What to see in Lugo in 1 day, the city with the best Roman wall in the world

Thanks to its size it is possible to visit everything important to see in Lugo in one day, including its Roman Wall, the best-known monument in the city and that you should not miss.

On the banks of the Miño River, and located on a hill, we find a thousand-year-old city with an enviable past that has given Lugo a series of impressive monuments. But if you want to take a walk through Lugo for a day, do not miss what we are going to tell you next.

If you want to visit Lugo with a good guide and enjoy his explanations, we recommend this guided tour of Lugo.

Tour to visit Lugo in one day

1. The Roman Wall of Lugo

The Wall is the most important thing to see in Lugo and is the beginning of our tour of the city. It is a World Heritage Site and its state of conservation is spectacular.

The Wall of Lugo has a perimeter of more than 2 kilometers and is the only Roman wall in the world that is complete.

Along it we find 71 towers (of the original 85) and it is the barrier that marks the modern Lugo of the old town that will be the next thing to visit.

In the wall we find 10 doors, 5 of them original from the Roman era and another 5 opened later through which we can enter the old town or access some stairs that take us to the adarve giving us the possibility of walking the wall for its part. higher.

We can start our walk through Lugo at the Puerta de Santiago.

2. The Cathedral of Lugo

We can enter the historic center of Lugo through any of its doors but we recommend doing it through the Puerta de Santiago and thus arrive directly at the Cathedral of Lugo.

It is also a World Heritage Site as part of the Caminos de Santiago and this Romanesque-Gothic temple has had great importance throughout its history for pilgrims on their way to Santiago.

The Cathedral of Lugo began to be built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, although it later evolved into Gothic and even Neoclassical, the style to which its beautiful façade belongs.

It is flanked by two slender towers that watch over everyone who enters the temple, of which we must also highlight the choir, the cloister or the main altar. Next to it is the Episcopal Palace, another very interesting building to see in Lugo, in the Baroque style and built in the 17th century.

3. The Plaza Mayor of Lugo

Surrounding the Cathedral and admiring its facades, and especially the spectacular north door, in Romanesque style, we arrive at the Plaza Mayor de Lugo, around which the social life of the people of Lugo develops.

It is also known as Plaza de España and since the 16th century it has dominated the old town of Lugo.

In it we can find the Town Hall building, built in the 18th century and one of the best Baroque constructions to see in Galicia.

Next to it is the 19th century Clock Tower and in front of it the gardens of an arcaded square that will enchant you with the most elegant cafes and buildings such as the Círculo de las Artes.

But it is not the only large square that we can find in Lugo. We must also highlight the Plaza de Santo Domingo, with beautiful buildings and the beautiful Convent of San Francisco.

Desde la Plaza Mayor parten los Free Tour si quieres conocer Lugo de manera gratuita

4. What to visit in the Old Town of Lugo

Leaving one of the corners of the Plaza Mayor and before entering the alleys of the center, we find the Church of Santiago a Nova, with a beautiful facade and tower, to continue through some streets where we can enjoy its shops and bars..

Among them we can highlight Rúa Nova and Rúa da Cruz, the best places to get lost in Lugo and enjoy tapas in this city and its famous gastronomy.

Among these cobbled streets we will find several churches, among which the Church of San Pedro stands out, in Gothic and Mudejar style and built between the 14th and 15th centuries, although it was later restored after the damage suffered by the attacks of Napoleon’s troops in the War. of the independence.

Next to it is the Provincial Museum, located in the old Church of San Francisco, with interesting Roman mosaics or Celtic goldsmith pieces.

We recommend going inside and enjoying one of the few examples of Mudejar art in Galicia.

To finish the tour of the historic center of Lugo, we recommend going to the northern part, near the wall, where the Church of San Froilán is located, located in the Plaza de Ferrol, and without being of spectacular architecture, it is the second most visited temple in the city, after the Cathedral.

It stands out for its two twin towers and it must be said that San Froilán is the patron saint of the city.

5. What to see in Lugo outside the walls

The walk through Lugo has not finished and not everything important is found inside its walls. Outside there are also important places to visit.

Continuing the walk, we leave through the northern part of the Wall and we go around it, heading towards the river.

For example, the Roman Bridge, which we can reach by taking a pleasant walk at the foot of the wall and crossing the Rosalía de Castro Park, the most important green space in Lugo and where we can enjoy a viewpoint and different modernist buildings.

The Roman Bridge has almost 2000 years of history, and on its side is the Hotel Balneario de Lugo, where the Roman Baths are located, one of the best examples of the legacy that the Roman Civilization left in the city.

You can find more information on the official Lugo tourism page.