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Medieval Walled Cities - The Best European Walled Cities to Visit
Ancient walls and their dunce-cap towers conjure up a romantic notion
that is as compelling as it is completely baseless. I mean, we're talking defensive structures meant to keep the invading hordes of sniveling, stinky, garbage-launching barbarians at bay--hardly a romantic notion, you have to admit. Still, I'll admit to a rather intense attraction to walled cities myself. I'll go even further and say that medieval walled cities are quite nice to see and a real pleasure to walk on or around. So, below I've selected the best preserved walled cities in Europe to visit--and even to have romantic notions about if you wish. Avila, Spain Avila's 11th century walls are the most important and best preserved of the Spanish medieval walls, circling (trapazoidally) the medieval Avila. If you're looking for a walled city in Spain, Girona might be a better destination, despite the fact that most of its walls have been systematically destroyed and then rebuilt in the 19th century. The wall walk, or passeig de la Muralla is open 8am-10pm daily. Another walk outside the town walls is the Passeig Arqueologic, which takes you outside the walls to view the old city on a cypress and flower lined path. Girona began as a Roman settlement, then became a medieval hub where Christians, Jews and Arabs converged, making it an architecturally interesting city, and one of the true little-visited gems of Spain. Carcassonne, France Nowhere outside Carcassonne will you find such a complete example of 6th, 7th, and 8th century walls in Europe. Carcassonne, a town of 46,500 people located 808 km south of Paris is on the edge of Cathar Country, a landscape littered with romantic castle ruins. Stay in Carcassonne or along the river below the old town, which will give you a romantic view of La Cite lit up at night. Carcassonne Travel Information - Be sure to check out the page by Philippe Cuq and Bruno Berniere, who have put together an interesting site about the architecture of the walls over time and the defenses at the gates. Very interesting for walled town aficionados. please support the link followed which is excelnt in it,thank for your clicks and attention: http://www.towas.com http://www.replan.net http://www.aliask.com http://www.businessol.net http://www.3gease.com http://www.maxcasino.net http://www.billowmusic.com |
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wrote in message oups.com... .... Carcassonne, France Nowhere outside Carcassonne will you find such a complete example of 6th, 7th, and 8th century walls in Europe. .... Those walls were extensively rebuilt in the 19th century. For much more original walls (apart from the south gate, which collapsed in 1912), you need to visit somewhere like La Couvertoirade, although I find later fortifications, like the transitional Fort de Salses or almost anything by Vauban, particularly interesting. Colin Bignell |
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"nightjar .uk.com" nightjar@insert my surname here wrote in message ... wrote in message oups.com... ... Carcassonne, France Nowhere outside Carcassonne will you find such a complete example of 6th, 7th, and 8th century walls in Europe. ... Those walls were extensively rebuilt in the 19th century. For much more original walls (apart from the south gate, which collapsed in 1912), you need to visit somewhere like La Couvertoirade, although I find later fortifications, like the transitional Fort de Salses or almost anything by Vauban, particularly interesting. Colin Bignell How about Aigues Mortes (sp?) ? |
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Derry?
Gummo |
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Not Cities but:
Villefanche de Conflent Interesting in that the garrison/fort is several hundred steps above it at a place called Fort Liberia. Mont Louis I think it claims to be the highest walled settlement in France. Its a lot smaller than Villefranche The French paras have a base there. (Also at Mount Louis there is a solar furnace and nearby skiing/lakes.) The Petit Train Jaune (little yellow train) links Villefranche and Mount Louis. John -- John Owens www.goodviews.co.uk Fax +44 1509 890822 |
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"John Owens" wrote:
Not Cities but: Villefanche de Conflent Interesting in that the garrison/fort is several hundred steps above it at a place called Fort Liberia. Mont Louis I think it claims to be the highest walled settlement in France. Its a lot smaller than Villefranche The French paras have a base there. (Also at Mount Louis there is a solar furnace and nearby skiing/lakes.) The Petit Train Jaune (little yellow train) links Villefranche and Mount Louis. Your mention of a petit train triggers me to think of Entrevaux, also served by a narrow-gauge railway (Le Petit Train des Dignes). I also nominate Dubrovnik and Korcula, both in Croatia. -- PB The return address has been MUNGED |
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Gerrit 't Hart wrote:
How about Aigues Mortes (sp?) ? Still the most impressive town fortifications for me. Jens |
#8
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How about Aigues Mortes (sp?) ?
Still the most impressive town fortifications for me. For real massiveness, Istanbul's are surely the tops - one of the last mediaeval walls to be finished, and a last-ditch effort at saving an entire empire. Coming back to Edinburgh and seeing the remains of the Flodden Wall from 1513, I felt like (Crocodile Dundee voice) "you call that a wall?". Diyarbakir's walls are impressive because of what they're made of (black basalt). The best view of them is from the Tigris side, elsewhere they tend to get swamped by the modern city in the same way as York's. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 |
#9
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wrote in message oups.com... Ancient walls and their dunce-cap towers conjure up a romantic notion that is as compelling as it is completely baseless. I mean, we're talking defensive structures meant to keep the invading hordes of sniveling, stinky, garbage-launching barbarians at bay--hardly a romantic notion, you have to admit. Still, I'll admit to a rather intense attraction to walled cities myself. I'll go even further and say that medieval walled cities are quite nice to see and a real pleasure to walk on or around. So, below I've selected the best preserved walled cities in Europe to visit--and even to have romantic notions about if you wish. Avila, Spain Avila's 11th century walls are the most important and best preserved of the Spanish medieval walls, circling (trapazoidally) the medieval Avila. If you're looking for a walled city in Spain, Girona might be a better destination, despite the fact that most of its walls have been systematically destroyed and then rebuilt in the 19th century. The wall walk, or passeig de la Muralla is open 8am-10pm daily. Another walk outside the town walls is the Passeig Arqueologic, which takes you outside the walls to view the old city on a cypress and flower lined path. Girona began as a Roman settlement, then became a medieval hub where Christians, Jews and Arabs converged, making it an architecturally interesting city, and one of the true little-visited gems of Spain. Carcassonne, France Nowhere outside Carcassonne will you find such a complete example of 6th, 7th, and 8th century walls in Europe. Carcassonne, a town of 46,500 people located 808 km south of Paris is on the edge of Cathar Country, a landscape littered with romantic castle ruins. Stay in Carcassonne or along the river below the old town, which will give you a romantic view of La Cite lit up at night. Carcassonne Travel Information - Be sure to check out the page by Philippe Cuq and Bruno Berniere, who have put together an interesting site about the architecture of the walls over time and the defenses at the gates. Very interesting for walled town aficionados. please support the link followed which is excelnt in it,thank for your clicks and attention: http://www.towas.com http://www.replan.net http://www.aliask.com http://www.businessol.net http://www.3gease.com http://www.maxcasino.net http://www.billowmusic.com I thought Carcassonne was almost entirely a modern reconstruction? A small, little known walled town I've always liked is Aigues Mort in the Camargue. Surreyman |
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"Martin" wrote in message ... On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 10:20:38 GMT, "a.spencer3" wrote: I thought Carcassonne was almost entirely a modern reconstruction? A small, little known walled town I've always liked is Aigues Mort in the Camargue. Little known? :-) -- Found it by accident and haven't yet met anyone else who has been there. If it is well known it certainly deserves to be! Shows what good taste I have then! :-)) Surreyman |
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