The Huelgas Monastery

I recommend visiting the monastery, you can do it only by a group visit guided in Spanish. The guide I had during my visit was very prolific about the historical context of monastery foundation and the royalty contribution to the history of Christianity in Europe.

I really enjoyed the visit and well worth the 8 euro. The guided tour is in Spanish but thanks to google live audio translate, I was able to understand (kudos to the lady guide who spoke louder when she realised I was using google translate). The place is beautiful and serene. The history and knowledge of the people who lived, built and created the place is amazing. Must visit.

Interesting monastery with great historical significance. Tours are primarily in Spanish but there is enough material available for you to get the gist of it

An absolutely spectacular place, a must when you are in Burgos. Visits are only possible with a guided tour. We had one in Spanish, not sure if there are any in English. To see all the treasures inside was unique. Inside, there are also explanations in English. We arrived minutes a tour has started, and they were so nice to let us in ans join it. Mind the opening times! It is a stunning building, inside and outside.

It’s a nice monastery, but I had to follow the guided Spanish speaking group although I do not speak Spanish. Also, the group started from the beginning, but they ushered me to the middle of the visit as they take only in groups. Mixed feelings, architecture is beautiful, experience was uncomfortable and not nice at the end.

The Monastery, which still houses some enclosed nuns, is located close to the University area of Burgos. As well as its intrinsic architectural interest, the monastery houses the graves of Alfonso VIII of Castile and his wife Leonor Plantagenet, daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, sister to Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland. Alfonso led a coalition of Christian kingdoms to victory over the Moors at the battle of Navas de Tolosa in 1212. The battle is seen as a turning point in the Reconquista, the 700 year holy war to retake the Iberian peninsula from the hands of the Moors. Given that the end of the Reconquista only occurred in 1492 with the capture of Granada, the significance of the battle in 1212 might be overstated. Be that as it may, in the monastery museum at the end of the visit you can see the Moorish standard (Pendón) captured at the battle. In addition to it there are some wonderfully preserved items of material and clothing from over 800 years ago. I found them quite moving. We had a guided visit in Spanish which was enthralling, full of historical detail as well as a clear explanation of the architectural features of the monastery. The architecture of the buildings is significant. Friezes and other features made by Moorish artisans have been incorporated into the structure which contains Gothic and Mudéjar features. It is a gem of a place to visit, but prepare well for it by familiarising yourself with a bit of Spanish history as well as some understanding of the architectural terms.

Very beautiful. If you are in the area, I recommend stopping and going inside to see the alabaster windows in the chapel.

Guided tour in Spanish. Well organized and informative. Tour demonstrates interesting places of the monastery and story / history behind the artefacts within the monastery. Enjoyed the 1 hour tour.