Fodor's Expert Review Catedral de Santiago de Compostela

It's a new era for the Catedral: In 2020, the unsightly—and seemingly permanent—scaffolding came down to reveal one of Spain's most impressive (and painstakingly laborious) restorations. What was once a discolored, greenish, and weather-worn facade is now radiant, golden, and spotless—a befittingly grand finale to arduous pilgrimages. Although the facade is baroque, the interior holds one of the finest Romanesque sculptures in the world: the Pórtico de la Gloria, completed in 1188 by Maestro Mateo. It is the cathedral's original entrance, its three arches carved with figures from the Apocalypse, the Last Judgment, and purgatory. Below Jesus is a serene St. James, poised on a carved column. Look carefully and you can see five smooth grooves, formed by the millions of pilgrims who have placed their hands here over the centuries. On the back of the pillar, devotees lean forward to touch foreheads in the hope that his genius be shared.

St. James presides over the high altar in a bejeweled cloak, which pilgrims embrace upon arriving at the cathedral. The stairs behind the sculpture are the cathedral's focal point, surrounded by dazzling baroque decoration, sculpture, and drapery. The crypt beneath the altar, which houses the purported remains of James and his disciples St. Theodore and St. Athenasius, is generally closed to the public. A pilgrims' Mass is held daily at noon.