Europe
Spain
Basque Country
Province of Alava
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Places to visit in Vitoria-Gasteiz
Catedral de Santa Maria
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Catedral de Santa Maria

See all things to do
See all things to do
Catedral de Santa Maria
4.5
#2 of 68 things to do in Vitoria-Gasteiz
Religious SitesChurches & Cathedrals
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
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Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,577 reviews
Excellent
1,064
Very good
406
Average
86
Poor
10
Terrible
11
drew d
Beacon, NY500 contributions
Beautiful
Nov 2022
huge and beautiful, both inside and out. Set just inside the gate of the city wall, there are benches to admire and people watch.
Written 18 November 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.
SergioR1
Eastbourne, UK288 contributions
A must do in Vitoria Gasteiz
Sep 2022 • Couples
Exceptional guided visit. The cathedral continues under restoration. Unfortunately we couldn't visit the tower as no slots were left for that. From the foundatios to the roof the temple is full of beauty & surprises.
Written 17 September 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.
Isabella W
75 contributions
An extremely absorbing visit
Dec 2019
We joined a tour given in Spanish but were handed audio guides in English which worked very well.This was an extremely interesting and well researched tour, taking you down into the crypt and showing the area beneath the vast cathedral pillars, explaining the history of the site, the building itself and the necessary work (currently 20 years - and running) which has taken place to stabilise it for the future. It seems that 1960s renovations weren't too helpful.

The tour takes visitors (who must don fetching hair covers and hard hats) into the body of the cathedral, up to the triforium and the parapet and into the bell towers before finishing with a visit to the portico and the beautiful set of arches. Don't scorn the hard hats. Some of the arches you pass beneath are very low and it would be all too easy to graze or thump you head.

It's not advisable if you suffer from vertigo - and some of it would be tough-going if you can't climb stairs easily. However, some areas are accessible by lift and I noticed one elderly visitor who had negotiated parts of the tour this way.

Don't miss this tour. It's unique, informative and extremely professionally presented.
Written 6 January 2020
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.
Maria Larripa
1 contribution
Guided visit to the cathedral
Nov 2019
I went on November with my school and I didn't expect much from it, I'm usually not very fond of this cultural visits, but I was pleasantly surprised. The guided tour was excellent, the explanations of the evolution of the cathedral were very complete, as well as the ones of its history. Also they explained the reconstruction that is currently being carried out and the main reasons of it.
I shall underline the eagerness with which our guide spoke, it really showed how much she liked her job. I would definitely come again!
Written 9 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.
Alba Iturriagagoitia
1 contribution
School trip to the cityof Vitoria
Nov 2019
Last November we went on a school trip to Vitoria. We visited the Cathedral and the Ameria museum in order to complete and do a project based on the information given at the visit. After the presentation, we had some free time to walk and see the sights of the city.
On one hand, visiting the foundations of the cathedral allowed us to realize how difficult it has been to make the cathedral a totally safe place. This visit helped us to understand how smart and careful the architects needed to be, due to the fact that the building presented a wide variety of serious structural problems. The cathedral was overall a very pretty place and the visit was interesting and fascinating.
In addition, the views and some places in the city were beautiful and we had a good time.
Overall, it was a pretty good trip because we had fun with friends and also got the chance to learn some historical data and information of Vitoria.
Written 8 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.
KMB
1 contribution
Guided visit to the cathedral
Nov 2019
Over all, the visit was interesting and thought out in a way that a visitor wouldn’t miss the most important parts of the cathedral. The visit began in the undergrounds, where we were introduced to it’s history with a short video. Next, we went upstairs to see the support pillars, where’s a display with all the stages the edification went through in order to become what it is today. We were explained what was made to help the structural stability and what threatened it.
Later, we went to the main church, an architectonic beauty, however, I regret not having enough time to see it all I did manage to catch a glimpse of many interesting objects and patterns. Following we were given helmets and went up to see the towers and some passages above the cathedral’s ground.
To finish the visit we were shown a projection of the changes in decoration in one of the murals all the way since 1400 up to today.
Written 8 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.
Diego M
1 contribution
Not only a church
Nov 2019
Santa Maria’s cathedral might be one of the most breathtaking churches I have never been to. I went there a few days ago with my school and, through a certainly well-developed visit, we were able, not only to learn about Romanesque and Gothic art, but also to understand how this building was made. Furthermore, the keenness of the guide, together with the adaptation of the building to visitors, allowed us to enjoy the greatness and magnificence of the cathedral, as well as to discover some of the secrets of this ancient temple. Simply wonderful! A completely different way to traverse the path of our history and feel linked with our past. Don’t waver and live the experience!
Written 5 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.
Aitana
1 contribution
An excellent experience for all the audiences
Nov 2019
Is really a very original and enriching visit, who shows you the whole history of the cathedral, also they explain you all the construction problems the cathedral had, the demolition thread in the tower, therefore you must put in a helmet, flaws due to the structure antiquity.
The visit its around 75 minutes long but its very interesting so time goes by very quickly, the price of the visit it 10€ each person. Vitoria in all its an amazing city with lots of history that everyone has to visit.
Written 3 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.
Martin C
1 contribution
Different and appealing
Nov 2019
I came to the cathedral during a school visit to Vitoria. I don't usually enjoy this kind of trips but this cathedral was completely worth it. It's not the common visit to a church, but a trip to the past and to the history of an iconic building. The visit isn't limited to just seeing the superficial aspects of it, but it shows the history and architectural complexity of the church. New technologies and gothic architecture converge in this building to form the perfect union of past and present. Don't hesitate to visit the cathedral if you ever come near Vitoria!
Written 2 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.
Juanjo lopez
1 contribution
Awesome visit
Nov 2019
The other day I went with my school to make a guided tour of the Cathedral of Santa Maria, Vitoria, and it was an incredible visit, they make some very clear explanations, (its evolution, how it is done ...) helps to know more by Inside the cathedral and all the recovery works, it's amazing.
Also in my case, my guide was lovely, and I explained things with great enthusiasm, it showed that she likes what he does, something that tourists appreciate. So if one day you plan to go to Vitoria, you cannot miss this guided tour of the cathedral.
I would definitely repeat this visit!
Written 28 November 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.
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