Camino de Santiago began to take over. It is then that Burgos begins to adopt its typical elongated configuration from east to west, marked by the river valley. In 1075 it became an important episcopal seat, mainly due to the influence of the Camino de Santiago passage, producing spectacular demographic, social, artistic and economic growth. At the beginning of the century the city already had about 1000 inhabitants. Esguevas and canals are opened to clean up the city.

In the century the Romanesque cathedral, which was only 150 years old, was demolished, and later the current Gothic cathedral was built. With the support of King Ferdinand III and Bishop Mauricio, construction of the current temple began in 1221. The wall and the monastery of Las Huelgas also date from this century. The city already has 7,000 inhabitants.

Over the centuries it became the center of commerce animated by the activities of Jews and Moors who had their own neighborhoods in the city. Burgos was already organized around the Plaza Mayor. At the end of the century Burgos had 20,000 inhabitants.

The Jewish quarter of Burgos was for a long time the most important and the most populated in all of northern Spain. It was located near the castle. There were two Jewish quarters: Arriba and Abajo, both separated by Fernán González Street.

It is very likely that Burgos had several synagogues over time, but hardly anything is known about them and neither about their location nor their subsequent destiny. The only data is that documents from 1440 speak of a synagogue near the San Martín arch.

Of the Jewish cemetery in Burgos, it can only be said that a document from 1386 shows that it was on the road to San Andrés.

In the century was the century of prosperity. Palaces and large civil buildings are built and the city reaches 25,000 inhabitants. The Vega neighborhood emerges on the other side of the river. However, the expulsion of the Jews and the Moriscos would begin a stage of deterioration and decline that lasted almost until the 20th century.

A series of factors that converge in the history of Burgos in the second half of the century cause its prosperous development to slow down and the great Castilian city to enter a deep depression, which caused the population to decrease to 4,500 inhabitants.

In this century, the streets of the city were described as narrow and lacking in light, the narrowness being caused due to the need to take advantage of the urban core garrisoned by the wall, since at the time there was a prohibition on building on the outside of the walls.[62]​.

What stands out most about the city at the time was the existence of water currents that crossed the city at various points with different uses, the main one being sanitation and drainage. These internal currents or rivers are called Esguevas, and it was in the century when they were definitively channeled.

In the century a slow recovery began, reaching 14,000 inhabitants. From this period are the Town Hall building, the barracks on Vitoria Street and Paseo del Espolón.

At the beginning of the century the French troops arrive. They came in 1801 and left on June 13, 1813 after blowing up the castle. With them, however, came a new urban concept, such as the creation of Espoloncillo.

In 1834, Burgos became the provincial capital. This entails the installation of more barracks. The Paseo de la Isla, the Paseo de la Quinta and the entire upper part of the Espolón are created. Most of the buildings in the historic center are from this era.

At the beginning of the century the Ensanche began. Large avenues were created, which today distribute much of the city's traffic. Plaza de España can be considered the nerve center, since Avenida de la Paz, Avenida del Cid and Avenida de los Reyes Católicos start from it. It is also the main stop for numerous urban bus lines, distributed around the Dolphins roundabout.

Vitoria Street "Calle Vitoria (Burgos)") was mostly built at this time, constituting one of the great backbones of the city. It connects the historic center with Gamonal, and is home to some of the city's main organizations and institutions.

The city barely exceeded the perimeter of the walls if it were not for the suburbs of La Vega, on the other side of the river, and San Lesmes in the eastern area. Without major variations we reached 1940 with inhabitants. In this decade, the first large industries began to be established that would change the economic plan of the city. The sixties are when modern Burgos really took off, with the annexation of several towns that have become neighborhoods of the city. It is a decade marked by the creation of the Industrial Development Pole that would bring the first important industrialization to Burgos.

In 1970, the tallest residential building in the city was built, the Feygon "Edificio Feygon (Burgos)"). It has 16 floors and a little more than , only behind the cathedral, which is still the tallest building, surpassing the . It was not until 1978 when more buildings of that height were built in the Vena area.[63]​.

Some towers are being planned in the surroundings of the future AVE city, which will reach up to 25 floors. Also in the area around the old station is a 20-story tower.

Declaration of development pole and annexation of Gamonal. Development and spectacular population growth. Vitoria Street is one of the longest streets in the city, reaching , connecting Gamonal with the center. It will be widely surpassed by the boulevard, reaching 12 km.

During the 60s and 70s, some of the main traffic arteries of the city were created, such as Avenida del Cid, Avenida de Cantabria "Avenida Cantabria (Burgos)"), Avenida de los Reyes Católicos and Avenida de la Paz, which distribute a good part of the city's traffic, and which start from the same origin, in the Plaza de España. Since the 90s, the city has experienced an urban resurgence that is evident in some of its buildings, simple, but with modern lines.

During the first decade of the century, the challenge of choosing the European capital of culture for 2016 meant a great effort of reflection and promotion in the city marketing environment. For this purpose, the Strategic Document of the City of Burgos Plan 2020 was created, which included the brand study of the city of Burgos, by Gildo Seisdedos Domínguez, director of the Urban Management Forum of the Instituto de Empresa (IE).[64]​.

Throughout the city's recent history, several pedestrianization plans have been developed with the aim of returning areas of the historic center to pedestrians. It began in the 80s and 90s, with San Juan Street, Hortelanos, La Paloma Street and Plaza del Rey San Fernando and Laín Calvo Street. A new plan was carried out between 2000 and 2010, pedestrianizing the Plaza Mayor, the Santamaría Bridge and San Lesmes.

During 2010 and 2011, there were important pedestrianizations, such as those on the esplanade of the old N-120 Human Evolution Complex or Concordia Street.

In 2008, the works were completed that redirected the railway route from the south to the north of the city, adjacent to the Villalonquéjar industrial estate, passing through the vicinity of Villatoro "Villatoro (Burgos)"), to a tunnel that accesses the new railway station, northeast of the city, near the BU-30. Thanks to this, rail traffic through the center was eliminated, avoiding accidents and the passage of hundreds of trains a day, which blocked the passage from the northern zone to some parts of the southern zone for dozens of minutes a day.

In 2010, the urbanization works began on the new transversal axis of the city, the so-called Railway Boulevard, which, with its more than 1000 meters in length, will run along the old train route as it passes through the city, becoming the longest avenue in Europe. bicycles) and some parking area.

On March 25, 2011, the first section of the boulevard, corresponding to the first kilometer, was inaugurated. In December 2011, the section between the old Cellophane and Calle del Carmen was opened, completing the work tendered in 2012.

It refers to the new urban planning that arose due to the opening of the northern inner ring road and the inauguration of the new railway station. It is a residential and service area, which in the future will be connected to the boulevard, and will have shopping centers, large parks, and direct access to the University Hospital of Burgos. In 2011, the necessary urban planning procedures began to begin urbanization in 2012.

The project consists of more than ten towers of between 15 and 25 floors. The construction of a new bus station for national and international traffic is also planned, leaving the current station as the head of provincial and metropolitan lines.

Metropolitan area

Burgos has small towns in its vicinity that use part of the services in a special way, and can be considered as a small metropolitan area. All of them belong to the city alfoz, but not all of these are included. They form, together with the city, a conurbation of . This makes it the 32nd most populated metropolitan area in Spain.

The proximity to the city and the lower cost of housing has meant that demographic growth continues more or less parallel to that of the capital.

Although some of them are located outside the ring road, the temporal proximity makes them heavily dependent on the capital. Its small size does not allow the development of some services, such as healthcare.

In 2010, the Burgos Metropolitan Transport came into operation, which connects all these municipalities with the capital.

Municipal government

Since June 17, 2023, the mayor of the municipality is Cristina Ayala, from the Popular Party (PP).[67]​.

Supramunicipal institutions

It has the provincial delegation of the Junta de Castilla y León, located at the Bilbao roundabout, which represents the highest governing body of the region in the province. It includes the following organizations:

The Government Subdelegation is the main headquarters of the State Administration in Burgos, located in the building of the old Bank of Spain on Vitoria Street.

Territorial organization

En 1785 quedó dentro del partido de Burgos, uno de los catorce que formaban la Intendencia de Burgos, hasta la creación de la provincia de Burgos en 1833.

