Lugo: The Only Complete Roman City Wall on Earth
Galicia, Spain
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Muralla de Lugo
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275
XP
+100 Spain
= 375 total
1 day
Lugo: The Only Complete Roman City Wall on Earth
275 + 100 XP
Lugo's Roman wall runs just over two kilometres around the old town, enclosing 34.4 hectares, about 4.2 metres thick and between 8 and 12 metres high. It was built in the third century AD to defend Lucus Augusti — the sacred grove of Augustus, founded on a military camp by Paulus Fabius Maximus in the emperor's name — and it is the only Roman fortification in the world that still keeps its entire perimeter intact. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Required Activities
1
of 5
Walk the complete circuit on the parapet, all the way round, without descending once — no other Roman wall anywhere lets you do it
2
of 5
Count the double staircases that run up from the walkway into the towers
3
of 5
Find the Porta Miña and the Porta Falsa, the best-preserved of the original gates — the Miña still has its vaulted arch between two towers
4
of 5
Work out the scale of what it encloses: 34.4 hectares, walls 4.2 metres thick and up to 12 metres high, built in the 3rd century AD
5
of 5
Find the Roman remains inside the circuit — this was a full Roman city, with temples, baths and mosaics turned up under it
Walk the complete circuit on the parapet, all the way round, without descending once — no other Roman wall anywhere lets you do it
Count the double staircases that run up from the walkway into the towers
Find the Porta Miña and the Porta Falsa, the best-preserved of the original gates — the Miña still has its vaulted arch between two towers
Work out the scale of what it encloses: 34.4 hectares, walls 4.2 metres thick and up to 12 metres high, built in the 3rd century AD
Find the Roman remains inside the circuit — this was a full Roman city, with temples, baths and mosaics turned up under it
Before you go
The wall walkway is unfenced on the inner side in places and gets slippery in rain, which in Lugo is frequent.
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
275 XP
Spain country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
375 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in Spain.
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