Astorga travel guide

Astorga is a town in the Castile and León region of northern Spain, 43 km southwest of León city. It has a well-preserved old centre and is a stop-off on the pilgrimage route to Santiago. In 2021 the population was 10,600.

Understand

The Romans conquered this area by around 20 BC, mainly to lay hands on the gold mines to the west at Ponferrada, and they fortified every strategic position. Their military camp grew into a walled civilian city, and several sections of the wall remain standing. The town became a religious centre astride the pilgrimage route to Santiago, with its cathedral and churches gilded in Baroque style. Astorga industrialised in the 19th century when the railway arrived - chocolate was a major product – but this didn't spoil its historic centre.

Get in

By road

Astorga is 332 km north-west of Madrid on A6, say 3 hr 30 min. This highway continues to La Coruna, branch off at Lugo for A54 to Santiago.

By bus

Alsa buses run from Madrid Estación Sur every couple of hours, taking 5–6 hours via Valladolid. Two per day start from Madrid-Barajas Airport T4.

Buses from León run hourly and take an hour.

Astorga bus station is 100 m north of the cathedral and palace.

By train

From Madrid-Charmartin you usually change at León. One train a day is direct, taking 3 hours via Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia, León and Veguellina, continuing to Ponferrada. One train a day is direct from Barcelona via Zaragoza, Pamplona, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Burgos and León, continuing to Ourense, Santiago de Compostela and La Coruna.

Astorga railway station is 1 km north-east of the town centre.

By pilgrimage

El Camino is a network of pilgrimage routes from various European cathedral cities, converging on Santiago de Compostela in north-eastern Spain. The local section is from León via San Martín to Astorga, where it's joined by Vía de la Plata, the route from Mérida via Cáceres‎ and Salamanca. Together they continue west through Ponferrada.

Get around

The town is small and walkable. Taxi operators include Juan M García (+34 636 735010), Vicente Prieto (+34 608 478980), Alejandro Alvarez (+34 633 525661) and Quintana Martinez (+34 639 427021).

See

Bishop's Palace (Photo: Coralma*, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Astorga Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María). Daily 10:00–18:00. The cathedral was built in fits and starts from 1471, so to its original Gothic design were added the neoclassical cloister, the Baroque towers and Renaissance portico and high altar. Adult €8, conc €7, child €6.
• Church of Santa Marta (next to the cathedral). The church gets overlooked. It was completed in 1741.
• Bishop's Palace (Palacio Episcopal de Astorga), Plaza Eduardo de Castro 15 (next to cathedral), ☏ +34 987 616882. Daily 10:30–14:00, 16:00–18:30. When the original palace burned down in the 19th century, Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to design its replacement, and work began in 1890. It's a pseudo-medieval (almost Disney) castle in grey granite, but unfinished at the death of its sponsoring bishop, whereupon Gaudí fell out with the town council and stomped off the job. Completed in 1915, it now hosts a museum about the pilgrimage route. Adult €6.
• House of Leopoldo Panero, Panero 9 (facing cathedral). Childhood home of the poet Panero (1909–1962), who started out as a Socialist but during the Civil War became a leading Falangist. Free.
• Town hall (Ayuntamiento de Astorga) is a Baroque building of 1683 overlooking a shady plaza. Be there at midday to watch the bells clatter into life.

Cathedral seen from Panero's House (Photo: David Perez, CC BY 4.0)

• Roman Museum (La Ergastula), Plaza San Bartolomé 2 (50 m east of Town Hall), ☏ +34 987 616937. Tue–Sat 10:00–14:00, 16:00–18:00, Sun 10:00–14:00. Exhibiting archaeological findings from Roman and Medieval times, in what may have been a Roman jail. Daily at 11:00 and 17:00 they lead a guided tour (for an extra €4) of Ruta Romano, of other remains around town such as the military camp, the sewers, two baths, forum and several mosaics. Adult €4.
• Church of St Bartholomew (100 m east of the Roman museum). Built as Romanesque but has a Baroque interior. The town council met here until the Ayuntamiento was built in 1683.
• Church of San Francisco, Padres Redentoristas 3 (100 m south of the museum). 19th century neo-Gothic style.
• Church of Our Lady of Fátima on Plaza San Julián was founded in the 12th century but heavily restored in the 18th and 20th. Its austere facade contrasts with its Baroque interior.
• Chocolate Museum, Av la Estación 16, ☏ +34 987 616220. Tue–Sat 10:30–14:00, 16:30–19:00, Sun 10:30–16:00. Showing the city's chocolate-making from medieval times to the present, with old machinery. Signage is only in Spanish. Adult €4.

Do

• Swimming: Piscina Municipal is on Paseo del General Martinez Cabrera, open M-Sa 10:30-21:30.

Buy

• Alcampo is the main downtown supermarket, at the roundabout north side of the cathedral, open M-Sa 09:00-21:30.

Eat

Chocolate Museum (Photo: Museo del Chocolate de Astorga, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Serrano, Portería 2 (200 m south-west of cathedral), ☏ +34 987 617866. Tue–Sat 13:30–22:30, Sun 13:00–15:30. Great reviews for its classic Spanish cuisine, naturally including Serrano ham.
• Las Termas, Santiago 1 (200 m southeast of palace), ☏ +34 635 262773. Wed–Sun 13:00–16:00. Splendid trad fare, such as cocido maragato stew.
• La Peseta (next to the Roman Museum). Good hotel restaurant.

Drink

Astorga is within the Tierra de León Denominación de Origen (DO). Most production is red wine from the Tempranillo grape.

• Cafe Kavafis (by the supermarket north of the cathedral). Wed–Sun 18:00–02:00.

Sleep

• Hotel Spa Ciudad de Astorga, Los Citios 7, ☏ +34 987 603001. Central, but poor scores for service and value. Double (room only) €70.
• Casa de Tepa, Santiago 2, ☏ +34 987 603299. Wonderful little hotel in an 18th-century ducal residence. Some street noise. B&B double €100.
• Hotel Gaudí, Plaza Eduardo de Castro 6 (100 m south of palace), ☏ +34 987 615654. Efficient stylish hotel. B&B double €90.
• Exe Astur Plaza, Plaza España 2, ☏ +34 987 617665. Pleasant chain hotel facing the town hall. B&B double €100.

Connect

As of Nov 2024 Astorga and its approach highways have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from MasMovil, Movistar and Orange.

Go next

• León has a rich cultural heritage.
• Ponferrada is set in a strange terrain eroded by ancient gold mining.
• Zamora has fine Romanesque architecture.

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