Back in the old-gold days, emperors used to build fortifications to save themselves from any unwanted intrusions. Those fortifications were at times expanded to such an extent that they had an entire city inside the limits of the walls there. Till date, such walled cities exist, with people residing in them, and attract tourists, historians and avid travelers to get a sneak-peek into the functioning of these cities. Interested?
During the end of the year, getting cheap air tickets can be a bit difficult, especially to the mainstream holiday destinations, but why do you always have to travel the same road? Try something different. Take a look at some of the most stunning walled cities around the world, and know for yourself why the most beautiful things in the world are either veiled, or within the confines of thick walls…
- Dubrovnik, Croatia: Dubrovnik is a walled city on the Adriatic Sea coastline in the south of Croatia. Nicknamed “Pearl of the Adriatic“, it is one of the most conspicuous traveler goals of the Mediterranean. The walled city was based on sea exchange. In the Middle Ages it turned into the main city-state in the Adriatic to opponent Venice and accomplished a noteworthy level of advancement amid the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Developed mostly amid the 12th–17th centuries, they have been all around safeguarded till the present day. Oh by the way, this where your King’s Landing of GOT is. Motivated now?
- York, England: An old cathedral city with a history that goes back to the pre-Roman times. York is additionally one of the best protected urban areas in Europe. It has been safeguarded by walls since Roman times, and the walls that we see today around the old city date back from the twelfth to fourteenth century.
- Xi’an, China: One of the oldest cities in China, Xi’an has a history of more than 3,100 years. For a long time, the city was the capital for 13 administrations, and an aggregate of 73 heads governed here. Xi’an is the eastern end of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army. A well preserved city wall, which was re-built in the fourteenth during the early Ming Dynasty, encompasses the city. One of the world’s biggest city walls, it is sufficiently wide to effortlessly ride 5 bicycles over.
- Jerusalem, Israel: The walls that we see today around the old city of Jerusalem were built in the sixteenth century by the Ottoman Empire. Those walls were worked over the former walls that protected the city since times immemorial.
- Budva, Montenegro: Budva dates back to 500BC. Its city walls are just a couple of hundred years old, worked by the Venetians in the Middle Ages to shield the city from Ottoman trespassers. Just one side of the wall confronts the ocean today; alternate sides have been joined into the old and new towns. Inside the city’s limits, tourists can discover compact cobblestone lanes and stone structures.
What are you waiting for? Plan, pack, and go! Simple. These cities are treasure troves of interesting stories from the past, and are landmarks in their own rights.
Happy exploring!
Author Bio: With a keen interest in raking out the sand till the core, Anjali leaves no stone unturned to get a detailed insight into things that are kept under covers, deliberately or not, be it monuments, places or even myths or facts related to anything.