Galicia Tourist Guide 2018

Roman wall of Lugo

Praza de Praterías. Santiago

THE WAY OF SAINT JAMES The oldest pilgrimage route in Europe has also become a Primary European Cultural Route , since it has served as a crossroad for trade and exchanges between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of the conti- nent since the Middle Ages. To travel it is a unique journey, due to the landscapes you traverse, which vary from mountainous to coastal regions, the inland villages you pass through, the cuisine you sample, and the spiritual values you share with others. There are eight paths to Santiago de Compostela ,

though the French Way is the most popular. If you still have any energy left, you could continue on to Cape Fisterra , or the end of the world, as people from ancient times knew it. CATHEDRAL AND HISTORIC CENTRE OF SANTIAGO Nearly one thousand years old, the cathedral houses the tomb of St. James the Apostle and is also the destination of countless pilgrims who for centuries have travelled many kilometres from all over Europe for the Jubilee, recognized with the

"La Compostela" certificate issued by the Church as proof of having com- pleted at least the last 100 km. of the route. After embracing the bust of the apos- tle located on the High Altar, you can visit his crypt and become entranced by the show put on by the b otafumei- ro and then go up to the cathedral's roof. Constructed with large blocks of ashlar, from there you can look out over the better part of the his- toric centre which is made up of nar- row streets and plazas. Down below, visitors from all four corners of the Earth sample traditional wines and tapas.

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