Beyond St. James' way in Santiago de Compostela

Few places are more transient than Santiago de Compostela - day in, day out, pilgrims from all over Europe walk through Porta do Camino and arrive at Praza do Obradeiro in front of Santiago's magnificent cathedral to finish weeks and sometimes months of pilgrimage. In addition, many tourists from around the world flock to Santiago to admire its monuments and to learn more about the pilgrimage route of St. James' way, the origins of which go back to just after the birth of Christ. And yet, because or may be inspite of the pilgrimage theme, Santiago is radically different from other, more traditional tourist destinations. It retains a special air of spiritual depth, peace, tranquility and an atmosphere unique to any place considered sacred.

It all started with the Legend of St. James, the disciple who left the Holy Land to land on the shores of Galicia in what is nowadays Northwestern Spain to christianize these pagan lands. Only after he successfully slayed a dragon was he allowed to embark on his religious mission, often discouraged and demoralized. Twice, according to legend, did the Virgin Mary appear to him - once as an apparition in Galicia and once in Zaragoza in what was to be known as the Virgin of the Pillar (Virgen del Pilar) miracle. Upon his return to the Holy Land, he was killed and his body returned to Galicia by boat by his disciples Anastasio and Teodoro. According to legend, a huge storm threatened the vessel and from a nearby wedding, the groom entered the water to help rescue the boat, and a miracle took place with the storm subsiding immediately and all parties emerging from the water covered in scallop shells, since then the official symbol of St. James' Way. Yet it was not until the year 813, when a field of stars was witnessed by a hermit called Pelagio, who led the local bishop to the venue and the tombs of St. James and both his disciples were discovered there. On that very spot, first a chapel and later a cathedral were constructed - and the pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago was born.

This much for the legend - much has changed since the Middle Ages, when clerics and criminals from all over Europe made weeks and months of long pilgrimages en route to Santiago de Compostela. Nowadays, the religious motif for pilgrimage has become less prevalent, but the route itself remains highly popular. Often pilgrims venture to Santiago for reasons of self-discovery or spiritual renewal, or to mark significant turning points in their lives. Santiago de Compostela today is a booming young university town of 120 000 inhabitants with over 30 000 students. And it boasts life beyond the St. James' way - equally worth savoring for visitors and locals alike. Tourist activity centers around PRAZA DO OBRADEIRO featuring Santiago's impressive Cathedral, the front facade ranking among the finest examples of Spanish Baroque style, called CHURRIGUERESQUE. On the same square we also find the oldest hotel in the world, the magnificent PARADOR REYES CATOLICOS originally founded by the Catholic Monarchs Isabel and Ferdinand in the late 15th century as an inn for pilgrims. Santiago's busiest tourist street, RUA DO FRANCO leads from the Cathedral to the city park, which then connects to the modern city. From the park, magnificent views over central Santiago may be enjoyed.

Yet beyond the tourist areas of central Santiago, more hidden treasures await those that invest time and effort to find them. Much less crowded than RUA DO FRANCO and yet just as charming are the other pedestrian streets of Old Town including Rua do Vilar, Rua Nova and Rua das Orfas. With every side street further away from the Cathedral, interesting local shops and cafes appear with prices far lower than in main tourist areas and many handicrafts locally made in Galicia including the SAGRADELO porcelain. A well-kept secret too is RUA DA TROIA with its many bars, restaurants and pubs featuring TAPAS and local specialties such as CALDO GALLEGO, the local soup, and TARTA DE SANTIAGO, the famous St. James' almond cake. Among the most popular bars on RUA DA TROIA we find ATLANTICO, made famous by Goya-winning actor Luis Tosar. And finishing a tapa pub crawl through the old town with a walk around Santiago at night, ending back up at Praza do Obradeiro while listening to the street musicians, we really get a feel for how special this sacred city really is - retaining its magic and unique allure over all these centuries since the early days of the legend of St. James.