Lugo, with about 100,000 inhabitants, is the capital of Galicia's inland province, on the Miño river. It is famous for its Roman walls, the only ones in the world preserved in full, a UNESCO site since 2000. It is also a stage of the Camino Primitivo to Santiago. See the Way of St James.
History
Founded in 25 BC as a Roman camp named Lucus Augusti, it became one of the main centres of Roman Gallaecia. The walls were built in the late 3rd century AD to protect the city from invasions.
The walls
The walls are about 2,117 metres long, with 71 towers and ten gates, and between 8 and 12 metres high. You can walk along the wide wall-walk, with views over the old town and its slate roofs. Locals love strolling there at all hours.
What to see
- The cathedral of Santa María, begun in 1129, mixing Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and neoclassical, with the privilege of perpetual exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, which is why Galicia's coat of arms bears a chalice.
- The Plaza Mayor, with the Baroque town hall.
- The old town, with Rúa Nova and Praza do Campo.
- The Roman baths, beneath the spa hotel on the Miño, and the Roman bridge.
- The Provincial Museum, in the convent of San Francisco, and the House of Mosaics.
Tapas and festivals
In Lugo, as in many north-western cities, every drink comes with a free tapa, especially on Rúa da Cruz and Praza do Campo. The main festivals are Arde Lucus, in June, a big Gallaeco-Roman festival in costume, and San Froilán, in October, with pulpo á feira served under tents.
Food
Pulpo á feira, lacón con grelos, San Simón and Arzúa-Ulloa cheeses, tarta de Santiago and Ribeira Sacra wines.
Around and getting there
The Ribeira Sacra, with terraced vineyards over the Sil gorges and Romanesque monasteries. Lugo has trains to A Coruña and Madrid and buses to Santiago. The nearest airport is Santiago, about an hour away.