Travel & Culture> Walled Cities of Europe

Image: A view of Girona from the City Wall

Image by: Malouette





Text by: Tanya Munshi

Planning a theme for your Europe trip? Maybe you could plan a trip to the famous European walled cities. Here are some of the best European walled cities that travel guides recommend.

The Walled City of Catalonia, Girona, Spain – Girona is worth a visit. This city is interesting with a confluence of several cultures of Christians, Jews and Arabs. Originally a Roman empire, Girona gradually evolved as a medieval centre in the later years. Girona is known for its amazing architecture and gems.

The Walls of Girona had been destroyed and re-constructed in the 19th century. The passeig de la Muralla or the Walled Walk is open between 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily. The Passeig Arqueologic, is another wall walk on the outside of the town walls, that gives you a view of the old city lined with flowers and cypress trees.

It only takes about an hour to reach Girona and is situated to the north of Barcelona, in the Catalonia region. With limited options for boarding and lodging, it is advisable that you visit Girona with prior bookings.
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The Walled City of Rhodes, Greece – The city of Rome, is draped by medieval walls of seven gates, a moat and castle. Also known as Rodos, this is a walled city situated on the coast of the island of Rhodes. The Knights of Saint John had taken shelter inside the Rhodes Walls in 1309 when they were exiled from the Holy Land.
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Carcassonne France Walled City – Probably the only place, where you can find 6th, 7th and 8th century walls. A beautiful medieval hilltop town, Caracassonne is situated near the canal du midi that has been entered in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. A small town, Carcassonne is situated south of Paris bordering Cathar County. A river, castle ruins, and the lit up La Cite at night makes this a memorable experience.
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Avila - Walled City in Castile-Leon, Spain – A day trip from Madrid to Avila is enough to visit one of the best persevered walled cities in Spain. The Walls of Avila date back to the 11th century and has been declared as a World Heritage Site. Here, apart from the Walls of Avila, you can also visit the Cathedral and Museum and the Monastery of Santo Tamas de Avila. You can hop on to a train that runs 24 hours from Chamartin Station in Madrid to Avila.
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The Walled City of Luca, Italy – Luca is a cozy town enveloped by 16th century walls that you can walk around. In the town of Luca, you can also cycle or walk along the three mile stretch of these historic walls.