It’s the true Spain, caught between the mountains and the plain, and it makes no concessions to tourists. It’s also packed with history. León is actually a derivation of “legion”, specifically the Seventh Legion, which built a fortress on the site to guard the gold mines at nearby Astorga. The street plan of the old town is still based on the lines of the old barrack blocks and you can tour the Roman walls. León’s crowning glory is the cathedral, one of the stops on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela.