This Is the Only City in the World to be Surrounded by Completely Intact Roman Walls

Constructed nearly 2000 years ago, the ancient Roman walls encompass the entire historic town of Lugo.

Lugo, located in the Autonomous Region of Galicia in northwestern Spain, boasts a unique distinction – it is the only city worldwide to possess fully preserved Roman walls. These formidable structures, standing 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) tall, encircle the town in a 2,117-meter (6,946 ft) circuit adorned with 85 external towers.

Visitors can now leisurely stroll along the entire length of the walls, thanks to a walkway built atop them. Dating back to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, these ancient walls represent a remarkable architectural, archaeological, and engineering legacy of Roman civilization. Constructed using local materials such as slate, granite, and even salvaged stone fragments from earlier Roman edifices, the late imperial walls exhibit an authentic aesthetic.

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the defensive fortifications of Lugo exemplify the most comprehensive and well-preserved Roman military architecture in the Western Roman Empire. Despite various renovations over the centuries, the walls retain their original layout and defensive characteristics. Alongside the walls themselves, visitors can marvel at towers, battlements, modern and original gates, stairways, and even a moat. Inside the walls, double staircases provide access to the towers from the parapet walk.

Since their construction, the Roman walls have shaped the urban development and expansion of Lugo, earning the city the designation of a Historical-Artistic Ensemble in 1973. Both locals and tourists have cherished the walls as a space for leisure and a vital part of urban life for centuries.

Legend has it that the Romans erected these walls not to safeguard a city, but to protect a forest known as “Augustus’ Holy Forest” or Lucus Augusti in Latin, from which Lugo derived its name. While the forest may remain a mystery today, the walls proudly stand tall, defying the passage of time and imparting their stories to those willing to listen.

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