The city of Palencia has a typically Castilian air. It is situated in the midst of a large plain in Tierra de Campos with the river Carrión running through it. It was built over the settlement of the vaccea tribe, later conquered by the Romans in the 2nd century B.C.

Its development as a city began in the 11th century and by the 15th century it had already become an important focus for the cloth industry, an industry which has always characterised the commercial activity of this area.

One of the best views of the city can be had from the Cerro del Otero, where the imposing sculpture, Cristo del Otero, stands 30 metres high. A work of the sculptor Victorio Macho, it is an established part of the landscape of Palencia and can be seen for miles around.

Palencia offers the visitor a number of different museums such as the famous The Casa del Cordón, a civil building from the 16th century which houses the Museo Arqueológico de Palencia and numerous finds from the prehistoric age, Romanisation, Celtiberic culture and the Middle Ages, should also be mentioned.