One of the most beautiful of all Spanish cities, Santiago de Compostela has been a travellers' destination for so long that it boasts the oldest hotel in the world - the Hostal dos Reis Católicos.

The city is also the subject of the first guidebook in history, the early-12th-century Codex Calixtinus, part of which details the famous pilgrim route, the Camino de Santiago (Way of St James).

The city's importance in the history of Christianity is such that it is the third holiest site in Christendom, after Jerusalem and Rome. Santiago de Compostela is a national monument, and its artistic and historical importance was confirmed when, in 1993, the entire city was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was further corroborated when it became a European city of culture for the year 2000.

Today, Santiago de Compostela remains an exquisitely preserved medieval cathedral town, centred on the shrine of the apostle James, after whom the city is named. The winding narrow streets of the Old Quarter are built from local granite and on clear days, the warm and golden stone glows in the sunlight. Even on the more frequent rainy days, the facades glisten beguilingly - the Praza do Obradoiro, with the great baroque facade of the cathedral, is especially glorious. The entire Old Quarter is a honeycomb of architectural charm, perfect for exploring on foot.

Santiago de Compostela is almost entirely Romanesque and baroque - the city's 18th-century ecclesiastical patrons lavished so much wealth on this particular architectonic approach that it evolved into a style known as Galician baroque.

The city is far more than a mere stone relic. The Way of St James is still an enormously popular pilgrim's route, drawing thousands of people every year from around the world to the cathedral - as, indeed, it has for the whole of the last millennium. The 730km (454-mile) walk from Roncevalles culminates in the Pilgrim's Mass, at noon each day, with the great botafumeiro (incense burner) swinging above the heads of worshippers in the cathedral transept, dispensing clouds of sweet-smelling incense.

The image of Santiago (St James) in the form of the scallop shell is evident around the city, an important symbol since the 11th century. While its origin is a mystery, it continues to be worn by pilgrims today.

Situated in the very northwest of the country, some 40km (25 miles) from the coast, Santiago de Compostela is one of the wettest places in Spain. The damp climate means that it is wet in winter and humid in summers, while evenings can be chilly.

As the capital of the region, the city has a key role within the province of Galicia. The region itself is strongly defined, with a distinct Celtic strain and a self-conscious and aggressively self-promoting regional identity.

While its writers may hymn the Celtic mysteries of the characteristic Galician forests and misty groves, Santiago de Compostela is also the focus of modern broadcasting, press and publishing enterprises designed to reinforce Galego (Galician) as a language and a unifying cultural force.

Santiago de Compostela's famous university attracts a large number of students, which guarantees the city a youthful ambience. The university (founded in 1501) has long given a lively buzz of activity to the city's bars, cafes and restaurants. Santiago de Compostela revels in this continuously refreshed influx of youthful energy and inventiveness that treats the grand stone edifices as the most superb of stage sets.