Mondoñedo, the kneeling cathedral of the Northern Way
10 August, 2026
Mondoñedo is one of those stops that justify the Northern Way all by themselves. It was the capital of one of the seven provinces of the old Kingdom of Galicia and an episcopal see, and it keeps the air of those towns where time seems to have stood still — «lost among greenery spilled from chestnut trees», as its most illustrious neighbour, the writer Álvaro Cunqueiro, described it.
Mondoñedo Cathedral
The basilica cathedral of the Virgin of the Assumption is, together with the co-cathedral of Ferrol, the see of the diocese of Mondoñedo-Ferrol. They call it «the kneeling cathedral» for its perfect proportions and its modest height: the towers seem small for the size of the church and the whole appears to crouch before whoever arrives. The façade is presided over by a rose window five metres across which, together with the other stained glass, spreads light and colour throughout the interior.
It was declared a National Monument in 1902, raised to minor basilica in 1962 and inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage list in 2015 together with the Northern Way itself. It stands right on the route, on the town's main square: there is no excuse to walk past.
What to see and do in Mondoñedo?
Around the cathedral unfolds an old town of arcades, emblazoned mansions and cobbled lanes that can be covered in a morning. The episcopal palace, the Old Fountain on the square and the Os Muíños quarter — the so-called «little Venice» of Mondoñedo, where water runs between the vegetable gardens — deserve a visit. The town also celebrates As San Lucas, the oldest fair in Galicia, every October.
If you are preparing this route, here you have all the information on the Northern Way and on our organised trips along the Northern Way.