For years, close to Burgos there were several independent population centers that, with the growth of the city, have become attached as neighborhoods. These were Las Huelgas, the King's hospital "Hospital del Rey (Burgos)"), Villargámar and Gamonal de Riopico.

The city is divided into districts and neighborhoods:

In May 2016, the City Council approved five citizen participation districts:[69]​.

In January 2010, the revision of the General Urban Planning Plan was initially approved, a document that aims to incorporate the modifications introduced with the pretext of making the railway variant "Bulevar del Ferrocarril (Burgos)") economically profitable, which frees up 12 km of railway route, bypassing the north and with the construction of the new station.

In 2013, Burgos received the Reina Sofía Award for Accessibility from Spanish Municipalities, for its efforts in the integration, normalization and active participation of citizens, regardless of their social status.[70]​.

The municipality also has the towns of Castañares "Castañares (Burgos)"), Cortes "Cortes (Burgos)"), Cótar, Villafría de Burgos, Villagonzalo-Arenas, Villalonquéjar, Villatoro "Villatoro (Burgos)"), Villayuda or La Ventilla "La Ventilla (Burgos)") and Villímar.

They are characterized by being small centers around a historic center, where a church is usually found. Originally, some of them were an independent municipality (like Villafría). However, throughout the century, they annexed each other and the capital. Others, such as Villatoro "Villatoro (Burgos)"), have been towns that have always belonged to the municipality of Burgos.

In recent years, redevelopment projects have been carried out on several of them, with the aim of improving the street network and accesses.

El origen medieval de la ciudad queda patente debido al gran número de edificaciones de la época.

religious architecture

Burgos has a large number of churches, convents, monasteries and other historical religious buildings, a result of the importance that the city had during the Middle Ages and the Modern Age. Most of the buildings are of Gothic architecture. In some of them, the oldest stained glass windows in Spain are found.[71]​.

It is the most representative building in the city. Its construction began in 1221 following French Gothic patterns and was completed in 1260. It underwent very important modifications over the centuries (spires of the main façade, chapel of the Constable, dome of the transept; these advanced Gothic elements give the temple its unmistakable profile).

Among its visitors, the Flycatcher clock "Papamoscas (Burgos)") is very popular for its unusual nature. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. In 2011, the cathedral received a total of about .[72]​.

It is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1189 by King Alfonso VIII of Castile, considered one of the largest in Spain. It is part of the National Heritage.

A good part of the Castilian nobility and royalty are buried there. It also houses the Museum of Medieval Fabrics of Burgos.

The monastery houses the Navas de Tolosa banner, a trophy taken from the Arabs in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, which is considered the best preserved Almohad tapestry.

Monastic complex built about three kilometers from the center of the city of Burgos, in the Fuentes Blancas park. It was founded in 1441 by King John II of Castile, thanks to the donation that the monarch himself made of a hunting palace to the Carthusian Order, where they settled until a fire in 1452 caused the destruction of the building. In 1453 it was decided to build the complex that has survived to this day, conceived to be the burial place of the parents of Isabella the Catholic, John II and Isabella of Portugal, who rest there together with their brother, the Infante Alfonso.

Some of the best architects, sculptors and painters of the time worked on its construction, such as Simón de Colonia, Gil de Siloé, or Pedro Berruguete, among others, becoming one of the most prominent groups within Gothic art at the end of the century.

In 2010, rehabilitation work was carried out, such as that of the Elizabethan door leading to the charterhouse. The restored chapels attached to the main nave are today an interesting museum with the monastery's works of art.

Of Gothic style, it was possibly built on the hermitage of San Bartolomé that existed towards the end of the century.

It has a structure in three naves with a transept and side chapels, among which the Buena Mañana chapel stands out, with a Gothic altarpiece from the end of the century, the work of Gil de Siloé; the chapel of the Kings, with a Renaissance altarpiece attributed to the latter; and the funerary chapel of the Nativity, added in the century and attributed to Juan de Matienzo.

The chapel of the Santísimo Cristo was added in the century by the Burgos architect Juan de Vallejo. Finally, on the sides of the temple, there is the Texada arch, which allowed the passage of large goods carts from the Cantabrian ports.

Gothic in style, the current temple was built on an ancient Roman temple at the end of the century and during the first half of the century. For decades this church has not had worship (moved to the nearby church of San Nicolás de Bari) and is the well-known Altarpiece Museum.

Located in front of the main façade of the cathedral. It was built in 1408 on top of another Romanesque temple. It is presided over by one of the most impressive and monumental altarpieces of Castilian Renaissance Art, made in the century in the workshop of Simón de Colonia, designed by him and made by his son Francisco. Also of great interest are its Gothic tombs, the Renaissance arch of María Sáez de Oña and Fernando de Mena and the panels of the Burgos School of the Master of San Nicolás.

Gothic building, begun in the 19th century. It constituted the church of the old town of Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)"). It has a Latin cross plan, with a single nave with transept, quadripartite vaults (except in the presbytery) and longitudinal ligature (backbone), following the model of the cathedral. It also has a portico at the foot and a slender bell tower. The stone cross of the century that presided over the attached cemetery (now disappeared) has been moved to some gardens near the porch. Among its sculptural decoration, the Calvary and the typical Jacobean iconography stand out.

Late Gothic monument from the centuries and located on Calle de la Merced. Today it continues to have a religious use as a parish of the Jesuit fathers, while the old convent premises, inhabited by the Mercedarians for more than three centuries, are today integrated into a hospitality business.

Building built in the century halfway between Gothic and Renaissance. The façade by Juan de Vallejo, several altarpieces and the burial place of prominent Burgos artists of the time stand out.

It is a Gothic church located on the Camino de Santiago. It was ordered to be built by Alfonso VI of Castile in 1074 in honor of Saint Lesmes "Lesmes (saint)"), patron saint of the city, housing the remains of the monk. At the request of Juan I of Castile, it was completely rebuilt at the end of the century, expanding significantly a century later. Its southern façade stands out, with three large naves in a hybrid Gothic-Renaissance style.

Gothic temple with neoclassical modifications, located a few meters from the Cathedral.

Legend places the Oath of Santa Gadea in this temple, starring the Cid Campeador, who forced, according to legend, King Alfonso VI the Brave to swear that he had not taken part in the murder of his brother Sancho II the Strong, king of Castile, who was murdered while besieging the city of Zamora.

Baroque, from the end of the century. It previously belonged to the Jesuits.

Located at one end of the Plaza de San Juan, it is a building built in the century and rebuilt on subsequent occasions. It was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1944. It served as a pilgrim hospital, and belonged to the Benedictine order. Fragments of the century church and the century chapter house are preserved.

Its restoration received the Europa Nostra award in 2017.[73]​.

It preserves a Renaissance cloister, where there is a museum that exhibits the works of the Burgos painter Marceliano Santa María.

Building built in 1916 in neo-Renaissance style, after having demolished the primitive medieval one, and located adjacent to the cathedral. Archbishop José Cadena Eleta ordered its construction to the architects Julián de Apráiz and Javier de Luque, who opted for a historicist style "Historicism (architecture)"). Its balconies in the corners, the stained glass windows, the Throne Room, and in general all its interior decoration stand out. It is located between the Paseo de la Audiencia and the cathedral.

It is a simple building in which Saint Amaro "Amaro (French saint)" is buried. It is located in the eastern part of the city, adjacent to the King's hospital "Hospital del Rey (Burgos)"). The hermitage is delimited by a wall, like a sanctuary.

It is located south of the city. It is a Gothic building built mainly in the 19th century. Except for the monastery of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas, it is the oldest convent in the city that maintains community life.

It is a Gothic construction dating from the 19th century, located in the southern part of the city. The cover and several tombs stand out. Currently, it is inhabited by Augustinian canonical nuns.

The parish church of San Pedro and San Felices is a Catholic temple built in the century southwest of the Spanish city of Burgos. It was also known as San Pedro Saelices (corruption of San Felices). On the main altar an image of the Virgin of Rocamador is displayed, an invocation related to the Camino de Santiago.

civil architecture

In front of the Coronery door of the cathedral, the Colonia house was built in the second half of the century. On its site, Juan de Vallejo began the construction of a palace acquired in 1565 by Andrés de Maluenda.

