When King Alfonso III the Great of León reconquered the region in the 9th century, he built several castles and the region came to be known as Castile, the "land of castles". In 884, Diego Rodríguez "Porcelos", count of Castile, gathered the inhabitants of the countryside into one fortified village - Burgos. Construction on Our Lady of Burgos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, began in the 13th century, and took over 200 years to complete. As such, the entire history of Gothic art is summed up in its superb architecture and its unique collection of works of art, including paintings, choir stalls, reredos, tombs and stained-glass windows. While the gothic cathedral is the most prominent, the streets are littered many other religious monuments, such as Cartuja de Miraflores with its gold altarpiece, or the Monastery of Las Huelgas. And don't miss out on the restaurants dishing out Burgos' exquisite cuisine.