Planning a trip to Spain this spring but the surging crowds you see on TikTok are making you question your decision?
Let me tell you something I’ve learned after years of traveling around the Iberian heartland myself: all the jam-packed beaches, overpriced terraces slinging $15 sangrias, and hours-long wait lines just to visit a landmark is something you see in mainly 5 tourist cesspits:
- Madrid, the bustling capital
- Barcelona, the number one coastal getaway
- Mallorca, the go-to spot for German beer buffs
- Gran Canaria, the equivalent to a European Cancun for year-round sunshine
- Malaga (and the wider Costa del Sol), pretty much a British colony at this point
Ditch the southerly spots, however, and you’ll find a plethora of cultural gems that are yet to be spoiled by the masses.
In my recent travels around Galicia, one of those overlooked northerly regions, I happened to stumble upon Lugo, an ancient city very few tourists have heard about, even though it boasts one of the most impressive Historic Centers in the entire continent:
The Last Perfectly-Preserved Roman City Walls
Lugo is an inland city located in Galicia, the northwestern edge of Spain, home to roughly 100,000 residents.
It’s a mid-size city by Spanish standards, but the fact it’s not directly on the coast, much less on the Mediterranean side, makes it less of an easy prey for the sun-seeking hordes. Now, if you’re coming to Spain for that Old World allure, you’ll want to check this out:
Quiet, unassuming Lugo just happens to be completely surrounded by a sturdy row of Roman-era walls. I mean Ancient Roman, dating back over 1,700 years. I couldn’t believe it myself when I saw it with my own eyes.
They loop around the entire Historic Center, making the city the last one in Europe to still be completely fortified by a Roman enclosure.
The craziest part? Though it’s only a short 2h train ride away from the trendy A Coruña, and an equally-short 2h30 hop from Santiago de Compostela, the world-famous pilgrimate site, this place has not been on the radar of the average tourist.
Oh, but don’t you worry: the culture aficionados has kept a close eye on it, and as early as 2000, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Heading to Spain this summer? Check the latest Travel Advisories for the country to avoid any unpleasant surprises on the ground.
No Dubrovnik-Level Crowds
Remember when you had to pay a hole-burning €40 ($45) to walk the coastal ramparts of Dubrovnik, Croatia?
The Adriatic views are breathtaking, alright, but what if I told you you can explore the full extent of Lugo’s far-more ancient, far-more impressive Roman Walls, La Muralla Romana, for a grand total of 0 cents of euro?
There are 10 access points around the perimeter of the Old City, and no ticket booths, nor turnstiles keeping curious visitors out. You’re free to just walk up, and walk the whole length of the walls while admiring views of the city’s iconic glassed-in balconies, grid-like street plan, and church towers.
I took maybe 4,000 pictures along the way myself, so I might have taken close to 1h30 to complete the loop, but at a leisurely pace, if you’re not wonderstruck like I was and you’re only casually snapping a pic or two, you can complete the walk in around 40–45 minutes.
And guess what? Practically zero photobombers up there, just regular locals going on their morning jog—can you imagine how cool it must be to have a Roman wall as your running grounds? Now, that’s a flex.
Most Beautiful Cathedral In Galicia?
You would think the UNESCO-listed Muralla Romana is by far the most impressive sight around here, but wait until you see the flipping cathedral.
With soaring towers visible from a mile away, and a gorgeous Baroque façade, it has an exceedingly-long nave, lined with gilded columns, ornate gold leaf chapels, and altar pieces carved out of ancient wood.
The adjacent medieval cloister is equally as atmospheric, and if you’re paying the full €8 entry fee (something like $9.20), you can even go up to the upper level of the cathedral, where some beautiful sacral art and sculptures are housed.
A short walk away from cathedral square, down narrow alleys lined with arcaded buildings and picturesque fountain plazas, Domus Mitreo is that underground treasure trove you don’t want to miss:
Free to visit, it’s the archaeological remains of a large Roman domus, associated with a cult to a pagan sea god—or that’s what I could gather myself as I couldn’t bother with a guided tour.
Let’s just say, the few mosaics and columns that are left truly are impressive.
If all the old stones and buzzing pedestrian traffic start getting to you, a little outside the center, down by the Miño River, there’s this beautiful park cut through with biking lanes. It’s perfect for a taste of the Galician countryside without ever leaving town.
I guess I should mention that, even if you try to escape it, Ancient History will always catch up to you in Lugo: spanning the river, there’s a multi-arch, stone-built Roman bridge dating back to the 1st century AD (older than the walls, even).
This bridge is a popular landmark for Camino pilgrims walking past Lugo on their way to Santiago, and oftentimes, you’ll see them chillaxing for a bit at A Calzada Bar, a no-frills tapas bar right by the bridge, before resuming their journey.
How To Get To Lugo This Summer
Lugo is just one of many amazing destinations you can discover around Northern Spain, and guess what?
Starting this year, Americans can fly nonstop from Newark (EWR) to the region for the first time. Flights land at both Bilbao (BIO) and Santiago de Compostela (SCQ), two of the leading destinations on the North Atlantic Coast.
For those headed straight to Lugo, the most convenient airport for landing is SCQ, as it’s in the same region, and a 2h30–4h train journey from Santiago (usually via Ourense or A Coruña).
And remember, don’t forget to check the latest travel rules for Americans going to Spain this year. Whether it’s mandatory fingerprinting or Travel Authorizations, it’s all changing fast.
