Basilica of Santa María la Mayor

The archpriest church of Santa María la Mayor is Morella's great Gothic temple, built in the upper part of the old town, between the arcaded street and the climb to the castle. You enter through one of its two carved doorways, the Apostles' or the Virgins', and inside the stone is bare except at the high altar, Churrigueresque and gilded, which contrasts with everything else. The ticket includes the archpriest museum, with religious painting and metalwork, Gothic crosses and textiles.

The staircase coiled around a column

The first thing that catches the eye is the choir, raised in the middle of the nave. You climb to it by a spiral staircase that winds around one of the columns, and beneath it, on the choir screen, a Last Judgement scene is carved. Look too at the choir vault: it is so shallow that the tourist office describes it as a challenge to the laws of architecture. These are three pieces not repeated in any other church in the district, and worth taking your time over.

The Turull organ

Above the choir is the Baroque organ built by the organ-maker Francesc Turull between 1719 and 1720, with a gilded, polychrome case. It has 3,693 pipes, keyboards of 47 notes and 49 stops in the great organ. You can hear it at Mass and, above all, at the International Organ Music Festival that Morella holds every August. If you want to hear it outside the festival, general Masses are at 19:00 on weekdays, 20:15 on Saturdays and 11:30 on Sundays and public holidays.

Winter hours, from November to Holy Wednesday

• Monday, 11:00 to 13:00.
• Tuesday to Friday, 11:00 to 13:30 and 15:00 to 17:00.
• Saturdays, 11:00 to 13:30 and 15:00 to 17:30.
• Sundays, 10:00 to 11:15 and 12:15 to 15:00.

From Holy Week until 31 October it opens Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 14:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 (18:30 on Saturdays), closing at 19:00 from 1 August to 15 September; on Sundays it keeps the winter hours, except in August, when it is open until 18:00. Last entry is 15 minutes before closing. A funeral or a service can change the hours without notice, and weekday public holidays have their own hours: to confirm, call 699 65 47 73.

Tickets, audio guide and accessibility

General admission costs €4; pensioners, people with disabilities and groups of more than 20, €3; ages 10 to 16, €2; under 10s and residents of Morella and Els Ports do not pay. You buy at the ticket desk on arrival, and can pay by card: there is no advance sale. The audio guide opens on your phone with a QR code, so bring headphones. Groups arrange the visit on 609 584 759 or at [email protected]. The tourist office lists the church as accessible, and animals are not admitted.

Allow about 45 minutes for the nave, the choir and the museum. It fits well between the arcaded street and the climb to the castle, and Mesón del Pastor is on the same Jovaní slope if lunchtime catches you.