Santiago de Compostela was founded by the Suebi in the early 400s, as part of the collapse of the Roman Empire. In 550 the whole settlement together with the rest of Galicia and northern Portugal was incorporated by Leovigild into the Visigothic kingdom of Spain. Raided from 711 to 739 by the Arabs, Santiago de Compostela was conquered by the Visigothic king of Asturias in 754. This was about 60 years before the identification of remains as those of Saint James the Great, and their acceptance as such by the Pope and Charlemagne, during the reign of Alfonso II of Asturias. The remains were found in the small and close town of Iria Flavia, but they were moved to Santiago according to political and religious reasons. From then on, this settlement was not just a city, but a holy city, and one of the main centres of Christian pilgrimage. Still, there are some who claim that the remains found here were not those of the apostle James. One of the most famous theories is that these are the remains of Priscillian. They are also thought by many to be someone else altogether.

Santiago de Compostela was captured by the French during the Napoleonic War. Its capture broke the spirits of the many Spanish guerrillas who were fighting the mighty invading armies of Marshals' Soult, Victor, Massena and Napoleon's brother, the new King of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte (called Pepe Botella by the Spanish resistance). During the war, many attempts were made to recapture it by Spanish partisans, who believed St James would come down on the field and destroy the French if they earned his favour by beating the French out of the holy city, which was St James's city. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Santiago was under the control of the fascists from the beginning. It suffered from very brutal repression during the dictatorship. After the Spanish Transition, when the democracy was restored, Santiago de Compostela was declared capital city of Galicia.

The climate of Santiago is typical of the Spanish Atlantic coast: wet winters with frequent rains which, in light or heavy bursts, lasts from September to June. The summers are slightly less rainy than the rest of the Cantabrian coast.

Temperatures remain mild throughout the whole year with a yearly average of 19ºC. They drop down to about 8ºC in January, the coldest month of the year.

The traditional way of getting to Santiago de Compostela is by walking there from your home, on the Way of St. James. Nowadays the pilgrimage is mostly reduced to the last 780 km, from St. Jean Pied-de-Port in France, or some other place closer. It is just as traditional to arrive on horseback, though considerably more difficult in terms of facilities. You may be able to stable your horse with a local farmer, but virtually no hostels provide this service. Cycling is also popular.

Another way of getting to Santiago is by bus. The bus station is in the outskirts of the city, but there you can get a public bus or a taxi to get to the city centre. You can get to Santiago by bus from several places:

• From cities and towns of Galicia, try Arriva or Monbus or Empresa Freire^{[dead link]}.
• From other parts of Spain, try Alsa, one of the most important bus companies of Spain.

If you want to arrive to Santiago by train, you should visit the RENFE webpage. The train station is relatively close to the city centre.

• 42.896333-8.4151451 Santiago de Compostela Airport (Lavacolla SCQ  ^IATA) (about 20 minutes by bus from the city centre). It is the second busiest airport in northern Spain after Bilbao Airport.  

Buses from the airport run every 30 minutes between 07:00 and 00:30 and are operated by Empresa Freire^{[dead link]} (€3.00 one-way, €5.10 return).

Luggage lockers are available in the airport's parking garage (-4 level), €5.07 per day.

The following airlines operate here:

• Aer Lingus: Dublin
• Air Europa: Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Caracas
• EasyJet: Geneve and Basel
• Iberia: Madrid and Bilbao
• Ryanair: Frankfurt Hahn (about 2 hours away from Frankfurt), Milan, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Lanzarote, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Zaragoza and Tenerife
• Volotea: Venice, Ibiza and Menorca
• Vueling: Barcelona, Málaga, Paris and Zurich

• 42.8806-8.545831 Praza do Obradoiro. In the heart of the city, it's named after the workshop of the stonemasons that was established during the construction of the Cathedral (Obradoiro is the Galician word for workshop). This is the arrival point of thousands of pilgrims every day and kilometer 0 of the Way of St. James is in the center of this square. The surrounding buildings are examples of different architectural styles. At the east, the baroque front of the cathedral with the museum at its right and the Gelmírez Palace at its left. At the West, the Rajoy Palace, which serves as the current city hall. At the north, the Catholic Kings Hostal, a plateresque building destined to host the pilgrims. At the south, the San Jerónimo College, an old students residence and now the head office of the University of Santiago de Compostela.  

