Things To Do in Avila

A Cubist jumble of Gothic convents and palaces slumping down the top of a hill, entirely surrounded by imposing, castellated stone walls, Ávila is the perfect stage set of a Castilian city. It seems a unified whole, making a stronger impression than its individual parts. No visitor can—or should—miss the Murallas, or walls. After that, let your heart and devotion dictate which of the holy spots to visit. For a panoramic view of the city walls as invading armies from the south would have seen them, take the 2km (1.2mi) walk to the Los Cuatro Postes observation point across the Rio Adaja. Note that the city has begun an intensive program of wheelchair accessibility, including the Puente Adaja access point to the walls.

About those walls: Begun on orders of Alfonso VI as part of the general reconquest of Spain from the Moors, the 11th-century Walls of Avila, built over Roman fortifications, took 9 years to complete. They average 10m (33 ft.) in height and have 88 semicircular towers and more than 2,300 battlements. Of the nine gateways, the two most famous are the St. Vincent and the Alcázar, both on the eastern side. In many respects, the walls are best viewed from the west. Whatever your preferred point of view, you can drive along their entire length: 2km (1 1/2 miles).