Catedral de Barcelona

The Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia — Barcelona's gothic cathedral, not to be confused with Sagrada Família — sits at the heart of the Gothic Quarter on the site of a 4th-century Christian basilica. Construction on the gothic building you see today began in 1298 and rumbled on for two centuries; the elaborate neo-gothic facade was only finished in 1913, which is why it looks unusually sharp and complete compared to the weathered side walls.

It's dedicated to Saint Eulalia, a 13-year-old who refused to renounce Christianity under Roman rule in the year 304 and was reportedly subjected to 13 separate tortures. Her body is in the crypt directly beneath the high altar. The cloister, accessed from the south side, is the most surprising part of the building: an open courtyard with palm trees, magnolias, and a flock of 13 white geese — one for each year of Eulalia's life and each torture. They've been kept there for at least 500 years.

The interior is gloomy and properly atmospheric — no Gaudí stained glass here, just dim 14th-century gothic and the tombs of medieval Catalan nobility along the side chapels. The terrace on the roof gives you the best free view in the Barri Gòtic, but you have to take the small lift (€3) inside the cathedral to reach it. From up there you can see clear across to Sagrada Família and down into the cloister with the geese.

Free for worship in the early morning and late afternoon; €9 "tourist visit" ticket between 12:30 PM and 7:45 PM (includes the choir, crypt, and roof lift). The free slots are crowded; the paid slot is the calmer way to see it properly.