Astorga is a town 43 km (27 mi) south-west from León. It sits on a spur of rock, with mountains to the north and west. It has extant city walls to the south, east, and west. You can walk along the walls to the south and gaze up in awe from one of the more scenic car parks to the north. Most camera crews doing Gaudi do not get as far as Astorga. However, the town is a stopover on the French Way of the Way of St. James pilgrimage.

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Map of Astorga

By road Astorga is 332 km northwest of Madrid on A6, say 3 hr 30 min. This highway continues to La Coruna, branch off at Lugo for A54 to Santiago.

See below for the pilgrimage hiking trail.

By bus from Madrid Estación Sur is 5-6 hours via Valladolid, running every couple of hours, with two direct buses a day from Madrid-Barajas Airport T4. Buses from León run hourly and take an hour.

Astorga bus station is 100 m north of the cathedral and palace.

By train from Madrid-Charmartin you usually change at León. One train a day is direct, taking 3 hours via Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia, León and Veguellina, continuing to Ponferrada.

One train a day is direct from Barcelona via Zaragoza, Pamplona, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Burgos and León, continuing to Ourense, Santiago de Compostela and La Coruna.

42.4595-6.04731 Astorga railway station is 500 m east of town centre.

The town is small and walkable. The taxi operator is Taxi Astorga (+34 639 427021).

• 42.4578-6.05691 Astorga Cathedral. Daily 10:00-18:00. Catedral de Santa María was built in fits and starts from 1471, so to its original Gothic design were added the neoclassical cloister, the Baroque towers and Renaissance portico and high altar. Adult €8, conc €7, child €6. (updated Nov 2024)
• Bishop's Palace (Museo de los Caminos), Plaza Eduardo de Castro 15 (next to cathedral), ☏ +34 987 616882. Daily 10:30-14:00, 16:00-18:30. When the original palace burned down in the 19th century, Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to design its replacement, and work began in 1890. It's a pseudo-medieval (almost Disney) castle in grey granite, but unfinished at the death of its sponsoring bishop, whereupon Gaudí fell out with the town council and stomped off the job. Completed in 1915, it now hosts a museum about the pilgrimage route. Adult €6. (updated Nov 2024)

• House of Leopoldo Panero, Panero 9 (facing cathedral). Childhood home of the poet Panero (1909-1962), who started out as a Socialist but during the Civil War became a leading Falangist. Free. (updated Nov 2024)
• 42.4543-6.0532 Town hall (Ayuntamiento de Astorga) is a Baroque building of 1683 overlooking a shady plaza. Be there at midday to watch the bells clatter into life.
• 42.454228-6.0524393 Roman museum (La Ergastula) (facing Town Hall). Museum on archeaological findings, from the Roman and Medieval times. There are also Roman archaeological remains in and near the town, including those of the original military camp, the sewers, two baths (late 1st and 3rd century AD), remains of the forum and several mosaics.  
• 42.458611-6.0498894 Chocolate museum (Museo del Chocolate de Astorga).  

• 42.4571-6.05491 Hotel Spa Ciudad de Astorga, Los Citios 7, ☏ +34 987 603001. Central, but poor scores for service and value. Double (room only) €70. (updated Nov 2024)
• 42.4564-6.05532 Casa de Tepa, Santiago 2, ☏ +34 987 603299. Wonderful little hotel in an 18th century ducal residence. Some street noise. B&B double €100. (updated Nov 2024)
• Hotel Gaudí, Plaza Eduardo de Castro 6 (100 m south of palace), ☏ +34 987 615654. Efficient stylish hotel. B&B double €90. (updated Nov 2024)
• Exe Astur Plaza, Plaza España 2, ☏ +34 987 617665. Pleasant chain hotel facing Town Hall. B&B double €100. (updated Nov 2024)

As of Nov 2024 Astorga and its approach highways have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from MasMovil, Movistar and Orange.