Although the building, made of stone and brick, as was common in Burgos domestic architecture, was transformed by its successive owners; the last, in the century, was the count of Castilfalé.

It was the occasional residence of personalities such as King Ferdinand VII and Napoleon Bonaparte. Granted by its last owners, the counts of Castilfalé, to the Burgos City Council in 1969, it was restored and rehabilitated as a municipal archive in 1985.[74]​.

Also known as the Casa del Cordón "Casa del Cordón (Burgos)"), it is an old Renaissance palace originating from the century that stands in the historic center of Burgos. Its promoter was Pedro Fernández de Velasco, constable of Castile. The initial design is attributable to Juan de Colonia and his son Simón and it is a civil building in the late Gothic style. As proven by an inscription on its façade, the Catholic Monarchs received Christopher Columbus in the building after his second trip to the Indies. Philip I the Beautiful also died there.

It houses the headquarters of said government. It is a neoclassical building that dates back to the beginning of the century. Its restoration was completed in 2008.

It was built in 1883 by the lawyer and banker Juan Muguiro y Casi in the orchard that he had acquired on Paseo de la Isla de Burgos, with the intention of spending the summer in the city. His style is romantic with neo-Gothic influences. In 1942, the building was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest "Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain)").

In its premises is the provincial museum, the former Archaeological Museum, which was built in two adjacent palaces from the 19th century. Its interior patio with supported galleries stands out.

Located attached to the Casa Miranda, Burgos Museum, a complex of which it is a part. It is one of the best examples of the Burgos Renaissance and was built by Juan de Vallejo in 1547. The main door is topped by a large shield with the arms of the owners of the century, from whom it receives its name.

Adjacent to the Íñigo Angulo House is the Melgosa House (only the façade and the lot are preserved), which will also house the future expansion of the museum with the Decorative Arts and Modern Art sections.

It is a neoclassical style building, designed by Manuel Eraso in 1796 and located on Paseo del Espolón. It was the headquarters of groups of Burgos merchants during the Modern Age to charter ships from the Cantabrian ports to those of Flanders. Later it housed the Royal Provincial Academy of Drawing. The ground floor, at street level, is a free exhibition hall open to the public.

Located in the western part of the city, next to the Camino de Santiago. It was founded by Alfonso VIII in 1195. Dependent on the monastery of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas. In the century it had 87 beds, being one of the most important hospitals on the entire Jacobean route, it was a large reception center for pilgrims.

military architecture

It is located on the hill of its name elevated above the level of the city. It was ordered to be built by Count Diego Porcelos at the time of the Reconquista, in the year 884,[75]​ and under the command of Alfonso III.

The defensive building became a large Royal Alcazar and a place of prison, and a place of accommodation for nobles. The final construction of the castle took place towards the end of the century or the beginning of the century. In 1813, Napoleon's soldiers blew it up shortly before leaving the city.[76]

It is one of the most emblematic monuments of Burgos. It is one of the old twelve access gates to the city in the Middle Ages, rebuilt as an arch in honor of Charles I of Spain. It connects the Santa María Bridge, over the Arlanzón River, with the Plaza del Rey San Fernando, where the cathedral stands.

The city was completely walled between the 20th and 2nd centuries, with work beginning in the time of Alfonso X the Wise. The wall had more than 90 towers and 12 gates, almost as thick, about as long, as high as about , and spanned about . Due to the expansion of Burgos over the centuries, part of the walls were demolished. Currently, numerous remains of it are preserved, among which the following stand out:[77]​.

• - Walk of the Cubes. This was the wall that surrounded the perimeter of the city in the 17th century. In this section, the largest and best preserved of all the remains of the city walls, the wall canvas alternates with the semicircular cube, hence its name. Almost at the end of the walk, just before Doña Lambra's tower, we find an arch with a grill known as the Jewish quarter door, or Jewish gate, because it was where the Jews entered their neighborhood. After the Jewish quarter of Toledo, the Burgos aljama was the most important in Castile.

• - San Martín Arch. It was built by Mudejar master builders who used brick and stone. The Arab techniques used by them are also present in the horseshoe arch. This was the entrance door for the kings on their royal visits to the city, and through it the pilgrims leave heading to Santiago, an example of this can be seen on the intrados of the arch; a shell reminds us.

• - Arch of Saint Stephen. In the vicinity of the Castle, when descending through San Esteban we will find another section of wall and the Mudejar arch of the same name. This gate is the manifestation of medieval Burgos and is, without a doubt, the most interesting gate from an architectural point of view of all those preserved from the primitive fence.

• - Arch of San Juan. Entry gate for pilgrims into the city, it is currently greatly modified. Next to it, the so-called Casa de la Muralla, an office building designed by the architect Albert Viaplana, was built in the century.[78]​.

• - Arch of San Gil. Located in the northeast area of ​​the city. It had a tower attached to it called the , which was eliminated after a renovation. It was said that women who wanted to meditate and perform penances to get away from the world were welcomed there. It was a very important entrance, because from here you went or came to Santander "Santander (Spain)").

Bridges

Bridge built of stone that connects the southern part of the city with the Plaza del Cid. It is adorned with different sculptures related to the life of the Campeador. It connected the walled enclosure with the old convent of San Pablo, defended the tower of the same name and according to tradition it was built at the expense of the Brotherhood of the Three Wise Men, founded by Count Fernán González and commonly known as the Brotherhood of the 13 Knights, since its statutes establish that its members must not exceed that number.

Medieval stone bridge, located in the western part of the city. It allows you to cross the Arlanzón River, connecting the neighborhood of San Pedro de la Fuente "San Pedro de la Fuente (Burgos)") with the King's hospital "Hospital del Rey (Burgos)"). It allowed pilgrims traveling the Camino de Santiago to cross the river once they had crossed the city. Today exclusively pedestrian.

This Bridge joins the intersection of Paseo de Fuentecillas and Avenida de la Independencia, giving continuity to the latter, with José María Villacián Rebollo avenue. It connects the Southwest area, mainly the university campus, with the northern interior ring road.

Disappeared monuments

The Human Evolution Complex is currently located on the site it occupied. Inside the Fórum Evolución congress palace of said complex, restored parts of the floor of said monastery are preserved integrated into the modern building. During the century, the Cavalry barracks was used as a military building. After it was demolished, its site was used for decades, transforming it into a surface parking lot, known as the Cavalry parking lot, in use until 2005 when the current Evolution Complex began to be built on it.

It was located on San Francisco street, between the church of San Gil and the monastery of San Francisco. Successfully rehabilitated and modernized, today it is the Cáritas headquarters in the city that has, among other facilities, a dining room, workshops and a shelter for people in need, in addition to the restored chapel of the old convent.

Located near the church of San Gil "Iglesia de San Gil Abad (Burgos)"), currently only a building remains in ruins, of which a beautiful stone rose window stands out. The building was rehabilitated to prevent its collapse. It was the place where the wealthy population of the city sought to have a burial site. Among the remains that are believed to still be among the ruins would be those of Almirante Bonifaz, conqueror of Seville, or Diego López V de Haro, lord of Vizcaya and founder of the city of Bilbao. The stones began to forge their splendor in the century with a larger nave of . It was also the archive of the Catholic Monarchs, and here they deposited the will of Queen Isabel, who was fascinated by the temple. The monastery was large in size, as it had up to 21 chapels.[79]​.

There is no remains of the primitive Carmelite convent located near the Arlanzón River. The current monastery is later, since during the French invasion of 1808 it suffered serious destruction and plunder. Recovered and rehabilitated by the monks in 1813, its fate was sealed with the Confiscation of 1835, which led to its exclaustration, the division of the estate and its sale to different bidders. Conventual life was reestablished in 1877, but in the middle of the century the church was demolished and a modern temple was built in its place.

It was one of the oldest and most important hospitals in the city, founded by King Alfonso VI three months before the conquest of Toledo. It is located in the neighborhood of San Pedro de la Fuente "San Pedro de la Fuente (Burgos)") and its purpose was to serve the poor and collect pilgrims who passed through the Camino de Santiago.

Built outside the city walls, on the banks of the Vena River, where Saint Lesmes "Lesmes (saint)") attended to the pilgrims who arrived along the Camino de Santiago. The State Public Library in Burgos currently stands on its site, a modern building that preserves the restored original doorway of the old hospital.

