Tui sits on a hill above the River Miño, right on the Portuguese border — you can walk across the old international bridge to Valença do Minho on the other side. The town's streets wind harmoniously down toward the river, and the setting is one of the prettiest in Galicia.
The cathedral dominates the hilltop. Begun in the twelfth century in Romanesque style with influences from Compostela, it was later given an early Gothic main façade inspired by French models. Frequent cross-border invasions led to its conversion into a fortified church, complete with battlements and defensive towers. The spacious cloister on the southern side is a peaceful spot. Tui is also a stop on the Camino Portugués, and pilgrims are a common sight in the old town.