Catedral de Santiago
Catedral de Santiago
4
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Bilbo Zaharra
How to get there
- Casco Viejo • 5 min walk
- Abando • 7 min walk
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1,556 within 3 miles
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150 within 6 miles
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4.0
762 reviews
Excellent
233
Very good
309
Average
182
Poor
21
Terrible
17
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Howard-Liverpool
Liverpool, UK3,315 contributions
May 2022
Most cathedrlas are worth an excellent and this is no exceptio. I am not into the religious side at all but the structure is superb. Should not be missed for its clear architectural values. The lady on the desk was a charm and gave us audio phone things which i usually dont bother with but I have to say this audio was excellent. Nice music, great clear voice and good not excess information. Very well worth visiting and the ticket here gives you free access to church of St Anton by the Ribera Market/
Written 23 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
on_the_go_98765
Tucson20,581 contributions
Jul 2022
The architectural adornments speak loudest to us. This is the message the church most wants heard and seen by the faithful. Here it was displayed for us all the story of a real saint and a mythological (patron) saint. Sometimes the line between reality and myth can be a bit fuzzy.
This is a beautiful Gothic Revival construction with an elaborate (and seemingly well-maintained Rose window) above the main portal. And what a main portal it is! Those wooden doors and terraced concrete ribs are truly works of art. About the most incredibly ornate we've seen.
The clock in the bell tower was an interesting thing to ponder: everyone will know the hour so everyone should be in church at the designated hour. What other reason could there be?
Considering it to be impolite to go "touristing" while a service is in progress, we opted for an architectural appraisal of its exterior adornments. And what a treasure there was!
On either side of the grand entry portal are two niches with sculptures of saints. On the left stands St. Peter who is identifiable by the keys to heaven in his possession.
On the right is statuary that can only (IMHO) be identified as Santiago. We ran into Santiago in Lugo at the gate that bears his name and learned a great deal about the then-patron saint of Spain. Although Santiago was the patron saint of Spain for a very long time, he no longer is (for good reason).
Note how he carries a (short) sword but, still ... it is a sword. He is Santiago Matamoros the Moor Slayer. But he fought in a battle that never happened (Battle of Clavijo) all while he had been dead for 800 years.
Will wonders never cease?
Santiago does show up all over the Spanish religious sites as he was for a long, long time the patron saint of Spain. Churches present on their exteriors the image of a knight with a head beneath his feet, or wearing a sword, or looking a bit less pious than Peter and the James saints, then (go ahead) make a guess it could be this feisty leader of the fight against the Moors.
This church is named after St. James the Great who lives larger in legend than he did in real life.
This is a beautiful Gothic Revival construction with an elaborate (and seemingly well-maintained Rose window) above the main portal. And what a main portal it is! Those wooden doors and terraced concrete ribs are truly works of art. About the most incredibly ornate we've seen.
The clock in the bell tower was an interesting thing to ponder: everyone will know the hour so everyone should be in church at the designated hour. What other reason could there be?
Considering it to be impolite to go "touristing" while a service is in progress, we opted for an architectural appraisal of its exterior adornments. And what a treasure there was!
On either side of the grand entry portal are two niches with sculptures of saints. On the left stands St. Peter who is identifiable by the keys to heaven in his possession.
On the right is statuary that can only (IMHO) be identified as Santiago. We ran into Santiago in Lugo at the gate that bears his name and learned a great deal about the then-patron saint of Spain. Although Santiago was the patron saint of Spain for a very long time, he no longer is (for good reason).
Note how he carries a (short) sword but, still ... it is a sword. He is Santiago Matamoros the Moor Slayer. But he fought in a battle that never happened (Battle of Clavijo) all while he had been dead for 800 years.
Will wonders never cease?
Santiago does show up all over the Spanish religious sites as he was for a long, long time the patron saint of Spain. Churches present on their exteriors the image of a knight with a head beneath his feet, or wearing a sword, or looking a bit less pious than Peter and the James saints, then (go ahead) make a guess it could be this feisty leader of the fight against the Moors.
This church is named after St. James the Great who lives larger in legend than he did in real life.
Written 7 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jose L
Province of A Coruna, Spain350 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
Austere cathedral without an altarpiece, the entrance fee (€6) is to also visit the church of San Antón. It also has a small cloister. Still, for those of us who like this type of visits, I think it should not be overlooked.
Written 3 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neska1947
Bilbao, Spain482 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Without the grandeur of the great Gothic cathedrals, but with an appearance that precisely due to its simplicity and absence of ornate chapels gives it a special charm. It is worth a detailed visit and has self-guides in several languages. With your ticket you can visit the nearby Church of San Antón, full of history.
Written 12 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
random55555
Calabasas, CA24 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
The only narrative given to describe and explain what is in the cathedral is available only through an audio guide. There is no accommodation for those who are hearing impaired, not even a script. Thus, my visit, which cost an admission fee, was completely worthless.
Written 27 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
steve-norf
Norwich, UK169 contributions
Mar 2023
It's 5e entry which includes an audio guide which was helpful if a little stilted. The entry does however include entry to St Anton's church by the market which we found very interesting. The Cathedral is one of the stops on the Santiago to Compostela pilgrimage route so probably the nearest we will get to walking that path.
Not the most interesting cathedral in Europe but a much visited one.
Not the most interesting cathedral in Europe but a much visited one.
Written 30 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RNB
London, UK66 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
A perfect stop in the middle of the busy old town. We visited on a hot day, and it was peaceful and cool. There's not much to see, but it's worth a visit. 8 euros entry (that includes another local church).
Written 27 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen C
Manchester, UK424 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
The small cathedral in Bilbao is worth a visit, the neo-Gothic architecture is lovely, especially the cloisters around a courtyard filled with lemons n trees. However, the audio guide was not at all helpful. It mainly went on about the religious beliefs of Catholics and didn’t provide any information about some of the most interesting-looking features in the cathedral.
Written 1 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
springbank
Greve, Denmark3,900 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
The cathedral is situated in the old part of the city and the area is nice enough to spend some time. Bilbao's earliest church was a pilgrimage stop on the coastal route to Santiago de Compostela. It is a lovely church but I think it is not especially to the many magnificent Gothic Churches of Europe.
Written 28 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pablo R
London, UK177 contributions
Dec 2019
Another fantastic church that is really beautiful, where the catholic church tries by all means to get money. Ignore, pay and enjoy
Written 16 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hey is there any sort of dress code for this Cathedral? The Sangrada Familia had one and didn't know if we wouldn't be let in wearing shorts
Written 12 July 2019
I do not recall there were any specific rules but the suitable clothing you describe is probably the norm.
Written 13 July 2019
Cuanto tiempo necesitas para verla?
Written 8 September 2018
Nosotros hicimos el recorrido en 45 minutos porque no teníamos mucho tiempo. Lo disfrutamos mucho a nuestro propio paso. Vale la pena, aunque se tenga poco tiempo!
Written 11 September 2018
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