Discover a selection of points of interest in Santiago de Compostela, encompassing religious, historical, and cultural sites. This city in northwestern Spain offers more than just the arrival of the famous pilgrimage that bears its name: the 12th-century Romanesque cathedral, a medieval center with cobblestone streets, the traditional market of 1873, Baroque monasteries, and parks from the 19th century make up its architectural and urban heritage.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Romanesque building, constructed in the 12th century, traditionally houses the relics of Apostle Saint James. The Portico of Glory features medieval carvings.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Historic Quarter extends around the cathedral and preserves its medieval network of cobblestone streets. The narrow lanes connect religious buildings, plazas, and granite residential structures built between the 12th and 18th centuries. The area includes several churches, convents, and civil buildings that document the architectural heritage of the city.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Mercado de Abastos de Santiago was built in 1873 and serves as a central location for regional produce trading. The stalls sell seafood from Galician waters, local cheese varieties, vegetables from surrounding farms, and meat from the region. This market hall has functioned as a meeting point for vendors and buyers for over a century.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Museum of the Galician People occupies the former convent of Saint Dominic and displays the folk traditions of Galicia through everyday objects, historical costumes, and traditional tools from various regional crafts and trades.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The largest square in Santiago de Compostela with the facades of the cathedral, the town hall, and the former royal hospital for pilgrims.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Alameda Park is a municipal park dating from the 19th century, with tree-lined pathways bordered by centenary oak trees. Several fountains and kiosks are distributed throughout the grounds. Stone benches positioned along the paths provide views across to the cathedral of Santiago.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
This hill located 5 km from the cathedral offers a view over the city and its landmarks. Stone sculptures depict groups of pilgrims.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Monastery of San Martín Pinario was built in the 16th century and displays Baroque architecture. The complex includes a cloister, a historic library, and a museum. After the cathedral, this monastery is the second-largest religious building in Galicia and served for centuries as a Benedictine abbey.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Portico of Glory forms the main entrance to the cathedral and was created between 1168 and 1188 by Master Mateo. This monumental gateway displays Romanesque sculptures depicting the Last Judgment alongside numerous prophets, and stands as a masterwork of medieval stone carving.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Hostal dos Reis Católicos was built in the 15th century as a royal hospital and now operates as a hotel. The building displays a Plateresque facade and contains four interior courtyards with fountains. The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella commissioned its construction to care for pilgrims traveling the Camino de Santiago.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The museum presents the development of pilgrimages since the Middle Ages and the history of Santiago de Compostela through objects, documents, and artworks.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Praterías Square is located on the southern side of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and is surrounded by historic buildings. A fountain stands in the center of the square, flanked by stone sculptures and architectural elements from the 11th century. The cathedral facade displays Romanesque reliefs depicting biblical scenes.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Casa do Cabildo is an 18th-century Baroque building on Plaza de las Platerías. This structure features a facade decorated with sculpted motifs and wrought iron balconies.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Raxoi Palace is an 18th-century neoclassical building constructed under Archbishop Bartolomé Rajoy. The palace currently houses the town hall of Santiago de Compostela and the seat of the Presidency of the Xunta de Galicia. Its facade extends along the entire north side of Plaza del Obradoiro, facing the cathedral.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Galician Contemporary Art Center presents rotating exhibitions of international artists in a building with minimalist architecture. The institution displays multimedia installations and experimental works from current artistic production.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The City of Culture is a contemporary building complex on Mount Gaiás, opened in 2011. Designed by American architect Peter Eisenman, the project includes a library, a museum of Galician history, a theater, and several exhibition spaces. The undulating stone and glass structures cover 70,000 square meters and integrate into the hillside landscape.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
This literary café established in the 20th century hosts readings, exhibitions, and artist gatherings in a traditional cultural space in the historic center.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Monastery of San Payo de Antealtares was built in the 16th century to house a community of Benedictine nuns. This religious building stands on Quintana Square, adjacent to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Quintana Square extends between the Monastery of San Paio de Antealtares and the southern facade of the cathedral. A wide stone staircase divides this medieval square into two distinct levels, connecting the upper Quintana de Vivos with the lower Quintana de Mortos, which takes its name from the former cemetery.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Azabachería Square is located in front of the northern facade of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. For centuries, artisans worked here with jet, a black gemstone that was crafted into souvenirs for pilgrims. This square served as one of the main access points for pilgrims arriving in the city via the Way of St. James from the north.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
This shopping street displays traditional Galician architecture with stone arcades, wrought iron balconies, and 18th-century timber-framed facades.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Café Casino dates back to the 19th century and features a hall decorated with mirrors and moldings. This establishment served as a meeting place for writers and artists who gathered here to exchange ideas and discuss literary and artistic topics.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Sarela River flows through the western part of Santiago de Compostela and offers walking paths along its banks. The paths run through wooded areas with natural vegetation and provide quiet walks near the historic centre.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
This Romanesque church from the 12th century is located on top of a hill in a public park. Centenary oaks frame the religious building constructed in granite.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Rúa Nova is a medieval street dating from the 12th century, characterized by its covered galleries. Along this street, representative buildings and shops are housed in historical stone structures that preserve the architectural heritage of Santiago de Compostela's old town.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Gothic House is a medieval residence dating from the 14th century. The facade displays twin windows and carved decorations that characterize civil Gothic architecture in urban residential buildings of this period.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
This Romanesque church built in the 12th century has leaning walls supported by external buttresses. Its architecture illustrates unique technical solutions for the time.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Fonseca Palace was built in the 16th century and combines Renaissance architectural elements with an academic library. The collection contains more than 40,000 historical volumes. The building served the University of Santiago de Compostela as a teaching facility until the 19th century and housed various academic faculties.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
This medieval gate dating from the 14th century is the only remnant of the seven historic entrances that allowed access to the fortified city.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The San Roque Chapel was built in the 18th century from granite and features a Baroque facade along with a wrought iron bell. This religious building marks the eastern access to the medieval old town of Santiago de Compostela.