Praza do Obradoiro

The Praza do Obradoiro is the great stage of Santiago de Compostela, a vast cobbled square ringed by four monumental buildings: the Baroque cathedral facade to the east, the neoclassical town hall of the Pazo de Raxoi opposite, the Renaissance Hostal dos Reis Católicos on the north side and the College of San Xerome on the south. Arriving walkers often drop their packs on the stones, lie on their backs and stare up at the towers. Even for visitors who came by train or plane, the square is a thrilling first sight and a natural place to start any walk. The name comes from the stonemasons' workshops that once stood here, which worked on the cathedral for centuries. Today the square hosts concerts, civic events, buskers and spontaneous reunions between pilgrim friends. It is free, open at all hours and completely public, though the cathedral's west front is sometimes under restoration or screened with scaffolding, so the picture-postcard view can vary.

Spend time at the centre of the square and turn slowly through all four sides. The cathedral facade, finished in the eighteenth century, is covered in carved stone and capped by two towers that hold the city's bells. The Hostal dos Reis Católicos, built as a pilgrim hospital by the Catholic Monarchs and now a luxury hotel, has a magnificent Plateresque doorway.

The Pazo de Raxoi is the seat of the city and regional government, and the College of San Xerome has an older, lower profile with a carved Romanesque doorway moved here from another building.

Look for the small details. Pilgrims often photograph the stone marker at the end of the route, and you will notice walkers hugging, crying or sitting quietly in the sun. There are no benches in the middle, so most people settle on the stones along the edges. Bagpipers and street musicians play in the arcades, and the sound carries well in the evening when the square quiets down. If it rains, the shelter of the arcades along the north side gives a dry vantage point.

Timing changes the experience. Early morning offers a calm, almost empty square and soft light on the facade. By midday it is busy with tour groups and pilgrims, and around the hour of the pilgrims' mass it becomes a meeting point. At dusk the stone turns gold and the square fills with people who have finished their day on the Camino.

In the evening the cathedral is lit and the whole space has a theatrical feel. Use the square as a starting point for the old town, the museum, the Praza da Quintana and the market, all of which are a short walk away through narrow lanes.

It is worth coming back more than once. At night the cathedral is floodlit and the square becomes almost silent, with the occasional bagpipe or guitar echoing off the stone. In rain the cobbles shine and the granite turns dark, giving the facade a different mood.

During festivals, particularly the celebrations around the feast of Saint James on 25 July, the square hosts concerts and fireworks, and the whole city gathers here. Plan ahead if you want to stay in or near the old town on those days, because rooms fill early and the streets are crowded.