Introduction
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia and a focal point for holidays in north west Spain. It's easily one of the country's most magnificent cities, home to the shrine of St James the Apostle, the patron saint of Spain. Its grand 11th century Roman Catholic cathedral, with its iconic grey granite towers, marks the end of the Way of St. James pilgrimage, or the Camino de Santiago as it's known in Spanish.
This fabled pilgrimage route has been traversed since medieval times and puts Santiago de Compostela in the same bracket as Jerusalem and Rome as one of Christianity's most important places. Pilgrims still arrive at Santiago de Compostela in some numbers and are joined by travellers who come to see the city's beautiful old town, a superbly preserved UNESCO World Heritage site. The old town, the zona monumental, may be small but it's lined with impressive statues, grand stone mansions, open squares and the main attraction, the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela.
