Fodor's Expert Review Monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll

Decorated with a pageant of biblical figures, the 12th-century doorway to the church is one of Catalonia's great works of Romanesque art. It was crafted as a triumphal arch by stonemasons and sculptors of the Roussillon school, which was centered on French Catalonia and the Pyrenees. You can pick up a guide to the figures surrounding the portal in the nearby Centro de Interpretación del Monasterio, in Plaça de l'Abat Oliva. The center has an exhibition space (Catalan only) that explains the historical, cultural, and religious relevance of this so-called cradle of Catalonia. It also provides information about guided tours.