The church of San Román was located in the upper area of ​​the city of Burgos, near the castle. It was an important parish[80]​ with its own cemetery and was related to the Camino de Santiago (having had a small hospital for pilgrims, the Rocamador hospital).[n. 4]​ Originally it was Romanesque, but when it was destroyed in the century it was a Gothic construction. In 2014 excavations began[82]​ and in 2015 the first remains of this church were found,[83][84]​ destroyed during the War of Independence (specifically, on October 18, 1812).

Other places of interest

It is the most central and popular tree-lined and landscaped walk of all the parks in Burgos. It emerged at the end of the century and took shape during the century. It connects the Santa María arch with the Plaza del Cid, next to the Principal theater "Teatro Principal (Burgos)") and the Provincial Council palace. The Consulate of the Sea is also located on this promenade and through the arches of the town hall the promenade connects directly with the Plaza Mayor. El Espolón has statues of kings and illustrious people related to the city, a beautiful music temple, ponds, fountains and strikingly trimmed trees. This walk is considered "the living room" of the city.

Formerly known as the Mercado Menor square. It is a construction in the shape of an irregular polygon, located adjacent to the Paseo del Espolón, in the heart of the old town. First called the weekly market square, granted by kings Ferdinand the Catholic and Charles I, it became the largest center of commercial activity in Burgos. The Puerta de las Carretas opened there; it would currently coincide with the arches of the town hall, where the carts entered the markets that supplied the city and the stalls were distributed around it. sale, under the arcades that surround the square. With the reform that occurred in 1791, the definitive establishment as the administrative center of the city took place. The Puerta de las Carretas and the adjoining wall were demolished, giving the green light for new buildings to be built, aligned with the surroundings of the square through arcaded facades. In this way, the road that linked France with Madrid and the space to the north was demolished. mercantile

It is one of the streets with the most history in the city, most of the Camino de Santiago runs through it. It begins near the church of San Gil "Iglesia de San Gil Abad (Burgos)"), running west uphill, surrounding the cathedral.

Among the large number of unique and historical buildings that are found along its route, the Fernán González arch stands out, already past the cathedral. It was built by the master Juan Ortega de Castañeda in 1586. It is formed by a semicircular arch escorted by two circular columns. At the top, several shields recall the heraldic tradition of the honoree. It is located on the site of the residence of Count Fernán González, the first independent count of Castile.

Located in front of the Cordón house. During the Middle Ages, it was the main trading point of the city. It was divided into two squares (the current Plaza de Santo Domingo and Plaza de la Libertad) at the beginning of the century with the construction of the Antón Porticoes.

La Llana de Afuera is a square located on the east façade of the cathedral, next to the Condestables chapel, which gives access through two passageways to an interior square called Llana de Adentro that through another passage connects with Calle de la Paloma. The surrounding space located to the east of the cathedral, between Laín Calvo and Fernán González streets, is known as Las Llanas, as Huerto del Rey street, also known as La Flora "Flora (mythology)"). The area is an architectural complex of medieval traces, made up of churches, houses, arches and squares. For decades it has been one of the city's party areas, frequented mainly on weekends by young people and university students.

Parks and green areas

Most of the parks in the city of Burgos are located around the Arlanzón River. Precisely, the banks of the river itself constitute a green corridor throughout the city.

The San Miguel hill is one of the lungs of the city. The city was born in this place and grew along the southern slope of the castle hill. Progressively, the upper neighborhoods disappeared. After the castle itself was blown up by Napoleonic troops in 1813, military installations were later located there. In the 1950s, the engineer Mariano Jaquotot, who would later become mayor of the city, decided to fill the Castle Hill with trees, which until then had remained completely bare.

In addition to the ruins of the Castle, its museum, the medieval well and the underground galleries (all of which can be visited), there are two bars-restaurants in the area, there are also some sections of the city walls that surround the park (San Esteban, Las Murallas street) and several parking areas in different places on the hill, both next to the Castle and near the viewpoint over the city.

Very close to the parking next to the Castle grounds is one of the park's leisure attractions, both for children and adults, it is a rope park among the pine forests with several circuits for different ages. Also on San Miguel Hill is the Bird Conservation Center where these animals are recovered. Nearby there is a greyhound racing track. It also has recreational areas for children with swings and a circuit throughout the park to practice exercise with outdoor facilities, as well as a mountain bike route and you can also go hiking if you wish. Likewise, there is a terraced area with gardens and an ornamental fountain between the castle and the viewpoint. The most notable thing about the park, in terms of views, apart from those enjoyed from the highest tower of the castle, are the views from the Mirador, from which you can get a great panoramic view of a good part of the city, especially the cathedral and the historic center. A metal sign on the railing allows you to identify the most characteristic places and monuments of the city.

Located upstream of the Arlanzón River, it is located in the eastern part of the city. It is a large park, with recreational areas, an artificial beach on the river and a BMX bicycle circuit. In this area is the Miraflores Charterhouse. Its name comes from the numerous sources it has (from the Prior, from La Teja, from La Salud and from Los Castaños).

This walk, located on the banks of the Arlanzón River, on land of an ancient island formed between the river and the city's canals, is considered a true botanical garden.

It is located on the right bank of the Arlanzón. It is a romantic walk. It has a great botanical variety, as well as monuments. Thus, you can find a bust of Miguel de Cervantes, the Arcos de Castilfalé, the fountain of the monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza, the doorway of the Romanesque hermitage of Cerezo de Río Tirón, as well as a large fountain-waterfall and a very complete park with interesting swings for children where the best-known characters of the city are represented.

Health

The city of Burgos has two large publicly owned health centers, managed by Sanidad Castilla y León (Sacyl):.

• - Burgos University Hospital (HUBU), built under the CPP regime (Public-Private Collaboration), has been in operation since 2012 and has replaced both the Divino Valles provincial hospital,[90]​ and the city's former main public hospital, the General Yagüe hospital. It has a total of 677 basic beds, of which 42% of the rooms are single and if necessary they could be doubled to reach a total number of 900 beds.

• - Fuente Bermeja Hospital"): it is part of the Burgos hospital complex in the specialty of psychiatry along with the units of the same specialty of the Divino Valles hospital and the University hospital.

The city also has two private hospitals: San Juan de Dios and Recoletas, numerous health centers; There is also a permanent Spanish Red Cross post, and 114 pharmacies spread throughout different parts of the urban area.

With the opening of the University Hospital of Burgos, the 3 public hospitals that the city had were left partially or totally unused or changed, depending on the case:

• - Yagüe General Hospital: it was the main hospital of the city, in March 2016 its interior dismantling began with the recycling of materials by a specialized and nationally recognized company that was also in charge of the exterior demolition work of the building during the summer and until November 2016.[91]​.

• - Divino Valles Provincial Hospital: today it is maintained as a complement to the University Hospital with the Mental Health districts and it also houses the facilities of the Forensic Anatomical Institute and also houses the Continuing Care Point (PAC) that brings together out-of-hours emergencies that were divided into two health centers in the city. The headquarters of Burgos Blood Donors and the Blood Bank are also located in this hospital.

• - Burgos Military Hospital"): its facilities have been remodeled and adapted to other uses and now its different modules are faculties of the University of Burgos and one of its pavilions is the Huelgas health center that serves the area.

Justice

The city is home to the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla y León, the highest judicial body of the autonomous community, located in the Palace of Justice of the Island, as well as the Prosecutor's Office of Castilla y León.

Transportation and communications

The city has a developed communications system that, together with its privileged geographical location, makes it the main transport node in northern Spain. Proof of this is ALSA's vehicle parking and maintenance headquarters for northern routes.[92]​.

Burgos is the most awarded Spanish city in terms of sustainable transport. Initiatives such as the implementation of biodiesel in the municipal fleet (Police, Firefighters, Buses), the renewal of part of the bus fleet, the Bicibur bicycle loan system or the control of vehicle access to the historic center, have received recognition from awards such as Civitas City of the year 2007 or the Energy Globe Award in 2009.[93]​.

Its wide avenues, together with the recent opening of inner ring roads and parts of the outer ring road, allow fluid traffic, making it the provincial capital in Spain that has the lowest number of streets with traffic jams, with less than one percent.[94]​.

