Castillo de Burgos
Castillo de Burgos
3.5
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3.5
717 reviews
Excellent
194
Very good
224
Average
220
Poor
53
Terrible
26
macedonboy
Glasgow, UK185,662 contributions
Dec 2022
A fortification has existed here since the days of the Roman Empire, although it’s believed a castle proper existed since the Medieval period. There is so much history connected to this castle. It stood during the Moorish conquest and the Reconquista. It served as a royal castle for the kings of Castile and prison for the enemies of the Castillian monarch. Sadly, it did not survive the French occupation when it was blown up by the French army as it evacuated the castle and city near the conclusion of the Peninsular War.
The French did such a thorough job of destroying the castle, it is little more than a ruin now. Still, I love history and enjoyed the hike up to the castle for both the view and to learn about the history.
The French did such a thorough job of destroying the castle, it is little more than a ruin now. Still, I love history and enjoyed the hike up to the castle for both the view and to learn about the history.
Written December 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PeterGarrett78
Driffield, UK1,854 contributions
Nov 2019 • Business
The site itself is still filled with military earth works and field fortifications, quite often you can be walking beside a ‘mound’ of earth and think that it’s a natural feature. In fact these are defences built up by the French military around 1805-1809 during the Peninsular war. The Duke of Wellington tried unsuccessfully to siege the castle making a few attempts all ending in failure.
The castle that sits on the site now is a fake built around the 1980’s for tourists but it does sit on the site of the original castle of the time, there are still some original stone works to be seen and the field fortifications are original; now covered in trees they would have been devoid of any vegetation at the time.
The views out over the city of Burgos are decent, there is a seasonal cafe and loos on the site with plenty of information boards too.
Despite the current castle being a fake the site is well worth a visit for the amount of genuine and authentic information you will get from it. It’s also a decent walk around the site too. It’s one of the only places in Europe where you can see the remains of a genuine breach of a castles walls as the French failed to fill one of the breaches in.
Standing at the bottom you can only imagine how devastating it would have been for Wellington’s men to attempt to advance into the castle whilst under murderous fire and constant attack.
The castle that sits on the site now is a fake built around the 1980’s for tourists but it does sit on the site of the original castle of the time, there are still some original stone works to be seen and the field fortifications are original; now covered in trees they would have been devoid of any vegetation at the time.
The views out over the city of Burgos are decent, there is a seasonal cafe and loos on the site with plenty of information boards too.
Despite the current castle being a fake the site is well worth a visit for the amount of genuine and authentic information you will get from it. It’s also a decent walk around the site too. It’s one of the only places in Europe where you can see the remains of a genuine breach of a castles walls as the French failed to fill one of the breaches in.
Standing at the bottom you can only imagine how devastating it would have been for Wellington’s men to attempt to advance into the castle whilst under murderous fire and constant attack.
Written November 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tdealwis
Angers, France127 contributions
May 2019 • Solo
Not much left of the castle, but the views of Burgos from the castle were very good. The information about the 68M deep well was very interesting.
Written June 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lswanson2014
New York City, NY10 contributions
Apr 2019
There was not much to see at the Castle but the view from the top was amazing as well as walking back down to town. Highly recommend the walk.
Written August 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NewYorkJudy
New York121 contributions
Jun 2016 • Friends
First, please note that "Castillo" here means fort, rather than "castle".
Visiting the Castillo is the best way to learn about the fascinating history of this important city. The Castillo was established during the Spanish war to reconquer the peninsula from the Moors as part of an effort to repopulate this newly reconquered territory with Christians. The city of Burgos gradually grew down the hill toward the River Arlanzón as the area became more secure. (Before visiting the Castillo, I had assumed that the city grew up around the river, just as Paris grew up around the Seine, and London, the Thames.) The original water source for the people who lived in the Castillo was a well dug more than 300 meters deep!
The Castillo was pretty much destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars, but the wall and parts of the interior have been reconstructed.
It's well worth paying the entrance fee to tour the Castillo, but even if you don't, you can still climb the hill and enjoy the fabulous views. It was fun to pick out the colorful Plaza Mayor, and to see the Cartujo de Miraflores (on the left) and Monasterio de Huelgas (on the right), which we also enjoyed visiting.
Visiting the Castillo is the best way to learn about the fascinating history of this important city. The Castillo was established during the Spanish war to reconquer the peninsula from the Moors as part of an effort to repopulate this newly reconquered territory with Christians. The city of Burgos gradually grew down the hill toward the River Arlanzón as the area became more secure. (Before visiting the Castillo, I had assumed that the city grew up around the river, just as Paris grew up around the Seine, and London, the Thames.) The original water source for the people who lived in the Castillo was a well dug more than 300 meters deep!
