♦ Narrow streets lined with cathedrals, cafes, and universities.
♦ The architecture and languid lifestyle of centuries past.
♦ Central America's bastion of liberal thought.

This is León, the colonial city. A city best seen on a walking tour.

La Catedral de León, the largest cathedral in Central America, dominates in the core of the city, towering over the central square. From the rooftop the view of the city and nearby volcanoes is unbeatable.

The churches La Merced, El Calvario, San Juan, San Francisco, Sutiava and La Recolección are among the most interesting. 

León also played a crucial role in the uprising against the regime of the Somoza dictatorship in the 1970's. There was a strong Sandinista-movement in the area, which emerged mostly from the students who studied at the University of León, one of the first universitites in Central America. There are still many related museums and monuments to be found in the city.

There is also a museum about Rubén Darío, who lived in León during the first 14 years of his life. Others are a museum about the legends of the area (the Museum of Legends and Traditions), one about the indigenous community (Indigenous Sutiava Museum), as well as several art museums and extraordinary galleries.