What to do · Santiago de Compostela
Cidade da Cultura de Galicia and Its Free Architecture Tour
Information
- Price
- Free
- Duration
- 1 h
- Season
- All year; exhibitions Tuesday to Sunday
- Who it's for
- Anyone who wants to see a different Santiago, the contemporary one; also with accompanied children
The Cidade da Cultura (City of Culture) occupies the summit of Monte Gaiás, southeast of the old town, with stone-and-glass buildings that ripple like the terrain. The winning design was by the New York architect Peter Eisenman. To understand it, the foundation itself organises a free architecture tour of about 60 minutes, Tuesday to Sunday, with prior registration. It covers the central square, the glass façade of almost 43 metres of the Museo Centro Gaiás and the green areas of the hill, with views of Santiago.
What is on Monte Gaiás
The complex brings together the Museo Centro Gaiás, the Library and Archive of Galicia, the Fontán Building, the Creative Entrepreneurship Centre and the Cultural Innovation Centre, as well as the Forest of Galicia and the Hejduk towers. The grounds open every day from 8:00 to 23:00 and you can walk around the outside freely. The Museo Centro Gaiás and the Fontán Building open from 10:00 to 20:00, although the exhibitions close on Mondays. The library has a reading room and exhibitions from 9:00 to 21:00. At Christmas the museum closes at 15:00 on 24 and 31 December and doesn't open on 25 December or 1 January.
In November 2026 there are three exhibitions: Ser—Noutras, a dialogue with the Galician art collection of the Museo Reina Sofía, until 28 March 2027; Voces del Pacífico, until 29 November; and Outro e sobre si, by Andrés Rodís, until 10 January. There are also free guided talks on the exhibitions, booked on each one's page.
How to book and how to get up
The architecture tour is booked on the Cidade da Cultura website, choosing day and time, or at the information point of the Museo Centro Gaiás, which is also the starting point. Large groups call 881 997 584. Minors must go with an adult and the route may change for organisational reasons.
To go up without a car, city bus line 9 runs Monday to Friday, with departures almost every hour from Casas Novas, and on Saturday mornings. On Saturday afternoons, Sundays and public holidays line C11 runs, with few departures: on Sundays, at 10:30, 13:30, 17:15 and 19:30. You can enter the grounds in a private car. Check the times on the TUSSA website before setting out, especially at weekends.
Tips
- Go on a rainy day Almost everything is indoors and the exhibitions fill a morning; on Mondays, the galleries are closed.
- Book the architecture tour It is free but requires registration; places are chosen by day and time.
- See Santiago from across the way From Monte Gaiás you see the city from the other side of the valley; for the classic view, the Alameda or Monte Pedroso.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to enter the Cidade da Cultura?
The grounds can be walked freely and the guided architecture tour is free, by reservation.
What are the opening hours?
The grounds, 8:00 to 23:00 every day; the Museo Centro Gaiás, 10:00 to 20:00, with the exhibitions closed on Mondays.
How do I get there by bus?
By line 9 Monday to Saturday morning, and by the C11 on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and public holidays.
Who is the architect?
Peter Eisenman, author of the winning design.
As a family
