Holiday in Castile

About Castile

Castile, the heart of Spain, encompasses the vast plateaus of the Meseta with its medieval towns, imposing castles, and golden grain fields. This region in the center of the country was the driving force behind the Reconquista and the discovery of the New World — the Castilian language became the global language Spanish. Castile is divided into two parts: Castile and León in the north (Spain's largest region) and Castile-La Mancha in the south, the home of Don Quixote. The cities of Castile read like a UNESCO catalog: Segovia with its Roman aqueduct and fairy-tale castle Alcázar, Ávila with its completely preserved medieval city wall (2.5 km, walkable), Burgos with its majestic Gothic cathedral, León with the vibrant stained glass windows of its cathedral, and Salamanca with the golden Plaza Mayor — one of the most beautiful squares in Spain. Castile-La Mancha in the south is the landscape of Don Quixote: windmills on hilltops in Consuegra and Campo de Criptana, the fortified town of Almagro with its unique 17th-century Corral de Comedias theater, and endless vineyards of the D.O. La Mancha — the largest wine-growing region in the world by area. Culinary-wise, Castile is home to Cochinillo (suckling pig) from Segovia, Lechazo (milk lamb), and Manchego cheese. The vastness of the Meseta, the clear air, and the dramatic sunsets over the grain fields have a meditative quality.