St Michael's Cathedral & Ruins

The pretty cathedral quarter is historically the richest part of the city. The wonderfully evocative cathedral ruins of St Michael's Church Cathedral, destroyed by Nazi incendiary bombs in the blitz of 14 November 1940, still stand as a permanent memorial. The 180 steps of its Gothic spire can be climbed for some panoramic views.

Symbolically adjoining the old cathedral's sandstone walls is the Sir Basil Spence-designed cathedral, a modern, almost Gothic, architectural masterpiece. It includes a giant Graham Sutherland tapestry of Christ, glorious stained-glass nave windows (best seen from the altar), and a towering etched glass front. Look out for the Jacob Epstein statue of St Michael's conquest over the devil outside the main entrance.