Lerma, Spain

Lerma Spain

Lerma, also known as the Ducal Town of Lerma, is a village and municipality in Spain. It lies in the district of Lerma, in the province of Burgos, the historic region of Old Castile, within the autonomous community of Castile and León. The town stands on a hill overlooking the fertile plain of the River Arlanza and serves as both the administrative and commercial centre of the Arlanza area. The town’s history and growth are inextricably linked to the patronage of Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, the first Duke of Lerma, favourite and chief minister of King Philip III, and, more broadly, to the Duchy of Lerma. In tourism terms, Lerma forms what is known as the Arlanza Triangle together with the nearby towns of Covarrubias and Santo Domingo de Silos. Since the Middle Ages it has also been an obligatory stopping point on the Cañada Real Burgalesa, a major drovers’ route connecting Extremadura with the Sierra de la Demanda. During the period when Valladolid briefly served as Spain’s royal court (1601–1606), Lerma played a role similar to that of El Escorial for Madrid. It was declared a historic and artistic ensemble in 1965 and is recognised as the main Herrerian architectural complex in Spain. The town also hosts the only state-run Parador hotel in the province of Burgos, housed in the Ducal Palace of Lerma and considered one of the ten best Paradores in the country. Lerma boasts one of the few 18‑hole golf courses in Castile and León, the Lerma Golf Club. Another reason for the town’s renown is the presence of three cloistered convents with more than a hundred nuns between them, one of which is the headquarters of the recently founded religious institute Iesu Communio. Its Plaza Mayor, at 6,862 square metres, is one of the largest main squares in Spain, larger even than the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca.
Recommended airport
Valladolid (VLL)
Nearby destinations
  • Burgos a 36.36 km
  • Aranda de Duero a 39.97 km
  • Santo Domingo de Silos a 45.71 km