One of the grandest Renaissance buildings in Spain, San Marcos was built in the 16th century as a monastery and pilgrim hospital on the Camino de Santiago. The long Plateresque façade stretching along the Río Bernesga is almost theatrical in its ambition — over a hundred metres of sculpted medallions, pilasters, and shells.
You don't need to be a guest at the parador inside to appreciate it. Walk the length of the façade, duck into the lobby, and visit the small archaeological museum, which holds Roman and medieval artefacts from the León region. The cloister is beautifully preserved.