Not to miss

St Mungo's Museum of Religious Life & Art

A startling achievement, St Mungo's Museum is an audacious attempt to capture the world's major religions in an artistic nutshell. The attraction is twofold: firstly, impressive art that blurs the lines between religion and culture; and secondly the opportunity to delve into different faiths, an experience that can be as deep or shallow as you wish.

There are three galleries, representing religion as art, religious life and, on the top floor, religion in Scotland. In the main gallery Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross hangs beside statues of the Buddha and Hindu deities. Outside, you'll find Britain's only Zen garden.

Glasgow Cathedral

An landmark that shouldn't be missed, Glasgow Cathedral has a rare timelessness. The dark and imposing interior conjures up medieval might and can send a shiver down the spine. A shining example of pre-Reformation Gothic architecture, it's the only mainland Scottish cathedral to have survived the Reformation.

The entry is through a side door into the nave, which is hung with some regimental colours. The wooden roof above has been restored many times since its original construction, but some of the timber dates from the 14th century; note the impressive shields. Many of the cathedral's stunning, narrow windows of stained glass are modern and, to your left, you'll see Francis Spear's 1958 work The Creation, which fills the west window. The cathedral is divided by a late 15th-century stone choir screen, decorated with seven pairs of figures to represent the Seven Deadly Sins. Beyond is the choir. The four stained-glass panels of the east window, depicting the apostles and also by Francis Spear, are particularly effective.

Glasgow School of Art

Mackintosh's greatest building, the Glasgow School of Art, still houses the educational institution. It's hard not to be impressed by the precision of the design; the architect's pencil seems to have shaped everything inside and outside the building. The interior design is strikingly austere, and the library, designed as an addition in 1907, is a masterpiece.

Great cities have great artists, designers and architects contributing to the cultural and historical roots of their urban environment while expressing its soul and individuality. Charles Rennie Mackintosh was all of these. The quirky, linear and geometric designs of this famous Scottish architect and designer have had almost as much influence on the city as have Gaudi's on Barcelona. Many of the buildings Mackintosh designed in Glasgow are open to the public, and you'll see his tall, thin, Art Nouveau typeface repeatedly reproduced. In 1896, when he was aged only 27 he won a competition for his design of the School of Art's new building. The first section was opened in 1899 and is considered to be the earliest example of Art Nouveau in Britain, as well as Mackintosh's supreme architectural achievement. This building demonstrates his skill in combining function and style.