The city of Santiago de Compostela was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. The justification of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (INCOMOS) recognised its “extraordinary ensemble of distinguished monuments grouped around the tomb of St. James the Greater, the destination of all the roads of Christianity’s greatest pilgrimage from the 11th to the 18th century“.
Although the Cathedral is the most famous monument (you can check the available visit options here), the entire historic centre of Compostela is full of unique buildings that are the living history of the city: the Hostal de los Reis Católicos, the Casa do Deán ad the Casa do Cabido, the Colexio de Fonseca, the Monastery and Church of San Martiño Pinario, the Pazo de Feixoo and the Pazo de Raxoi, among many others. Traditional architecture coexists in symbiosis with the works of internationally renowned architects, present throughout the city: buildings by Álvaro Siza, Manuel Gallego Jorreto, Giorgio Grassi, Arata Isozaki, Peter Eisenman and Víctor López Cotelo.Traditional architecture coexists in symbiosis with the works of internationally renowned architects, present throughout the city: buildings by Álvaro Siza, Manuel Gallego Jorreto, Giorgio Grassi, Arata Isozaki, Peter Eisenman and Víctor López Cotelo, among others.
Compostela is also a city full of culture. Its museums (Museo Galego de Arte Contemporánea, Museo do Pobo Galego, Museo das Peregrinacións, Casa da Troia or Museo Centro Gaiás), its exhibitions and events (in the Colexio de Fonsexa or in the Auditorio de Galicia) and art galleries stand out. The presence of cinema is fundamental to the cultural life of the city: from the Cineclube de Compostela to the Numax cinema. To enjoy nature, in Santiago there are countless parks, gardens and other green spaces: the Alameda Park, the San Domingos de Bonaval Park, the Belvís Park, the Carballeira de San Lourenzo, the Galeras Park, the Brañas de Sar, the river walk along the river Sarela or the Carlomagno Park, among others. In addition, university life fills Compostela with leisure activities for everyone, with options for alternative and self-organised circuits.
You can find more information on the Santiago de Compostela Tourism website.
