Tarragona is a city on the Mediterranean, located in the region of Catalonia. The city is old and has been known for thousands of years. The Romans conquered the region in 218 BC, and they made Tarragona the capital of the province of Hispania Citerior with the name Tarraco. This status resulted in great construction activity with construction of an aqueduct, an amphitheater, a triumphal arch, and other structures. The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 and Tarragona was conquered by the Visigoths. In the 7th century, the Moors conquered the city, which was destroyed on that occasion and generally experienced decline until the Christian reconquest in the 12th century. Spanish rule repopulated the city and the Roman city walls were reinforced. Tarragona also became the ecclesiastical center of Catalonia and grew over the following centuries.

Today, you can enjoy both Tarragona’s cozy old town, the newer neighborhoods and the city’s Mediterranean coast. In the old town, you can start a walk at Plaça de la Seu, where the city’s cathedral is located. It was built from 1154 on the same site as a former Roman temple, a Visigothic church and a Moorish mosque. The cathedral was consecrated in 1331, and the architecture is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Behind the cathedral is a remarkable monastery from the 13th century. You can continue to Plaça de la Font, where Tarragona’s Town Hall stands. It is housed in a beautiful building that was formerly a Dominican monastery. In the newer part of the city, you can walk from Plaça Imperial Tàrraco along the wide Rambla Nova to Tarragona’s fine promenade, which is elevated above the Mediterranean Sea and the city’s beaches.

In Tarragona, you can see preserved parts from the city’s Roman past in several places, and the Roman ruins are on UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage. One of the best-known works from this time is the city’s amphitheater, which was built around 100 BC. The amphitheater had a capacity of 15,000 spectators and was in operation throughout much of the Roman era, after which it was abandoned and used for construction of other buildings. However, large parts are still preserved. The other great Roman monument is the Aqüeducte de les Ferreres, which is an aqueduct just north of Tarragona. The aqueduct was built around the year 0 and was part of the water supply for Roman Tarraco. In the city center you can also see the ancient Roman forum, preserved columns and walls.

You can take a nice walk around Tarragona’s old town and see the impressive Roman city wall that was erected in the 100s. The wall was originally 3,500 meters in length, and today around 1,100 meters remain. The best-preserved parts can be seen along the Passeig Arqueològic path, where the wall stands tall with towers and gateways. On a walk in the city, you can see other ruins as well such as the walls around Torre de les Monges, which were built in the 14th century. In the streets Carrer dels Ferrers and Carrer de l’Enrajolat you can have a look at preserved walls from the 12th century. In the same area was the Roman circus and the tower Torre del Pretori, which are connected by long passages below the facilities. You can also notice the royal castle, Castell del Rei, which was built into an old Roman tower after the Christian reconquest of the area.