• 42.880556-8.5438892 Catedral de Santiago de Compostela (Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela), Praza do Obradoiro, ☏ +34 981 569 327. Daily 07:00-20:30. This cathedral has so many examples of different architectural styles that covering them all would be beyond the scope of this article. Maybe the most important are the Baroque front of the Praza do Obradoiro and the interior porch, Pórtico da Gloria. The tomb of Santiago (Saint James) is under the Cathedral, and it is possible to visit its tomb and even hug the sculpture that represents the saint. On regular occasions the church shows its "Botafumeiro", a huge solid silver incense burner which is swung from the ceiling of the church by a team of energetic men ("tiraboleiros") hauling it on ropes. (updated Nov 2015)
• 42.881389-8.5458333 Hostal dos Reis Católicos (Catholic Kings Hostal). The hostal was built as a hospital after the visit of the Catholic Kings to Santiago in 1486, to attend the pilgrims. With the years, the Catholic Kings ordered the building of a big hostel with the money they had earned with the conquest of Granada. Its style is Plateresque. At its front, two coats of arms of Castilla can be seen.  
• 42.880556-8.5461114 Palacio de Raxoi (Rajoy palace). An 18th-century building, it was built under the classic canons to host the city council, a jail, a seminary and the residence for the children of the choir. At the top, there's a sculpture of St. James riding his horse and fighting with the Arabs.  
• 42.88-8.5455565 Colexio de San Xerome (San Jerónimo College). It was founded by the archbishop Alonso III de Fonseca to host poor students. Its front has a Romanesque style. (updated Mar 2017)
• 42.881111-8.5452786 Palacio de Xelmírez (Gelmírez Palace). Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, it's now the home of the archbishop of Santiago. It's a great example of the Romanesque civil architecture. (updated Mar 2017)
• 42.880556-8.5436117 Plaza da Quintana (Quintana Square). This is the square at the other side of the cathedral. It's divided in two, Quintana dos Mortos, just until the staircase and Quintana dos Vivos, the upper side. In the past it served as cemetery and market. There's a legend that if you're at this square alone at midnight, you will be able to see all the dead buried there.  
• Praza de Praterías (Silversmith's Square). Close to the Quintana, it has a well-known fountain and it offers one of the best sights of the cathedral. 
• 42.881944-8.5444448 Monasterio de San Martiño Pinario (San Martín Pinario Monastery). Benedictine monastery of the 9th century. The building is baroque. It's one of the most emblematic buildings of all the city. It's in the Praza da Inmaculada.  

• 42.880917-8.5436119 Casa da Parra (Parra House). At the Quintana dos Vivos, this building has the typical chimney of the 18th century.  
• Praza de Abastos (City Market). The second most visited monument. This market is the typical Galician market and one of the biggest all over Spain. It's the perfect place to buy some fresh seafood, vegetables and meat. 
• 42.870162-8.5256710 Cidade da Cultura (City of Culture) (http://www.cidadedacultura.org/) (buses run every hour (line 9) from the centre of the city). Peter Eisenman's ambitious project in the outskirts of Santiago, impressive especially for those interested in architecture. It consists of a museum, a library, cafeteria and archives, which are all open and functioning. Guided tours are available for free.  

The city has several museums that are worth the visit. Some of them are:

• 42.880028-8.5447511 Cathedral Museum, Praza do Obradoiro.. Daily except Christmas Day, New Year's Day, January 6, St. James' Day (July 25) and August 15. It shows the Cathedral’s history and artistic testimonies, from the first basilicas and archaeological remains, the Romanesque period, the work of Master Mateo, with the reconstruction of the Cathedral’s Stone Choir; sculpture in the Cathedral between the 13th and 18th centuries, a tour of the Mannerist Cloister, Library, where the Botafumeiro censer is exhibited and the Chapterhouse, ending on the top floor with an important tapestry collection, which includes a room dedicated to Goya, and the spectacular continuous balcony that dominates Plaza del Obradoiro and the streets of historical Santiago. €3-5.  
• 42.882778-8.53888912 Museum of the Galician People. Closed Monday. The former Convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval on a hill outside the walls of the historical city, beside the road used by pilgrims to enter Compostela, now houses the Museo do Pobo Galego (Museum of the Galician People), which, provides a general view of the most representative expressions of Galicia’s own culture. It displays different aspects of coastal life, traditional trades, the country, traditional costumes and architecture. It also includes sections of Galician archaeology, painting and sculpture. Different temporary exhibitions are regularly organized on a variety of subjects. It's where many important Galician figures are buried. Rúa de San Domingos de Bonaval. €3 (free on Sundays).  
• 42.883056-8.53972213 Galician Centre of Contemporary Art (CGAC), Rúa Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (In the Old Town). Closed Monday. The building was designed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza and finds a careful balance between the outer and inner space. Free.  
• 42.882114-8.54281914 Pilgrimage Museum, Rúa de San Miguel. The exhibition highlights the importance, for European culture and Hispanic America, of the pilgrimage and worship of St. James. €2.40 adult, €1.20 student, free for under 18 and 65 and over.  

