Ourense Cathedral

Ourense Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Ourense Cathedral stands in the old town of Ourense, Galicia, northern Spain, and a ticket is required for visitors, including an audio guide and the cathedral museum. It is famous for its Pórtico del Paraíso, a painted Romanesque portico inspired by the Pórtico de la Gloria of Santiago de Compostela, and it lies on the Vía de la Plata route of the Camino de Santiago.

Ourense is known as the city of hot springs, and visitors often combine the cathedral with the thermal pools along the Miño river, such as the As Burgas springs in the old town and the Outariz baths, the Roman bridge, and the Ribeira Sacra wine region with its monasteries and river canyons. Ourense is about an hour from Santiago de Compostela and Vigo by train. The cathedral is active, and visiting pauses during services. The thermal train, a small tourist train, connects the city centre with the pools along the Miño.

Visiting Ourense Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, was built mainly in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, in a transitional style between Romanesque and Gothic, on the site of earlier churches. Its most famous feature is the Pórtico del Paraíso, created in the thirteenth century, with carved figures of apostles, prophets and the elders of the Apocalypse playing musical instruments, painted in bright colours that were restored in the seventeenth century. The cathedral also has carved Romanesque portals on its north and south sides. Inside, the high altar holds a Gothic altarpiece carved by Cornielles de Holanda in the sixteenth century, and the lantern over the crossing is Gothic. The Chapel of the Holy Christ holds a venerated medieval crucifix with real hair, one of the most revered images in Galicia, surrounded by baroque decoration.

The museum displays silverwork, religious art and a Romanesque collection. The Chapel of the Holy Christ's decoration includes gilded wooden carvings, and its dome is covered with baroque ornament. The cathedral's nave has a Gothic vault and Romanesque columns, and the choir was moved to the museum. The north portal is carved with figures of the Adoration of the Magi and Saint Martin. The south portal shows the apostles and angels. The lantern over the crossing, added in the sixteenth century, lets light into the centre of the church. The museum, in the cloister's remains, displays the treasure of San Rosendo, with medieval objects and textiles. The cathedral's tower rises above the old town, and its bells mark the hours. The square in front is lined with arcaded houses and cafés. The As Burgas springs, a few minutes away, have been used since Roman times, and their water comes out at sixty-seven degrees.

Ourense Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with a break at lunchtime and shorter hours on Sundays. Ourense is hot in summer, as it lies in a valley, and spring and autumn are pleasant; the thermal pools can be enjoyed all year, even in winter. The Magosto festival in November celebrates chestnuts and new wine. The Carnival, or Entroido, in February is lively in the region. Allow about forty-five minutes for the cathedral and museum, and relax in the hot springs along the river afterwards. The outdoor thermal pools along the river are open until late in the evening.