St David's Cathedral

Lonely Planet review

This is Wales' holiest place, receiving a stream of pilgrims year round. The main granite building was constructed in the 12th century on a site where a church had existed for 600 years. Welsh patron saint Dewi Sant established the first monastic community here in the 6th century. His shrine is in the northern choir aisle; his relics are behind the altar.

The atmosphere inside the cathedral is one of great antiquity.

The floor slopes sharply and the pillars keel drunkenly following a 1248 earthquake. The Norman nave's superb Irish oak ceiling was carved in the 16th century. The equally richly carved choir in the centre of the cross is illuminated from the tower above.

Try not to bypass the ruins next to the cathedral of the stately Bishop's Palace, an elaborate testament to the wealth and influence of the medieval church in this region. Its final imposing form, including the arcades on the parapet, is mostly due to Henry de Gower, the bishop from 1327 to 1348.

The palace is a wonderful setting for open-air theatre during the Arts Festival in the summer.