I wanted to trace the route of the Camino in Burgos because later in the trip we would be following, by car, this famous route across the north of Spain, and more as travellers than pilgrims.
Route of the French Way
Apparently this is the best signposted but also the busiest of the pilgrim routes. It covers 760 kms from St Jean Pied de Port to the tomb of St James in Santiago de Compostela. Nevertheless, in 2023 there were 220,000 people on the route! It was first mentioned in 1165, in the Calixtine Codex, but it was only since the 1990s that it has become a ‘tourist’ attraction.
In Burgos the route shaped the city: all the religious centres were concerned with the pilgrims and there were also 35 hospitals in the city!
Church of San Lesmes
The Church of San Lesmes stands in the Plaza of San Juan, next to the ruined monastery of the same name. We visited on our last trip; this time I struggled with the camera, so do look up the previous post. The Plaza of San Juan is just outside the city walls and so this is a good place to start. This was the site of the Monastery of San Juan and one of the hospitals in the town.
Arco and Calle de San Juan
Immediately opposite the church there is a bridge over the River Nene which leads through the Arch of St Martin, one of the gates in the city walls.
Church of San Gil
The church is slightly off the route but a wonderfully peaceful and calm site. I wrote about its history in 2022.
Calle Fernan Gonzalez
The Calle San Juan becomes the Calle Avellanos, and then the Calle Fernán González, the main street in earlier centuries and so lined with aristocratic mansions.
After the hostel the street passes the Palace of the Castilfale and then leads past the Cathedral, and the Church of St Nicholas. And all along the route are ‘statues’ of decorated pilgrims, or even real live pilgrims.
The Gate of Fernán González, Count of Castile, who lived in the 10th century and was a powerful military and political figure during his time. He was buried in San Pedro de Arlanza and later reburied in Covarrubias.
From the small garden just beyond the arch there are views to the hills on the opposite side of the valley.
The statues mark the site of the Solar of El Cid, a house which was attributed to El Cid. This was also the Jewish quarter of the city in the distant past, but nothing of that remains.
The large building behind the site is the former Seminary Mayor of Burgos, opened by Franco in 1961. The east wing is now the ABBA Hotel, the central part is part of the university, but the west wing (in the photograph) is unused.
Gate of St Martin
And next to the Seminary are the walls of the city and the Gate of St Martin. A pilgrim figure shows this is the end of the camino in the old city.
From outside the gate a sign and a pilgrim statue point the ways down the hill and out into the countryside – only 500 kms to Santiago de Compostela.
The Camino in Burgos is an interesting short walk through the old city, passing many old churches and historic mansions, as well as the Cathedral.