Barcelona Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia stands at the top of the Barri Gòtic on the site of earlier churches, and most of the present Gothic building went up between the 13th and 15th centuries. The elaborate main façade on Pla de la Seu looks medieval but is a much later addition, completed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Saint Eulalia, a young martyr of Roman Barcelona, is one of the city's patron saints, and her alabaster tomb lies in the crypt beneath the high altar.

Inside, side chapels line a tall, dim nave, and the carved choir stalls in the centre carry the painted coats of arms of the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece, who met here in 1519. The cloister is the most memorable space: shaded by palms and orange trees, with a fountain and a pond that is home to a small flock of white geese, a long-standing tradition. The rooftop terraces, reached by lift, give a close view of the pinnacles and over the old town.

Cultural and tourist visits run from 9.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays, 9.30am to 5.15pm on Saturdays and the eves of religious holidays, and 2pm to 5pm on Sundays and religious holidays, with last entry 45 minutes before closing, or 30 minutes before on Sundays. Tickets can be bought online, with reduced prices for students up to 25 and for large and single-parent families, and free entry for people with disabilities. Because this is a place of worship, dress respectfully, with shoulders and knees covered. Allow about an hour.

The main gate faces Pla de la Seu, and the Santa Eulàlia gate on Carrer del Bisbe is the step-free entrance for people with reduced mobility. On weekend days the square in front is sometimes used for sardana dancing, the Catalan circle dance.

The cathedral is a few minutes' walk from Jaume I station on line L4. Carrer del Bisbe, with its neo-Gothic bridge, leads to Plaça de Sant Jaume and the city and regional government buildings, and the remains of the Roman walls can be seen around Plaça Nova. The Palau de la Música Catalana and the Mercat de Santa Caterina are a short walk to the east.