Mission San José

The grandest of San Antonio's five missions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside its four companions. Founded in 1720, Mission San José grew into a self-sufficient community of several hundred converted Coahuiltecan people, with granaries, a mill, soldiers' quarters, and a large circular compound wall. The stone church with its baroque facade and the famous Rose Window have been restored to something close to their original splendour.

The Mission Reach, a 15-mile extension of the River Walk, connects all five missions by a hike-and-bike trail along the San Antonio River. Mission San José is the furthest north of the lower four and the best place to start a missions tour. Park rangers give free guided tours on weekends; the mission is about a 20-minute drive south of downtown.

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A story
Mission San José was known in its heyday as the "Queen of the Missions," and its Rose Window — a single ornate baroque carving above the sacristy door — is the finest example of Spanish colonial decorative stone carving in North America. Local legend says it was carved by a Spanish sculptor named Pedro Huizar in memory of his sweetheart Rosa, who died at sea on the voyage to join him. Historians find no record of Rosa; the legend persists anyway.

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