The Castillo was pretty much destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars, but the wall and parts of the interior have been reconstructed.
It's well worth paying the entrance fee to tour the Castillo, but even if you don't, you can still climb the hill and enjoy the fabulous views. It was fun to pick out the colorful Plaza Mayor, and to see the Cartujo de Miraflores (on the left) and Monasterio de Huelgas (on the right), which we also enjoyed visiting.
Written July 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabby831
Burgos, Spain3 contributions
Jul 2012
The tour is cheap and takes you down into the tunnels where people dug into the castle to poison the well water. Not for the claustrophobic. It is pretty cool. The name "Castillo" is a bit deceiving, since the Castle is now mostly ruins. Nonetheless, it was fun. Plus on the way there is one of the best views of Burgos!
Written July 9, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VitoriaFood
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain118 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Unfortunately it was closed for restoration works but well worth a trip up the hill as the views over the city are spectacular.
Written March 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Samuel P
Birmingham, UK265 contributions
Oct 2019
The castle is much of a ruin but with plenty of interpretation boards in three languages, including English. You will learn a lot about the history and get some great views over the surrounding area as you walk the walls.
Under cover are the oldest parts of the ruins.
What I did not know was that the castle figured in the Napoleonic wars, with Wellington being thwarted at the gates. A memorial to all the regiments that took part in the siege is outside the gate.
Free to enter but no toilets or guide book.
Under cover are the oldest parts of the ruins.
What I did not know was that the castle figured in the Napoleonic wars, with Wellington being thwarted at the gates. A memorial to all the regiments that took part in the siege is outside the gate.
Free to enter but no toilets or guide book.
Written October 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
L C
Bath, UK1,378 contributions
Aug 2019
Long steep climb from town to this mostly ruined Castle, but effort has been made to provide good level walkways in the castle around the outside ramparts with steps that afford spectacular views of Burgos and the surrounding countryside. The tour of the Tunnels is not to be missed, not only to you get a good history of the Castle by the guide (in English and Spanish) you also get to see tunnels that run under the Castle and information of what they were used for....all for free!!!
Written August 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andre L
Kuwait City, Kuwait2,519 contributions
Jul 2019
The Castle of Burgos was a castle and alcázar, located in the city of Burgos,[1] in the hill of San Miguel to 75 m above the city and to 981 meters above the sea. This hill was the subject of archaeological surveys by General Centeno in the years 1925 and 1926 trying to find Napoleonic military files from when the French in their retreat blew up the fortress. According to the results obtained in this excavation the origin of the castle dates to the Visigoths, and its oldest parts, to the Romans.
The castle grew over the centuries, becoming a major fortification and residence of the kings of Castile. Following the accession of the Habsburg family the castle lost its importance as a royal residence, and during the French occupation, on June 15, 1813, the French army decided to leave the Castle of Burgos, and they destroyed it with explosives. The explosion resulted in the almost total destruction of all the castle grounds. The castle remains in ruins.
In the mid-1980s a complex archaeological study was conducted in which it was established that the signs of oldest human populations both in the hills del Depósito, de San Miguel and del Castillo, form an ensembles of the first order. Within the hill of the castle was located the oldest town on record in the city of Burgos dated around 2000 B.C.
The castle grew over the centuries, becoming a major fortification and residence of the kings of Castile. Following the accession of the Habsburg family the castle lost its importance as a royal residence, and during the French occupation, on June 15, 1813, the French army decided to leave the Castle of Burgos, and they destroyed it with explosives. The explosion resulted in the almost total destruction of all the castle grounds. The castle remains in ruins.
In the mid-1980s a complex archaeological study was conducted in which it was established that the signs of oldest human populations both in the hills del Depósito, de San Miguel and del Castillo, form an ensembles of the first order. Within the hill of the castle was located the oldest town on record in the city of Burgos dated around 2000 B.C.
Written August 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Se puede ir al castillo con perros? Tenéis alguna recomendación de alguna actividad que hacer con ellos?
Written April 19, 2023
se puede subir al mirador o al castillo de Burgos, tengo problemas de movilidad
Written March 21, 2022
Hola, se recomienda ir al castillo subiendo en el tren? Solo pienso estar dos días en Burgos y deseo hacer lo más interesante, gracias..
Written April 4, 2015
Yo he ido en coche, pero las distancias son tan cortas, que andando se puede ir perfectamente. Habia gente que subia en taxi, pero insisto, está bien señalizado y se puede llegar de cualquier manera. Existe amplio aparcamiento por si os sirve de utilidad.
Written April 5, 2015
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