Plaza Mayor, Sant Pere Cathedral and Old Town

What it is

A walk through the historic centre of Vic, from the Plaza Mayor to Sant Pere cathedral, with the Roman temple and the medieval art museum on the way. Everything is within a few minutes' walk of each other. Self-guided, with the tourist office's audio guide, it takes about 90 minutes; if you go into the cathedral and the museum, allow half a day.

The Plaza Mayor and the market

The Plaza Mayor, which in Vic they call the Mercadal, is a large arcaded square surrounded by houses from various periods. The market came before the buildings: things have been sold here since the 9th century. On Tuesday and Saturday mornings the square fills with stalls of local produce, flowers, crafts, poultry, clothing and accessories, and the market spreads along the Rambla del Carme and the Rambla del Passeig. On Sundays there is another market, from 9:00 to 14:00, on Passeig de la Generalitat, mainly fruit, vegetables and fresh produce.

If you can choose, come on a Tuesday or a Saturday: with the market, the square makes sense. On a Sunday afternoon, without stalls and with the shops closed, it is very quiet.

Sant Pere cathedral

From the square, the streets go down towards the cathedral. Of the 11th-century Romanesque cathedral, the crypt and the bell tower remain; the current church is neoclassical and the cloister is Gothic, from the 14th century. Inside, the highlights are Pere Oller's alabaster altarpiece, the Baroque chapel of Sant Bernat Calbó and, above all, the mural paintings by Josep Maria Sert, which cover the central nave. The Espai Sert explains his three projects for the cathedral: the pastel-toned trials of 1906, the four evangelists of 1926 and the ochre, voluminous figures from after 1939, which are the ones that fill the nave today.

• Opening hours: every day from 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00 from October to April; from 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:30 to 19:30 from May to September. It cannot be visited during liturgical services.
• Price: entry to the central nave is free. The full visit (nave, crypt, ambulatory, Espai Sert and cloister) costs €5, €4 for over-65s and is free for under-18s. The Espai Sert alone, €2.
• Guided visits: €8 per person, at 11:30, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On the first and third Wednesday and Saturday of the month the tour is of the Romanesque cathedral, with crypt and the climb up the bell tower; on the second and fourth, the nave, crypt and Gothic cloister. Places are limited: book at [email protected] or on 621 194 432.

The Roman temple

In the very centre, the Roman temple is Vic's oldest monument: it was built in the early 1st century. For centuries nobody knew it existed, because it was enclosed within the castle of the Montcada family, built at the end of the 11th century. It was recovered from 1882, when the building that enveloped it was demolished. Entry is free, Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00 and Tuesday to Sunday from 18:00 to 20:00; it closes on Mondays.

The Museu Episcopal (MEV)

Next to the cathedral, in Plaça del Bisbe Oliba, 3, the Museu Episcopal de Vic holds Catalan Romanesque and Gothic painting and sculpture and, in all, more than 29,000 pieces, including archaeology, goldwork, textiles, glass and ceramics. Admission is €8.50; €5.50 reduced (ages 10 to 18, students, pensioners) and free for under-10s and on the first Thursday of every month. It closes on Mondays that are not public holidays, on 1 and 6 January, Easter Monday and 25 and 26 December. Opening hours change with the season: check the museum's website before going.

The audio guide and the tourist office

The tourist office is in Plaça del Pes, in the Llotja del Blat building, next to the Plaza Mayor. It hires out an audio guide to the historic centre of about 90 minutes in Spanish, Catalan, French and English, with two descriptive channels for people with visual impairments. It is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 (until 19:00 from April to September), Saturdays from 9:00 to 19:00 and Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00.

Getting there and parking

By train, the Rodalies R3 arrives from Barcelona; the station is a short walk from the centre. By car, the town council has free car parks around the old town, such as the one near the station, behind the tracks, or Miramarges, opposite the Parc dels Estudis. If you prefer to leave the car below the centre, the paid car park at the Plaza Mayor, on Rambla Davallades, is open 24 hours.

With children, dogs and accessibility

The centre is flat and easy to get around with a pushchair. With children, the market and the Roman temple are more entertaining than the cathedral; at the MEV, under-10s go in free.

Where to eat

A few steps from the square is El Jardinet, with rice dishes and fish, and in Casa Fontcuberta, VIA.