Numerous national roads, highways and highways run through the municipality that link the city with all the capitals that surround it. Thanks to its location, Burgos has prospered economically as a hub for both national transport (Madrid-Basque Country, Barcelona-Logroño-Vigo), and international transport (France-Morocco, Portugal-France, French Way of Saint James). The main and best developed axis of land communications is the N-I, which connects Burgos with Madrid and the French border. Other highways that connect the city with León "León (Spain)") and Valladolid form the second major communications axis, source of important traffic with Portugal and Galicia. New highways are planned to connect with Rioja "La Rioja (Spain)") and Cantabria.

The following express routes stand out:

The city is completely circumnavigated by the BU-30. It allows any external traffic to avoid having to enter the city and travel to its destination in any direction using expressways.

The main access from the south (coming from Madrid on the A-1) is via the BU-11, entering the city through Plaza del Rey.

There are other national highways originating in the city, including:.

The regional network:

In the secondary network, there is the Poza highway, among others.

A new highway is currently being planned that will have its starting point in the north of the city. This is the A-73 that will connect Burgos with the Cantabrian coast through Aguilar de Campoo. The first two sections, between Burgos and Quintanaortuño, opened in 2013. The rest have been rescinded by the Ministry of Public Works due to the economic crisis, but are still planned, and their completion is expected before 2024.

The splitting of the section of the N-120 highway between Logroño and the capital is also planned, where it will connect with the easternmost part of the Camino de Santiago highway A-231 and which will be called A-12 (Burgos-Logroño-Pamplona). Currently, the sections in the province are in the project drafting process.

One of the main roads that has decongested the city's traffic is the Northern Interior Ring of Burgos, which is a street with two lanes in each direction, which runs from the Villímar neighborhood (to the east) to the Villalonquéjar neighborhood (west), passing points of great interest in the north of the city such as the University Hospital of Burgos, Burgos Rosa Manzano station or the cemetery, also connecting the Gamonal-Villayuda industrial estate with that of Villalonquéjar.

For internal transportation in the city there is a fleet of urban buses that operate on 40 lines, two of which are night lines. In 2011, about 14 million travelers were counted.[95]​.

The entity in charge of managing the service is the Municipalized Urban Bus Service of Burgos. The main bus nodes are located in Plaza de España, Antón arcades, Vitoria street "Calle Vitoria (Burgos)") 7, Arlanzón avenue, Gran Teatro street and Mío Cid square.

In 2010, the BonoBus contactless card system was put into operation. The following year, automatic recharging machines were installed at the city's main stops.[96]​.

The ticket price is one of the ten lowest in Spain, and the bus ticket has the lowest price per trip in the entire country.

Because the line planning is old and too centralized, a total restructuring is planned, in which the Railway Boulevard will become one of the main public transport axes, thanks to its dedicated lanes (one for each direction). For now, line 22 Boulevard-Hospital Universitario is the one with the longest route along the boulevard.

Burgos also has a taxi service and has 15 stops spread throughout the city: Avenida del Cid (Feygon building), Plaza del Cid, Calle de Vitoria 27, Avenida del Cid 96 (former General Yagüe hospital), Calle Madrid 5, Avenida de la Audiencia (next to Plaza de Castilla), Avenida de Castilla y León (next to Plaza de Bilbao and the Junta de Castilla y León building), Paseo de los Pisones 1, old military hospital, Divino Valles hospital, University Hospital (HUBU), Vitoria street (next to the Juan neighborhood), Human Rights Avenue (next to the Antigua health center in Gamonal), Rosa de Lima train station, airport.

Since 2005, Burgos has had the so-called Metropolitan Transport, a bus system that connects the municipalities of Alfoz with the capital. It consists of nine lines that offer service to more than 51 municipalities.[97]​.

In 2011, a slight increase in frequencies was carried out in some services. The unification of the transport card with the current contactless card of the urban bus service is also planned, improving transfers.

The use of bicycles as a means of transport is increasing due to various actions such as the recently renovated bicycle rack installation reaching the current 1,300 parking spots or the Registration Service to prevent theft. It has the second highest percentage of bicycle use in Spain (7.8%) only behind Vitoria, and well above other Spanish cities such as Barcelona or Seville.

The city has a bike lane network of just over , becoming the 6th Spanish city in terms of bike lane kilometers, and the first in kilometers per inhabitant. The main axis is the one that connects Gamonal "Gamonal (Burgos)") with the historic center and the university following the route of the Arlanzón River.

Thanks to the boulevard and its length, there is a continuous 12 km double bike lane, sharing the road with the rest of the road traffic, significantly improving travel times between the ends of the city. Most of this bike lane of the route is distributed in two directions, that is, each of the directions of circulation of the bike lane are separated by the median of the avenue itself.

There is a public bicycle loan service, the first of its kind in Spain.[98] This service allows you to rent a bicycle for a limited time. There are a total of 23 lending platforms distributed throughout the city (one of them double), at the most strategic transport points. Each of them has anchorage for 10 bicycles.

Currently, the use of Bicibur requires prior registration with which to use the service together on the city bus card, although it is planned to introduce a system that allows rental with a simple bank card, favoring its implementation. In 2011, the service had registered people. In 2016 the service was completely renewed with new white bicycles (initially they were blue and later red) and now includes advertising for a shopping center in the city on the same bike.

The Burgos bus station is located on Miranda street, very close to the historic center and a few meters from the cathedral. Built in 1949, it has undergone successive renovations, the last in 2006. It is a stop on national and international routes, as well as the head of provincial lines and metropolitan bus lines.

It is planned to move the station to the outskirts, in the northeastern area of ​​the city, in front of the current train station (thus favoring intermodality), very close to an access to the BU-30, improving the entry and exit times of long-distance buses. The current station would continue serving provincial and metropolitan lines and the new station would continue serving national and international lines.

The city is considered a major railway hub, along which two lines run, both managed by Renfe: the Madrid-Irún line, and the direct Madrid-Burgos railway through Aranda de Duero.

In 2010, it was 150 years since the arrival of the railway to the city, since the first train arrived on October 25, 1860. It joined Madrid with the French border and was considered the main railway communication route between Spain and Europe. Located in the middle of the route, Burgos would soon become an important communications hub between the center and the north of the country.

Since December 2007, the city is connected to the main provincial capitals through the Alvia high-speed service. It also has other Long Distance and Medium Distance services, which connect it with the main population centers of the country. A daily average of 18 long-distance trains and 12 medium-distance trains circulate through the station, which translates into a number of users around 330,000 annually.[99]​.

On December 13, 2008, the railway variant was inaugurated and with it, the new railway station, under the name Burgos Rosa de Lima station, a name later modified to Burgos Rosa Manzano station in 2021 and belonging to Adif. Located to the northeast of the city, near the Villímar neighborhood, the station is accessed from Avenida de los Príncipes de Asturias (inner northern ring road). The station is adapted for the next arrival of the AVE.

The city will be one of the four stops on the Valladolid-Burgos-Vitoria high-speed line. Currently all the sections between Valladolid and Burgos are completed, and although the AVE was expected to arrive in Burgos around 2017, the delays that arose in the works delayed the inauguration of the service until 2022.

The AVE significantly reduces travel time, connecting the city with surrounding capitals in short periods of time, such as:

• - Burgos-Valladolid: .

• - Burgos-Bilbao: .

• - Burgos-Madrid: .

Burgos has a dry port for the transport of goods. It is located in the Villafría neighborhood, very close to the airport and is served by the railway line of the Gamonal industrial estate and the Burgos-Villafría station. It has connection with the ports of Barcelona, ​​Valencia and Bilbao. It is worth highlighting the double weekly two-way connection with Barcelona.[100]​.

In September 2011, a freight train came into operation from the port of Bilbao to Madrid, a service that is planned to increase to 2 weekly frequencies.[101]​.

The implementation of a tram in the city was planned, which would run along the boulevard. It would consist of a line about 12 km long and would originate at the train station and end at the university. As rolling stock, it was planned to use a Translohr, a pneumatic tram, at a lower cost and with greater safety. Its cost was estimated between 80 and 120 million euros.

Due to the economic and real estate crisis, the project has been put on hold until the necessary financing is found when economic conditions improve. Currently, the means of transport used instead of the tram is the city bus, since specific bus lanes are available on a large part of the boulevard.[102]​.

