According to UNESCO, Santiago de Compostela is "an ideal city that boasts both history and timelessness". It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985, considering that its urban beauty and monumental integrity added to the profound echoes of its spiritual significance as a sanctuary and destination of the most important Christian pilgrimage between the 11th and 18th centuries: the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James).

The history of Compostela and its settings give the commemoration of the Passion of Christ a unique splendour and undeniable solemnity. The exceptional granite landscape, full of towers, balconies, columns and gargoyles, makes the processions in the dark spectacular and dramatic, especially the later ones, around midnight, and the penitential ones, which advance through the fog and set the pace on the wet stone.

Thirteen Compostela brotherhoods, some of very ancient origin, tour the historic city in 17 processions, from Palm Sunday to Dominica in Albis, accompanied by the cutting sound of bugles and the deep rhythm of drums, whose echo repeats on the stone streets under the amber glow of the street lights.

Holy Week in Santiago de Compostela includes more than a week of processions, liturgical acts and concerts of sacred and ancient music, as well as the opportunity to experience the intimacy of churches and convents and enjoy traditional Lent cuisine.

Highlight:

Visits to the monumental churches, open on the occasion of Holy Week at unusual times and for sacramental and spiritual music concerts.