Castile and Leon is the heart of old Spain — a vast plateau of wheat fields and medieval cities, where the Gothic cathedrals rise above the plain and the castles on every hilltop tell the story of the Reconquista.

Segovia is the most dramatic of the Castilian cities — a city built on a rocky spur above the confluence of two rivers, with a Roman aqueduct of extraordinary completeness running through its centre and the Alcazar, a fairy-tale castle at its western tip, rising above the plain. The roast suckling pig of Segovia is one of the great dishes of Spanish cuisine.

Salamanca is the most beautiful of the Castilian cities — a university city of golden sandstone, with a Plaza Mayor that is the finest in Spain and a cathedral complex of extraordinary complexity. The university, founded in 1218, is one of the oldest in Europe, and the Frog carved on the facade of the Escuelas Mayores is one of the most famous hidden details in Spanish art.

Toledo is the most historically complex of the Castilian cities — a city where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together for centuries, producing a culture of extraordinary richness. The cathedral, the synagogues of Santa Maria la Blanca and El Transito, and the paintings of El Greco are all within walking distance of each other. Bella Via designs Castilian itineraries that combine the great cities with the landscape of the meseta.

Castile and Leon rewards those who arrive with curiosity and leave with a deeper understanding of what Spain was before it became what it is today.