The new terminal at Burgos airport was inaugurated on July 7, 2008, the old terminal and hangars are located on a nearby plot. On July 10, 2008, Burgos airport began operating commercial flights after its complete remodeling, in which nearly 45 million euros were invested. The airport facility is located next to the Villafría neighborhood, a few east of the city center. Access to it is via the BU-12 highway, which connects the roundabout where the A-1 highway and the N-120 highway (Logroño-Vigo) meet with the airport facilities, through a one-lane road in each direction exclusively for the airport.

Despite its recent inauguration and having come into operation in the middle of the economic crisis, in its first year it managed to surpass other similar Spanish airports in the number of commercial passengers, such as those in Vitoria, Logroño or León.[103]​.

Villafría is the maintenance headquarters of the Aeronova company, where its entire fleet is located.[104]​.

In 2014, the regular destination offered throughout the year was with Air Nostrum to Barcelona.

During the summer, charter flights were offered to various places on the peninsula and the islands, such as Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Alicante or Malaga, through the company Aeronova.

Since 2015, the airport stopped having regular passenger flights after problems arose with the only company that operated at the airport at that time: LeonAir.

Thanks to the initiative of the Burgos City Council to increase the budget, 3 weekly flights (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) to and from Barcelona have been operational since June 2018 with Air Nostrum.

Specific charter flights are also offered during long weekends or specific holidays. The airport obtained permission to operate flights outside Schengen airspace, in order to operate destinations such as the United Kingdom.

The airport also transports goods, mainly in the automotive sector to northern Spain, England and Eastern Europe.[105]​.

Education

Abbreviatedly known as the UBU, it is a public university, dependent on the Junta de Castilla y León. It was created in 1994 as a spin-off from the University of Valladolid, based on the campus it had in the province of Burgos. It has its headquarters in a building located next to the Camino de Santiago as it passes through the city, which was founded by Alfonso VIII, in 1195, as the King's hospital "Hospital del Rey (Burgos)"). It is the youngest of the four public universities in the Community, and the smallest in number of students.

Despite its recent creation, in 2012 it held first place in research within Castilla y León.[106]​ Since the 2014-2015 academic year, it has taught some of its degrees and master's degrees in online mode.[107]​.

It is the only online private university in the community. It is headquartered in the building of the old Major Seminary.[108]​ It was recognized as a university in 2011.[109]​.

You can also pursue university studies at the National University of Distance Education center and at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Spain.

Within the research sector, Burgos has institutions such as the National Center for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH), the Burgos Research Area, the State Reference Center for Care of People with Rare Diseases and their Families of Burgos (CREER) and the Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITCL), among others.

Among the projects are the Burgos technology park and the Burgos-Riopico economic activities complex (CAE), a multimodal platform that aims to bring together transport and companies in the service sector.[110]​.

Foundation sponsored by the Government of Castilla y León that aims to disseminate and promote the use and knowledge of the Spanish language, as well as promote and support the training of Spanish teachers at all levels of education. It has its headquarters in the Palace of the Island.

It has various quality accreditations such as teaching Spanish language to foreigners, granted by the Cervantes Institute.[111]​.

It houses an exhibition hall with temporary exhibitions, changing biannually. Admission is free and has the same schedules as the Institute itself. The contents are related to the world of literature, but also art in its various forms.

At the beginning of the 70s, the School of Arts and Crafts was created in the city of Burgos, located on Francisco de Vitoria s/n street. and after almost four decades, in 2012 he began his teaching activity in his new center located on Sahagún Street, s/n. from the same town, under the name of the School of Art and Higher School of Design and Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets of Burgos, is known as the EASD Burgos. Currently he teaches studies in Professional and Higher Artistic Education in Plastic Arts and Design as well as a Baccalaureate in Arts.[112]​.

En la ciudad se encuentra la librería más antigua de España en funcionamiento, aunque el local actual no se corresponde con el original, ya que se ha trasladado recientemente.[113]​ Fue fundada en el año 1850 por Santiago Rodríguez y además fue también en su momento una imprenta y una editorial con el lema «La escuela redime y civiliza».[113]​[114]​.

Museums

The city has a museum offering that has increased significantly in recent years.

Formerly known as the Provincial Archaeological Museum, it is housed in two adjacent palaces from the 19th century, the Casa de Miranda and the Casa de Íñigo Angulo, forming a block between Calera and Miranda streets. The Museum's collections have an exclusively Burgos origin, by origin or destination, and show the historical and cultural evolution of the province.

The Museum of Medieval Fabrics, located in the Huelgas Reales monastery of Burgos, is a museum that houses medieval women's, men's and children's civil clothing from the , , and , and centuries.

Although the set of pieces found is made up of about 300 elements, the exhibition is made up of 51 pieces on which an exhaustive restoration and cleaning task has been carried out. One of the most striking pieces of great historical value is the Las Navas de Tolosa banner. The good state of conservation of the fabrics, attributed to the high quality of the silk, has allowed their conservation, becoming the most important collection of these characteristics in the world.[115]​.

This museum belongs to the Archbishopric of Burgos and brings together altarpieces from the 1st century from various towns in the province of Burgos. It is located inside the church of San Esteban, currently without worship. It also houses pieces of metalwork from the period.

It is a set of spaces inside the cathedral, which houses a multitude of works mostly from various chapels that, for reasons fundamentally of security and conservation, are exhibited in this museum space, which is accessed from the upper cloister. The museum also has works ranging from goldsmithing to tapestries and paintings, all displayed throughout four chapels and the Chapter House. Among the multitude of important works it houses, the document of the deposit letter of the Cid Campeador stands out.

It is the most visited museum in the city, and also has an interpretation center with an area open free of charge to the public with temporary and permanent exhibitions.

A modern building located in front of the church of San Esteban "Iglesia de San Esteban (Burgos)"). The building is made up of three original volumes that overlook the city and suggest a permanent dialogue with it. It has several exhibition spaces interconnected by walkways from which suggestive urban views can be seen, in addition to others located on lower floors. It houses permanent and temporary collections of contemporary art.

Started to build in 2006, the MEH is one of the most important museums on human evolution in the world.[116]​ It exhibits the findings from the Atapuerca archaeological site.

It was inaugurated on July 13, 2010 by Queen Sofía. The environment includes the CENIEH, National Research Center on Human Evolution, already in operation, in addition to the future auditorium and conference center in Burgos that will be inaugurated in the first quarter of 2011.

It was the city's book and printing museum, it opened its doors on July 23, 2010 and closed on July 23, 2019. It was the only one of its kind in Spain. It was a private museum initiative in which around 200 publications were exhibited, including originals and replicas, in addition to other illustrative elements related to written history.[117]​.

The name of the museum referred to Fadrique de Basel, also known as Fadrique Alemán, who was the most renowned Burgos printer of the century. He practiced his profession in Burgos for thirty years, leaving important traces, such as the first edition of Celestina.

The museum project was born from the hands of Editorial Siloé, aiming to create a space in which the history of the book from the birth of writing to the current editions, which made it unique in Spain, would be narrated, with original copies and facsimiles.[118]​.

Burgos Castle is open all year round and combines a rehabilitation of the basic structure of what was the castle, and an interpretation center that explains the history of the fortress located in the same location where Napoleon's Imperial Battery was located during the War of Independence.

One of its main peculiarities is the guided tour of the so-called Moro cave, an underground gallery that connects with a century-old well used in the past for water supply. It is a unique well in Europe due to its depth and characteristics, an authentic work of medieval engineering.

The Castle is in a state of consolidated ruin but the history of this fortress and its current enhancement make it one of the most emblematic places to visit in the city of Burgos.

Located in the monastery of San Juan, it permanently displays a wide repertoire of paintings by the Burgos painter Marceliano Santa María. It was inaugurated in 1966, based on a series of paintings donated by his family, including portraits, history paintings and Castilian landscapes.

The old monastery is undergoing a new phase of rehabilitation, after having installed new covers on the ruins of the church and new comprehensive rehabilitation works are being carried out on the entire building, which includes covering the cloister, cleaning the facades and renewing supplies, among others, which is why the Marceliano Santa María Museum is being modified to house more artists in the future.[119]​.

