The Cathedral of San Juan Bautista stands on the northern edge of Plaza Artigas and is Salto's most prominent building. The current structure dates from the late 19th century in a neoclassical style, with twin bell towers visible from across the city centre. Inside, the nave is calm and well-proportioned, lit by stained glass and holding a 1939 Hammond organ — unusual for a church this size in a provincial Uruguayan city. The organ is still played at Sunday masses.
The cathedral opens most mornings and is free to enter. Even for non-religious visitors it is worth a look for the architecture and for the perspective it gives on Salto's civic history — the church and the square it faces were the heart of the city from the colonial period onwards.