The Basilica of La Seu is Manresa’s most outstanding monument, and one of the great gothic churches of Catalonia.

Manresa itself is nothing special, and indeed its outskirts are rather off-putting, with vistas of decaying 19th century factories. But on entering the town itself, the scene changes completely: an impressive mediaeval bridge spans the Llobregat and, high above, the cathedral sits high on a towering cliff, dominating the view of the town and river.

The church was designed by Berenguer de Montagut, who was also responsible for the Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona. Begun in 1322 (although not completed for 200 years), La Seu contains familiar Catalan Gothic themes, such as a very wide but austere nave, a lack of transepts and strongly horizontal forms on the exterior. From the outside, the church is rather severe and box-like, with an undersized bell-tower rising from the centre, the only embellishments being the soaring flying buttresses. The gothic portal of three arches at the west end was added in the early 20th century, under the guidance of Gaudi.

The approach is from an attractive small square formed by the Justice Building and various administrative offices of the church, dating from the 18th century. Except for services, visitors are directed not through the north door but through the adjacent cloister. A small shop sells postcards and has information about the church, but the cloister itself – a simple romanesque structure – is rather spoiled by the placing in its centre of a small 18th century chapel. On the far side, however, is the access to the crypt, which contains an arcade of fine early romanesque columns and an underground necropolis and chapel.

But all this is dwarfed – almost literally – by the interior. The nave is astonishingly wide and tall, with a clerestory of huge decorated-style gothic windows emphasising its height. The west wall is plain but for a small gothic portico over the west door, and a lovely rose window high up towards the ceiling. Eight bays of tall, elegant octagonal columns draw the eye towards the chancel, where the High Altar is rather dwarfed by the sheer scale of its surroundings. The glass in many of the windows is dark rather than colourful, but enough light penetrates to show off its size to good effect.

Each bay of the nave and apse contains a small chapel, several of which are notable for their mediaeval altarpieces. Behind the High Altar, the altarpiece of the Holy Spirit is regarded as the masterpiece of Pere Serra, the greatest Catalan painter of the late fourteenth century. Adjacent to the door to the cloister, the altarpiece of Saint Marcus by Arnau Bassa is a beautiful gilded triptych from the mid-fourteenth century, and was originally commissioned by the Shoemakers’ Guild in Barcelona. Finally, the altarpiece of Saints Michael and Nicholas by Jaume Cabrera from the early fifteenth century is typical of the change from Catalan gothic to the so-called international gothic art.

The west end of the church also contains a small museum containing other moderately diverting treasures from La Seu. These include rare fragments of mediaeval fabrics as well as more altarpieces and elaborately decorated reliquaries.

Some practicalities: The cathedral is relatively accessible for wheelchairs through the north entrance (the cloister entrance has a number of steep steps), and once inside is mostly on the level, although the square outside also has a number of steps. There is some car parking in the precinct of the church. The church is close to the RENFE railway station, with regular services to Barcelona. It's further from Manresa station on the FGC line, which runs via Montserrat.

After your visit, walk around the garden at the east end of the church for some stunning views over the valley of the Llobregat, the mediaeval Pont Vell bridge and the colossal neoclassical pile of the Casa de Ejercicios, home to a community of Jesuit monks.