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Geography class at Girona University
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Avila, a return to the Middle Ages

Avila city walls © Turespaña

Avila, a return to the Middle Ages

The walled city of Avila, awarded the World Heritage designation by the UNESCO

Avila offers an open invitation to step into the time tunnel and travel back through history to become a genuine mediaeval knight. Declared a World Heritage site, this walled –and yet open– city offers the perfect setting to savour the Middle Ages.

Without a doubt its wall, dating from the 11th century, is the indisputable symbol of this city located in the south of the region of Castile-León. Its battlements are much more than simply a reminder of its past as a defensive frontier post –they also enclose a vast cultural richness, and frequently come into view while you are strolling around the ancient city streets. To start your visit to Avila, we suggest that you tour its walled perimeter, encircle it and walk through its arches and gates. This is the best way to discover every corner of the city. You’ll see numerous reminders of its history, the honour and the pride of its ancient inhabitants, the efforts of those who built it and the courage of those who defended it.
 
Take a leisurely stroll along the walkways atop these walls. Among other things they will reveal ingenious defensive elements, beautiful architectural details and some magnificent views from the parapet. A walk along the top will disclose the splendid Renaissance palaces built abutting them. Allow them to lead you through the imposing Puerta del Alcázar gateway into the square known as the Mercado Grande; or to bring you to the Cathedral, the oldest Gothic cathedral in Spain, whose sanctuary is embedded in the wall.
 
Your steps will guide you past extraordinary Romanesque churches, charming mediaeval enclaves, and an endless number of additional treasures. The viewing point of the Cuatro Postes is another visit not to be missed, and particularly by night: the illuminated view over the city is sensational.
 
Between the months of June and September, the historic centre is transformed into a stage from the Middle Ages to serve as a backdrop for the mediaeval festival, the street market, the Tour of Legends, and the theatre on the wall. Relive this extraordinary and magical period in this monumental site, while you browse unhurriedly through whole pages of the book of history written on its stones. A unique experience which transports our present existence back into a time of legends.