Places to visit.

The walls of Ávila

The walls of Ávila have their origins in the Middle Ages and were named a national monument in 1884. The total length of the iconic walls of the medieval city of Castile is over two and a half kilometres, making it instantly recognisable. The ancient walls are a product of a period when Jews, Christians and Muslims lived side by side. The oldest of the surviving medieval walls in Europe, Ávila's was built by Christians in the 11th century as a defence against Muslim invasion. It is almost quadrilateral in shape, 2550 metres long, 3 metres wide and about 12 metres high, with towers at 25 metre intervals, a total of 90 towers and 9 gates, and 88 circular towers with columns. The most imposing of these are the Puertadel Alcazar Gate and the Puertade San Vicente Gate.