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BAEZA is tiny, compact and provincial, with a perpetual Sunday air about it. At its heart are the Plaza Mayor - in fact comprised of two linked plazas, the Plaza de la Constitucion at the southern end with a garden, and the smaller Plaza de Espana to the north - and paseo , flanked by cafes and very much the hub of the town's limited animation. The Plaza de Leones , an appealing cobbled square enclosed by Renaissance buildings, stands slightly back at the far end. Here, on a rounded balcony, the first Mass of the Reconquest is reputed to have been celebrated; the mansion beneath it houses the turismo (Mon-Fri 9am-2.30pm, Sat 10am-1pm; tel 953 740 444), where you can pick up a map (which conveniently incorporates an Ubeda town map as well) and English-language walking-tour brochure of the town. There are no charges to enter any of Baeza's monuments but you may offer the guardian a small propina (tip). Finest of Baeza's mansions is the Palacio de Jabalquinto (patio open Tues-Sun 10am-1pm & 4-6pm), now a seminary, with an elaborate "Isabelline" front (showing marked Moorish influence in its stalactite decoration). Close by, the sixteenth-century Catedral (daily 10am-1pm & 5.15-7pm), like many of Baeza and Ubeda's churches, has brilliant painted rejas (iron screens) created in the sixteenth century by Maestro Bartolome, the Spanish master of this craft. In the cloister, part of the old mosque has been uncovered, but the cathedral's real novelty is a huge silver custodia - cunningly hidden behind a painting of St Peter which whirls aside for a 100ptas coin (which they may eventually get around to converting to take euros). There are some good walks around town: wandering up through the Puerta de Jaen on the Plaza de los Leones and along the Paseo Murallas/Paseo de Don Antonio Machado takes you round the edge of Baeza with good views over the surrounding plains. You can cut back to the Plaza Mayor via the network of narrow stone-walled alleys - with the occasional arch - that lie behind the cathedral. Accommodation is adequate but mostly upmarket: for budget options try the Hostal El Patio , c/Conde Ramones 13, near the Plaza de Leones (tel 953 740 200; ?12-27), an old Renaissance mansion set around an enclosed courtyard with a wood-beamed dining hall; or the Hostal Comercio (tel 953 740 100; ?18-27) on c/San Pablo, a main road at the end of the central square, at no. 21 - both have some rooms with bath. Best of the central pricier places is Hotel Baeza , c/Concepcion 3, near the Plaza de Espana (tel 953 748130, fax 953 742519; ?60-90), partly set inside a former Renaissance palace. Good bets for food and drink include the ancient Cafeteria Mercantil , on the Plaza de Espana, which besides being the best place for a lazy terrace breakfast offers decent tapas and raciones later in the day. Nearby, Casa Lucas , Plaza Espana 13, is a local favourite for more tapas and economical platos combinados . For a bit more style try the pleasant terrace of the mid-priced Restaurante Sali around the corner at c/Benavides 9 with a view of Baeza's magnificent sixteenth-century ayuntamiento . Casa Pedro at no. 3 on the same street is another possibility, with a menu for around ?12. The nearest train station is Linares-Baeza 14km from Baeza and served by frequent trains from Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada (there is a connecting bus for most trains, except on Sun; ?12 taxi ride). Most bus connections are via Ubeda.
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