Cathedral of San Salvador, Cámara Santa and Tower

The ticket for the complex includes the high altar, the chapel of the Rey Casto, the Cámara Santa and the cloister. From November to February it opens Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00; in July and August, Monday to Friday with no midday break. There is no tourist visit on Sunday. The tower is climbed separately, Monday to Saturday, in groups of 20 and with a ticket bought on the cathedral's website.

What you will see

The cathedral occupies the centre of the old quarter, where Alfonso II the Chaste had a basilica built; the first altar dedicated to San Salvador was consecrated on 13 October 821. What you see today is mostly from the 15th century, after many alterations, with flamboyant Gothic predominating. Turismo de Oviedo highlights three things:

• The high altarpiece, gilded, with 24 panels in five bays and five tiers, by Giralte de Bruselas and Juan de Balmaseda, who worked on it between 1511 and 1518. It ranks among the great Gothic altarpieces of Spain, with those of Toledo and Seville.
• The chapel of the Rey Casto, at the end of the north transept. At its far end is the Royal Pantheon, the spot of the pre-Romanesque basilica that Alfonso II built as the first royal pantheon in Spain and which lasted until 1705. The sculpted Gothic portal is seen on leaving.
• The Cámara Santa and the cloister, essential parts of the visit.

Opening hours by month

• January, February, November and December: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00.
• March, April, May and October: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00; Saturdays, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 17:00.
• June: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00; Saturdays, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 17:00.
• July and August: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 19:00; Saturdays, 10:00 to 17:00.
• September: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00; Saturdays, 10:00 to 17:00.

Last entry is one hour before closing. On Sunday the cathedral opens only for worship.

Tickets

General admission costs €8 (ages 13 to 64); €7 for over-65s; €5 for students aged 13 to 17 and university students under 25; and €4 for pilgrims with a credential, large families and the unemployed. Children under 12 with an adult and people with disabilities enter free. There is a free audio guide on an app, in seven languages.

The tower is separate: 184 steps in three flights, with the openwork spire and views of the city at the top. The climb takes about an hour, accompanied but not guided, with panels and QR codes. There are three to five slots a day depending on the season, of 20 people, and the ticket is not included in general admission. Turismo de Oviedo gives €10 in one section and €8 in another: check when you buy on the cathedral's website.

What to combine

Next door is the Fine Arts Museum, free, and the walk around the old town and the Fontán. For the rest of the pre-Romanesque, San Julián de los Prados and Naranco.