Lleida’s ‘old cathedral’, enclosed within a later fortress complex, towers above the city from its commanding hilltop location. Work began on the cathedral in 1203, though today it is a masterpiece of the Transitional style, with bold Romanesque forms complemented by Gothic vaults and elaborate tracery. The octagonal bell tower , crowned with Gothic flourishes, rises at the southwest end of the beautiful cloisters , a forest of slender columns from which you can gaze at expansive views over Lleida.
The old town once clustered around the cathedral, but Felipe V razed it in punishment for Lleida's opposition in the War of the Spanish Succession. The main entrance to the recinte (grounds) is from Carrer de Monterey on its western side, but there's also a lift from above Plaça de Sant Joan.
The cathedral opens extended hours in high season. It's free to enter the compound itself, which doesn't close. Above the cathedral are remains of the Islamic fortress and residence of the Muslim governors, known as the Castell del Rei or La Suda, and there are sweeping views of the Urgell Plain from the castle walls.