It forms one of the eight museums that the army has in Spain. Located in the emblematic Capitanía Palace "Palacio de Capitanía General (Burgos)"), its museum collections remember a part of the country's Military History. The exhibition is divided into four rooms: flags, miniatures, weapons and transmissions.[120]​.

Cultural spaces

It was inaugurated on September 19, 2012 by Queen Sofia, with the musical and choral performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony and the Hymn to Burgos. It is part of the Human Evolution Complex, it is the building with the largest budget and size.

Its facilities include a main auditorium with more than 1,500 seats, as well as a secondary auditorium and an exhibition hall.

This cultural infrastructure is destined to become one of the most important venues for conferences and events in northern Spain. Its privileged location, in the heart of the city, and the availability of an underground car park with 1,400 spaces, will give the complex great value.

It is the most emblematic theater in the city. Elizabethan style, after a successful rehabilitation, it currently hosts celebrations of the Municipal Institute of Culture, in addition to other events of an artistic nature, it has exhibition halls, a library and on the ground floor there is a museum about the traditions of Burgos: La Casa de los Gigantillos.

Located on Santa Águeda Street, it hosts public and private events. The building was the old municipal warehouses.

It is a multipurpose pavilion located in a part of the city known as El Plantío, along with other sports facilities such as the football stadium and one of the city's heated and summer swimming pool complexes. It has a capacity of 9,454 people. It hosts the Sampedros bullfighting celebrations. After its renovation, in the Coliseum Burgos multipurpose pavilion, apart from the bulls, there will be concerts and sporting events, among other uses.

Cultural facilities

It is a cultural facility made up of three elements: MEH, Auditorium and CENIEH.

• - State Public Library: Managed by the Government of Castilla y León, it currently occupies a recently constructed building raised on the site of the old San Juan hospital, of which it preserves the entrance arch.[121]​.

• - Municipal Library: Dependent on the Municipal Institute of Culture, it provides its services through several branches scattered throughout the city.[122]​ In addition, it offers different services through the Internet, including a Virtual Reading Club[123]​ and a virtual desktop.[124]​

• Gonzalo de Berceo Library: head of the municipal library system of Burgos, it is the largest of the municipal libraries and the one with the largest bibliographic collection.[125] Inaugurated in 1994, it is located in the Gamonal neighborhood "Gamonal (Burgos)").

• Principal Theater Library: it is located in the heart of the city, in an emblematic building that houses the headquarters of the Municipal Institute of Culture.[126] It was opened coinciding with the restoration of the Principal Theater "Teatro Principal (Burgos)"). Its bibliographical collection is specialized in theater, although it is used as a study room.

• María Teresa León Library: located in the Gamonal Norte area, it was opened in 2003. It has a bibliographic collection specialized in comics.[127]​

• Miguel de Cervantes Library: the most recently opened municipal library (2006), located in the San Pedro de la Fuente neighborhood. It is a modern building with references to the author of Don Quixote.[128]​

• Río Vena civic center library: inaugurated at the beginning of 1997, it has 174 reading positions for the public, distributed in several rooms located on the first floor of the building, which also houses other municipal services.[129]​

• Library of the San Agustín civic center: inaugurated at the beginning of 2007, it occupies more than distributed on several levels.[130]​

• Capiscol civic center library: inaugurated in 2006, it has 82 reading positions for the public, distributed in several rooms located on the first floor of the building.[131]​

• Vista Alegre Civic Center Library: with and oriented primarily toward a family audience, it was inaugurated in 2005.[132]​.

• - Río Vena: Juan de Padilla street, s/n. It has a meeting room, playroom, library, space transfer program, a sports library and a sports area.

• - Vista Alegre: Victoria Balfé street, s/n. It has a library, conference room, youth and children's area, exhibition hall, computer room and several classrooms for workshops.

• - Capiscol: Sonsoles Ballvé street. It has a newspaper library, a library (specialized in children and young people), a media library, a computer room and a space transfer program. It is located in the old offices of the Campofrío sausage factory.

Gastronomy

Burgos gastronomy has mainly meat and legume dishes as typical dishes. It is worth highlighting the blood sausage and Burgos cheese as typical dishes of the city as well as in the province. Also of special importance are roast lamb, Castilian soup, Burgos soup and beans or caparrones, outstanding specialties of the city.

But without a doubt the most famous dish in the city is the so-called Olla Porida, which is a stew of beans, blood sausage, chorizo, ribs, bacon and other meat products from pork. Among the most traditional desserts, the yemas de Burgos ("yemas de Burgos"), or the grandfather's dessert"), made from Burgos cheese and honey, stand out.

Although the city is not located in an area with a designation of origin, wine is a fundamental piece in the local gastronomy thanks to the proximity of the wines with designation of origin Ribera del Duero "Ribera del Duero (wine)"), Arlanza and Rioja.

Burgos has been selected as the Spanish capital of gastronomy in 2013, thanks to its combination of modernity and tradition.

As in other areas of Spain, in Burgos it is also common to have tapas "Tapa (food)") or pinchos, as they are more commonly called in Burgos, as an appetizer or replacement for lunch or dinner. The most frequent "Tapa (gastronomy)" tapas areas are those near the Plaza Mayor), such as San Lorenzo Street or Sombrerería Street, among others. Among the most recognized "Tapa (food)" tapas, the cojonuda"), the patatas bravas or the potato omelette stand out.

Cultural itineraries

The city has been a crossroads since ancient times. Since Roman times, there have been numerous roads that connected the area with other parts of the empire. Once the Middle Ages entered and the city was founded, Burgos was a strategic place through which a good part of Castilian trade was carried out. It is also worth noting the importance of the city as it is located on the main axis of communication between Madrid and France, the so-called northern axis, one of the busiest in the country, which makes Burgos a city of passage and junction of roads.

Burgos is crossed by the French Camino de Santiago. It currently has three pilgrim hostels: the Casa del Cubo, municipal property, the Emaús, and the Santiago and Santa Catalina.

The city is a stage of the Camino del Destierro or Camino del Cid. Furthermore, the capital of Burgos has numerous elements that recall the figure of the Castilian knight such as the monument to Solar del Cid (next to the Arco de San Martín), the church of Santa Águeda "Iglesia de Santa Águeda (Burgos)") or the arch of Santa María. The city also houses important Cidian pictorial works such as the large canvases by Vela Zanetti that are exhibited in the dome of the palace of the Provincial Council of Burgos and other architectural works such as the eight statues, the work of the sculptor Lucarini, that are on the San Pablo bridge and that represent the friends of the Cid Campeador or the statue of the Landa knot.

The Camino de la Lana, coming from Alicante, reaches the Castilian city, where it connects with the Camino de Santiago. This Wool route is one of the oldest commercial routes on the peninsula.

Burgos is the 13th town through which the Charles V Route passes. King Charles I of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire spent the night in the city on his last trip through the peninsula, from the port of Laredo "Laredo (Cantabria)") to the Yuste monastery, and it was then that the new portal of the Santa María arch was inaugurated in his honor.

This is a night itinerary through various historical areas of the city. Starting at the cathedral, a tourist train travels through 27 other landmarks, most of them illuminated.

Project developed by the municipal library that allows you to travel different routes through the city while listening to literary fragments about those places written by different authors of universal, Spanish and local literature.[135]​.

Pilgrimage, tourist, cultural and heritage route that brings together the seventeen cities where Saint Teresa of Jesus left her mark in the form of foundations.[136]​ The route does not have an established order or a limited time since each pilgrim or visitor can do it how and in the time they wish.

Festivities

There are many festivals and fairs that are celebrated in Burgos throughout the year.

The first of them is that of San Antón "Antonio Abad (saint)"), which is celebrated on January 17; That day, a popular and free meal based on titos is held in the Gamonal neighborhood "Gamonal (Burgos)".

During the Sunday closest to January 30, the festivities of the city's patron saint, San Lesmes "Lesmes (saint)") are celebrated. The French origin of the former abbot of the monastery of San Juan led to the twinning of Burgos with his hometown, Loudun.

