Semana Santa in Spain: Castilla-Leon
Semana Santa in Castilla-Leon is a far more solemn affair than in Andalusia. It is seen as a lot more 'authentic' than that of Andalusia, more a commemoration of Jesus's death than a celebration.While in Malaga and Seville there are numerous processions made up of just one or two floats (each procession pertaining to a single church), in Castilla-Leon there are far fewer processions, but each one has up to 11 floats. This means that the activity is more concentrated. With most activities taking place in the evening, you are free to spend your days elsewhere.
There are six principal cities in Castilla-Leon, each of which does Semana Santa in a similar way. These cities, in order of importance during Semana Santa, are:
Note that Leon, Salamanca, Segovia and Avila are the more touristy cities, but Zamora and Valladolid are the more famous cities with regards to Semana Santa.
Semana Santa begins earlier in Castilla-Leon than in Andalusia, beginning two Fridays before Easter Sunday, making ten days of celebrations.