All these are in the Old Town around the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela:

• 42.87913-8.5447751 Restaurante trebol, Rúa da Raíña, 16. (updated May 2022)
• 42.879102-8.5447252 Galeon A Raiña, Rua A Raiña 17 bajo. (updated May 2022)
• 42.879916-8.5459243 Restaurante Dubra, 15704, Av. de Raxoi, 3. They serve seafood (updated May 2022)
• 42.881528-8.5466824 Restaurante Tarará, bajo, Rúa das Carretas, 22. (updated May 2022)
• 42.882647-8.5422245 Mamá Peixe Taberna, Rúa da Algalia de Arriba, 45. (updated May 2022)
• 42.881663-8.5401276 Restaurante Petiscos, Rúa de Aller Ulloa, 7. (updated May 2022)

• 42.879204-8.5447567 Los Caracoles Restaurante, Rúa da Raíña, 14. (updated Sep 2022)
• 42.880731-8.5472128 A Horta d'Obradoiro, Rúa das Hortas, 16. (updated Sep 2022)
• 42.875407-8.5393539 O Sendeiro, Rúa do Olvido, 22. (updated Sep 2022)
• 42.878728-8.54358510 Restaurantes Don Gaiferos, Calle, Rúa Nova, 23. (updated Sep 2022)
• 42.881217-8.54129611 Curro da Parra, Rúa Travesa, 20. (updated Sep 2022)
• 42.88131-8.5491512 Don Quijote, Rúa das Galeras, 20, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, ☏ +34 981 58 68 59. (updated Nov 2024)

• 42.875147-8.54988513 Restaurante Terra Nosa, Rúa Nova de Abaixo, 5. (updated Sep 2022)
• 42.880727-8.54700614 Casa Marcelo, Rúa das Hortas, 1. (updated Sep 2022)
• 42.882551-8.54812715 Restaurante Pedro Roca, Rúa de Domingo Garcia-Sabell, 1. (updated Sep 2022)

• El Retablo: the music is mainly Spanish and international pop. It's usually full of people, mainly young people. Rúa Nova.
• Avante: really famous little pub where you can dance and listen to ska and traditional nationalist music. Cantón de San Bieito.
• A Reixa: well-known indie bar. Here you can listen mainly to 1960s music, with a great poster of Björk decorating the pub. Rúa Tras Salomé.
• Fonte Sequelo: a small pub, with music of different styles. Rúa Xelmírez.
• Forum: gay pub, very little and always full of people. Music of different styles. Rúa Travesa.
• Meia: very popular specially between the Erasmus students (it even has discounts for them), the music is international pop. Rúa Algalia de Abaixo.

• Blaster: popular pub, with music of very different styles and a really original decoration. Expect lots of people. Rúa República Arxentina.
• Krooner: one of the most original places, depending on the day and the hour, you can listen to indie rock, 1960s music or house. It's also an after party from 10:00 to 14:00. Rúa República Arxentina.
• Guayaba: pub with Latin music (merengue, salsa). Rúa Nova de Abaixo.
• La Ruta: popular disco and the oldest one, it has two floors. Up, indie and alternative rock, down, house and electronic music. Gay-friendly place. You must pay €5 to get in. Rúa Pérez Constanti.
• Liberty: one of the most popular discos to finish the night. Mainstream pop. The admission is not free for men (€5) and depending on the day either for women. Rúa Alfredo Brañas.

• 42.887404-8.5389271 Meiga Backpackers, Rua dos Basquiños Nº 67, ☏ +34 981 57 08 46, Info_meiga@yahoo.es. Clean backpackers' hostel, 5 minutes walk from the bus station. Mixed and female-only dorms, and private rooms. There´s a kitchen, common room and a garden. The owners have another pension in a different location in town. €16-20. (updated Apr 2022)
• 42.872104-8.5498422 Hostal R Mexico, Republica Arxentina 33 (a few blocks away from the train station), ☏ +34 981 598 000, recepcion@hostalmexico.com. 103-bed hostel for the budget traveller. €40-60. (updated Apr 2022)
• 42.87855-8.542893 Hostal Pazo de Agra, Rúa Calderería 37 (a two-minute walk from the cathedral). Budget guesthouse. €50. (updated Apr 2022)

• Hesperia Gelmirez (near the cathedral). 3-star hotel with very good rates. 
• 42.875159-8.545044 Hotel Santiago de Compostela Nest Style, Rúa Doutor Teixeiro, ☏ +34 981 563 444, fax: +34 981 589 653, booking@neststylesantiago.com. 
• NH Obradoiro, Avenida Burgo das Nacions, ☏ +34 98 1558070.