The celebration begins in the City Hall area. The municipal corporation, together with invited authorities from Loudun, moves escorted by full-dress guards to the church of San Lesmes "Iglesia de San Lesmes Abad (Burgos)"). There the offering to the saint is made, by the mayor, of a candle and a bagel of bread. After the religious ceremony, the festival continues in the Plaza de San Juan, where the chorizo, blood sausage, wine and bagels of bread offered to the saint (blessed) are tasted.[137]

Every year, the Castellana Recreational Society has gathered a large number of Burgos residents at the door of the Burgos cathedral since 1988 with their original chirigotas and costumes, having dressed up in costumes of: bullfighters, pilgrims, Templars, tourists, altar boys, witches, etc. The costumes are designed by Román García Rodrigo and made by the members of the troupe themselves.

The last weekend of May the pilgrimage of the Virgen Blanca #Romería_de_la_Virgen_Blanca "Church of San Pedro de la Fuente (Burgos)") is celebrated, which until 2005 was held to coincide with a medieval market that was no longer held. The pilgrimage consists of carrying the image of the Virgin from the church of San Pedro de la Fuente "Iglesia de San Pedro de la Fuente (Burgos)") to the esplanade of the castle, where the temple of Santa María la Blanca "Iglesia de Santa María la Blanca (Burgos)") was located (which housed the image and which was destroyed in 1813).

The oldest festival in Burgos is Curpillos. Traditionally it was celebrated the day after Corpus Christi. When Corpus Christi stopped being celebrated on a Thursday to move to Sunday, Curpillos underwent changes, starting to be celebrated the first year, on the following Monday, in successive years it was celebrated on the following Friday and currently it is the Friday before or after Corpus Christi, depending on whether Corpus Christi is early or late so that Curpillos does not coincide with the Friday on which the major festivals of Burgos, the Sampedros, begin at the end of June. Curpillos is also known as El Día del Parral since it is celebrated in the place with the same name. The festival begins in the Las Huelgas monastery with a procession with the Banner taken from the Moorish chief Miramamolín after the victory of the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. After the civil and religious celebration, a pilgrimage is held in El Parral. In this popular festival, the peñistas set up stalls selling drinks and food (chorizo, morro, blood sausage, tortilla...) for sale to the entire audience. There is a concert/DJ inside the park and numerous market stalls are set up for the occasion in the streets near Parral Park between the Las Huelgas neighborhood and the University area (San Amaro). In 1953 the City Council declared the Curpillos festival as a holiday by popular acclaim and it is a local holiday in the work calendar of the city of Burgos.

Events

Since 1977, this festival has been held uninterruptedly, turning the Burgos summer into an attractive meeting point for world cultures.

International, national, regional and local groups participate in it. It is a non-competitive annual exhibition with samples of songs, music and dances from the peoples of the world dedicated to the exhibition of traditional dances and music by folklore groups, strengthening ties of friendship between them and the peoples, promoting understanding in the field of traditions and popular arts, making cultural diversity known. The participating groups carry out parades and parades through squares and streets, folklore entertainment, craft markets, exhibitions, dance workshops, music recitals and performances and concerts. They have been through representing and more than .

This festival has become the cultural benchmark of the summer. It is usually celebrated during the third week of July, outdoors, in the Plaza de San Juan. For five days, Burgos becomes the universal center of peace, tolerance, diversity, integration and cultures.

It is organized by the City of Burgos Folklore Committee and is sponsored by the Municipal Culture and Tourism Management of the Burgos City Council and the collaboration of public and private entities. An important axis of the festival is cultural volunteering and citizen participation. His organization and careful treatment and dedication to the participants makes him recognized by everyone who knows him.

It is recognized as an international festival by the International Council of Festival Organizations of Folklore and Traditional Arts and Traditional Culture (Cioff), an entity that is an official collaborator of UNESCO and is accredited by the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee.

The Municipal Institute of Culture and Tourism of the Burgos City Council launches the White Night of Burgos for the first time on May 17, 2008, choosing this date as the eve of the celebration of the Pilgrimage of the White Virgin.

The White Night of Burgos aims to be a free cultural event open to all citizens that is celebrated in numerous spaces for public use, both open and closed. Parks, squares, streets, theaters, artistic creation centers, museums and the city's historical heritage will be visited by artists in an original way with original proposals for a White Night. It is a night of artists invading the streets and spaces and institutions with restricted access open to citizens. The city's hospitality industry also opens its doors with suggestions for the White Night of Burgos.

The years 2020 and 2021 are not celebrated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participation has been spectacular in all the editions held from 50,000 people in the first edition to 180,000 in 2011, never dropping to more than one hundred thousand spectators in the rest of the editions.[138]​.

Currently, the organization of this event corresponds to the Municipal Management of Culture and Tourism of the Burgos City Council.

Music

Since 2005, Burgos has had the Burgos Symphony Orchestra, which periodically develops concert cycles in this city.

Typical costume

According to the local folklorist Justo del Río, the typical Burgos costume consists of stockings, bloomers, petticoats, a manteo, apron, and a skirt on the lower part of the body, and on the left side a white scarf. The upper part consists of a shirt, jerkin and doublet. You can also wear earrings, a sober black bow, and black pump-heeled shoes as accessories.

Sport

Founded in 1936 and refounded in 1994, it is the soccer team of the city of Burgos. It is one of the historic clubs in Spain, since it competed in the first division for six seasons. Numerous financial problems led to its disappearance in 1983. In 1994 the club was refounded, which spent a season in the second division, but the failure to convert to SAD at the end of the 2001/02 season caused the club to be relegated. He currently plays in the second division after recently being promoted.

The team trains and competes in the El Plantío municipal stadium, with capacity for 12,654 spectators, all of them seated, after having undergone several renovations.

Founded in 1994, it was a provincial team until 2015, it became professional in order to compete in the LEB Oro, it is the basketball club of Burgos and currently competes in the ACB League. After the disappearance of CB Atapuerca, the FEB invites the new team to participate in the LEB Oro category, as compensation to the fans and the city of Burgos for not having been able to ascend to the ACB League for three consecutive years and after the disappearance of the previous club. In the summer of 2017 and after the change in the conditions of access to the top category, the club became the first team from the city to compete in it. Due to sponsorship issues, he competes under the name Hereda San Pablo Burgos. He currently competes in LEB Oro.

The team competes at the Coliseum Burgos, with capacity for 9,454 spectators, all of them seated. The team trains at the El Plantío municipal sports center.

It was the basketball club of Burgos and currently continues to compete in professional basketball. He achieved three consecutive promotions to the ACB League in the 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons playing in the LEB Oro, but did not manage to debut in the top category due to not meeting the entry requirements for the association. At the end of this last season and seeing that the team was not going to be admitted to ACB, the board of directors decided to dissolve the club and stop competing, showing that the team had reached its ceiling and would not be able to be promoted in the coming seasons. In the end he did not disappear and is currently competing in the LEB Oro. Due to sponsorship issues, he competes under the name Autocid Ford Burgos.

The team trains and plays its matches at the El Plantío municipal sports center, with capacity for 2,500 spectators, all of them seated.

Official rugby club of the city. Founded in 1970, it received a bronze plaque from the Spanish Rugby Federation in 1996.[143] After obtaining two promotions in seasons 12/13 and 13/14, after several seasons in the Division of Honor B (group A), it achieved promotion in the 2017/2018 season. Since then it has played in the Division of Honor, the highest category of Spanish rugby. Due to sponsorship issues, it competes under the name of UBU Colina Clinic.

Its field is located in the San Amaro sports complex. With capacity for 1500 spectators, of which 500 are seated.

Media

Burgos has a local newspaper, Diario de Burgos, the most read in the city, which also includes information of a provincial nature. Together with El Mundo "El Mundo (Spain)") the Correo de Burgos and online newspapers such as Burgos Conecta and Burgos Noticias are distributed.

There are also several free newspapers and magazines such as Gente, which is a newspaper born in Burgos, which became national in circulation, but local in each city in which it is distributed.

Radio Arlanzón, Radio Castilla-Cadena Ser Burgos, Cope Burgos, Punto Radio Burgos, Radio Nacional de España, Radio Evolución Burgos and 24FM.

There are channels Canal 54 "Canal 54 (Burgos)") and CyL8.

• - Portal:Burgos. Content related to Burgos.

• - Province of Burgos.

• - Wikipedia in Spanish hosts other articles about Burgos.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia gallery about Burgos.

• - Wikiviajes hosts travel guides to or about Burgos.

• - Burgos City Council.