Fodor's Expert Review Cathedral

Murcia's cathedral is a masterpiece of eclectic architecture. Begun in the 14th century, the cathedral received its magnificent facade—considered one of Spain's fullest expressions of the churrigueresque style—as late as 1737. The 19th-century English traveler Richard Ford described it as "rising in compartments, like a drawn-out telescope." The 15th century brought the Gothic Door of the Apostles and, inside, the splendid chapel of Los Vélez, with a beautiful, star-shaped stone vault. Carvings by the 18th-century Murcian sculptor Francisco Salzillo were added later. The museum, housed in the 14th-century cloisters, includes several Gothic paintings, Roman remains, and a walkway over the underground archaeological ruins. The bell tower, built between 1521 and 1792, rises 313 feet and offers magnificent views of the city from the top.