Paseo del Espolón, Arco de Santa María and Plaza Mayor

It is the most classic walk in Burgos and takes an hour, free and on the flat: the Espolón beside the Arlanzón, the Arco de Santa María, the Plaza Mayor and the Casa del Cordón. You can do it with a pushchair and with a dog on a lead, and almost all of it is outdoors, so it suits any time of year; in summer, the shade of the plane trees makes it pleasant even at midday.

The Paseo del Espolón

From the Santa María bridge to the San Pablo bridge, the Espolón runs between shady plane trees and the river bank. The town council describes it as an 18th-century architectural garden with romantic touches of French origin, with more than 200 years of history. In the centre and on the upper walkway are the Cuatro Reyes (Four Kings), four stone sculptures donated by Charles III that represent figures linked to Burgos. Along the promenade you see the Consulado del Mar, in classicist style, and several Modernista houses, and at the end, on the Plaza del Cid, the Teatro Principal and the Diputación palace. A few metres from the fountain in the middle of the promenade is one of the best views of the cathedral spires.

The Arco de Santa María

Halfway along the promenade, the Arco de Santa María was the gate and tower of the 14th-century wall. Around 1540, Juan de Vallejo and Francisco de Colonia rebuilt it as a triumphal arch in honour of Charles V, who presides over the facade surrounded by the most important figures in the history of the city and of Castile. Through it you pass into the cathedral square. Inside there are exhibition rooms and it is worth going up: the Sala de Poridad, where the town council met until the 18th century, has Mudéjar coffered ceilings and motifs of the Cid, and the main room has a painting by Vela Zanetti and remains of Mudéjar plasterwork. There is also the Pharmacy Museum, with pieces from the apothecary of the old Hospital de San Juan. Admission is free; it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00, and Sunday from 11:00 to 14:00. It is closed on Mondays and public holidays, except in July and August, and on 29 June and 10 August.

The Plaza Mayor and the Casa del Cordón

From the Arco, the arcaded Plaza Mayor is five minutes away. It is presided over by a bronze statue of Charles III, beside the neoclassical town hall of the late 18th century. At the end of the walk, on the Plaza de la Libertad, the Casa del Cordón was the palace of the Constables of Castile, designed in the late 15th century by Simón de Colonia; its name comes from the Franciscan cord carved on the doorway. Here the Catholic Monarchs received Columbus after his second voyage. Its exhibition rooms are free and open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 to 14:00 and from 17:30 to 20:30, and Sundays and public holidays from 11:30 to 14:00; closed on Mondays.

From the Arco you have the cathedral in front of you and, on the way back, the departure point of the tourist train on Calle Nuño Rasura.