León - Start of San Salvador

León is a city that rewards those who linger. Most Camino Francés pilgrims pass through in a day and miss half of what makes it extraordinary. If you're setting off on the Camino del Salvador, give yourself at least an extra afternoon — better yet, a full rest day — before tackling the long road north to Oviedo.

The Cathedral of Santa María de la Regla is the undisputed highlight. Its Gothic interior holds some 1,800 square meters of stained glass — one of the largest collections in Europe. On a sunny day the light pouring through those windows transforms the nave into something that stops even the most jaded traveler in their tracks. The Virgen Blanca on the main portico is a reproduction; the original sits in a chapel behind the main altar. Several sculptures have been removed for ongoing restoration.

The Real Basílica de San Isidoro is the other essential visit. It houses the relics of San Isidoro and the Panteón de los Reyes, where 23 Leonese monarchs rest beneath 12th-century frescoes so vivid they've earned the nickname "the Romanesque Sistine Chapel." Entry is through the museum.

Fans of Gaudí will find the Casa de los Botines a short stroll from the cathedral, with a bronze statue of the architect seated on a bench out front. Every service you could need is here. The best food and liveliest atmosphere are in the Barrio Húmedo — a tangle of narrow streets near the Plaza Mayor whose name tells you the drinks flow freely. León is the only province in Spain that produces hops for beer, and local craft breweries like Four Lions produce Zerep, a beer worth trying.

As you walk the old city, look down. Bronze plaques in the pavement mark the boundary of the original Roman settlement — the impression of a left foot of a Roman soldier from the Legio VII Gemina. Nearer the Plaza Mayor, another plaque bears the Hebrew word ספרד (Sefarad), marking the boundary of what was the Jewish quarter before the expulsion of 1492.

The Camino del Salvador begins at the Parador San Marcos, the spectacular former monastery that now serves as one of Spain's finest state hotels. Pick up your credencial and first sello, and prepare for a route that medieval pilgrims considered essential: the detour from León to Oviedo to visit the relics in the Cámara Santa, before continuing to Santiago.