Roman Walls of Lugo

The Roman Walls of Lugo, in the Galician city of the same name, are the only Roman city walls in the world to survive complete and intact around their entire circuit. Built in the later 3rd century AD to defend the town of Lucus Augusti, the fortifications run for more than two kilometres, punctuated by dozens of massive semicircular towers and pierced by gates both ancient and modern. Visitors can walk the full circuit along the broad wall-top promenade, looking down over the rooftops and streets of the old town enclosed within. Constructed of slate and granite, the walls remain the finest example of late Roman military engineering in western Europe and still define the shape of the historic city they were built to protect. They were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.