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Impenetrable fortress: Avila

Route Details

Route Distance

10.4 km

Route Duration

2 h 7 m

Route Points

Audio Guide

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Avila is a city on the high plateau of Castile with clear air, stone hues and a leisurely pace of walking. The route “Impenetrable Fortress: Avila” begins at the Four Pillars observation deck: from here the city is visible in the palm of your hand, and the famous City Walls of Avila - in all its glory. They are listed by UNESCO and have eighty-seven towers and nine gates. We go down to the Chapel of St. Segundo, go to the Gate of Adaia or the Gate of Carmen and step inside the walls. Next awaits the elegant Basilica of St. Vicente, where the Romanesque style naturally transitions into early Gothic, and the Cathedral of Avila, like a stone ship, walled into the defensive line of the city. In the Small Market Square, you can take a breath and go for coffee or have a snack at the Siglo Doce restaurant. The path leads past the Palace of Verdugo and the Tower of Gusmane to the Monastery of Saint Teresa and the Museum of Saint Teresa, so it is easier to feel why Avila is called the city of the Holy. In Rastro Park, there is another panorama, and the finish near the Royal Monastery of St. Thomas adds a calm celebration. Interesting fact: Avila is the highest capital of the province of Spain, located at an altitude of more than one thousand hundred meters. And for dessert, try the local “St. Teresa's Yolks” — the sweet finale to the perfect walk.