French Gothic
Leon Cathedral
The Gothic cathedral of León, the Pulchra Leonina: about 1,800 m² of stained glass, the Virgen Blanca and a skeleton of flying buttresses.
León, Spain
León Audio Guide
Explore León with 24 audio stops and researched, fact-checked narration. From the «Pulchra Leonina» to the Royal Pantheon of San Isidoro and Gaudí's city castle, every place explains how a city of kings, pilgrims and tapas keeps eight centuries of art within a few streets.
- ~4h of audio
- 7 routes · 24 audio stops
- Offline mode
- English and Spanish
- 7Landmarks
- 24Audios
- ~4hOf narration
Photo: Jl FilpoC, CC BY-SA 4.0
7 audio guides in León
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Romanesque
Royal Basilica of San Isidoro
Romanesque basilica in León with the Royal Pantheon of 12th-century frescoes, the agricultural calendar and the treasury with the Chalice of Doña Urraca.
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Gaudí in León
Casa Botines
What to see at Casa Botines: Gaudí's work in León, a neo-Gothic castle with Saint George, moat, turrets and a museum.
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Plateresque and Camino de Santiago
Convent of San Marcos
Plateresque façade over a hundred metres long, former pilgrims' hospital of the Order of Santiago, today a Parador and the Museo de León.
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Tapas route
Barrio Húmedo
Tavern streets around the Plaza de San Martín: a free tapa with every drink, cecina and cured sausage, and the popular origin of the name “Húmedo”.
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Contemporary art
MUSAC
Contemporary art museum in León with a coloured-glass façade inspired by the cathedral and a Mies van der Rohe Award.
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Old town
Plaza del Grano
A square paved with river pebbles, a former grain market, with a fountain, the Romanesque church of the Mercado and arcades in the old town of León.
León Audio Guide
What to see in León with the EarGuide audio guide
León packs into a compact old town the legacy of a medieval kingdom and of one of the routes of the Camino de Santiago. Leon Cathedral, begun around 1255 on French models, replaced much of its walls with some 1,800 square metres of stained glass spread across about 130 windows and rose windows. A few steps away, the Royal Basilica of San Isidoro, built in the 11th and 12th centuries, keeps in its Royal Pantheon vaults painted with 12th-century Romanesque murals and a twelve-month farming calendar. On Plaza de San Marcelo, Casa Botines, which Antoni Gaudí built between 1891 and 1892, is one of his few works outside Catalonia, with corner turrets, a moat and a Saint George above the door. Beside the Bernesga river, the Convent of San Marcos, seat of the Order of Santiago since the Middle Ages, shows off a Plateresque façade more than a hundred metres long and now operates as a Parador. The Barrio Húmedo, around Plaza de San Martín, gathers the taverns where every drink comes with its tapa; the Plaza del Grano keeps its river-pebble paving and the Romanesque church of Santa María del Camino; and in the northern expansion district, the MUSAC, opened in 2005 and winner of the Mies van der Rohe Award in 2007, turns a cathedral stained-glass window into its façade of coloured glass.
With the EarGuide León audio guide, every place reveals its history through narration researched and fact-checked against historical sources. Unlike a free walking tour or a conventional guided visit, you set the pace, the order and the stops. No groups, no timetables, no internet connection.
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No internet needed
Download the routes before you head out and explore without using data.
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Smart geolocation
The narration starts by itself when you reach the point of interest.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the León audio guide
How much does the León audio guide cost?
The EarGuide app is free. The León audio guide includes 7 independent routes with just over four hours of narration spread across 7 sites and 24 audio stops, and it is found inside the app itself.
Do I need an internet connection to use the audio guide?
No. EarGuide works entirely offline. Download the routes over WiFi before you set out and you can use the audio guide with no connection and no data use throughout your visit. The map shows your GPS position in real time even without coverage.
What languages is the León audio guide available in?
The León audio guide is available in Spanish and English, with researched, fact-checked narration on the Gothic cathedral, the Romanesque art of the Kingdom of León, Gaudí's legacy and the Camino de Santiago.
How long does the full tour take?
The audio guide brings together 7 independent routes with just over four hours of narration in total, from 20 to 45 minutes per route. They can be spread over two days: one for the Cathedral, San Isidoro, Casa Botines, the Barrio Húmedo and the Plaza del Grano, and another for the Convent of San Marcos and the MUSAC.
Is the audio guide better than a free walking tour or a guided visit?
They are different experiences. The EarGuide audio guide lets you explore León without timetables or groups, pause and resume whenever you like, and replay any explanation as often as you need. It suits independent travellers, families and anyone who prefers to understand the city at their own pace, with no prior knowledge of art or medieval history.
Which landmarks and points of interest does it include?
The León audio guide covers 7 main sites: Leon Cathedral, the Royal Basilica of San Isidoro, Casa Botines, the Convent of San Marcos, the Barrio Húmedo, the MUSAC and the Plaza del Grano.
Can I do it all on foot?
Yes. Five of the seven sites are in the old town, less than 700 metres from one another: the Cathedral, San Isidoro, Casa Botines, the Barrio Húmedo and the Plaza del Grano. The Convent of San Marcos lies a little over a kilometre west of the cathedral, beside the Bernesga river, and the MUSAC about 550 metres north-west of San Marcos and about 1.6 kilometres from the Barrio Húmedo. These are flat walking distances, although the day with San Marcos and the MUSAC adds up to several kilometres; on that stretch a taxi or the city bus saves some walking.
Can I use a purchase in the other EarGuide apps or on another phone?
Yes. Purchases belong to your EarGuide account, not to one app or one phone. A city unlocked in the EarGuide app is also unlocked in that city's own app, and the other way round, on both iPhone and Android. Just sign in with the same account on the other device. The store's “restore purchases” button only covers the app the purchase was made in, so signing in is what carries it across.
Download the León audio guide free
The León audio guide is inside the EarGuide app, free and ready to use offline. Carry it in your pocket and explore the city at your own pace.
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