Vigo is a large city in the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia. However, it was considered a small village for a long time, and a town developed from the 15th century. Throughout the 1500s and 1600s, the city was attacked from the seaside several times, and in both 1585 and 1589 the English, led by Sir Francis Drake, set fire to parts of Vigo. Turks also attacked, and in the mid-17th century walls and forts were built to defend the city. Throughout the 20th century, Vigo grew rapidly, which i.a. happened through the establishment of a tax-free zone in 1947.

It is pleasant to walk around Vigo’s old town, Casco Vello, which is of a manageable size from one sight to the other. The neighborhood around Praza Igrexa has narrow streets and cozy squares. On Praza Igrexa you can see the Concatedral de Santa María de Vigo, which is the city’s main church. The current church was built in Neoclassicism and Baroque architecture in the years 1816-1834 on the same site as an earlier church that had been destroyed by Sir Francis Drake’s attack on the city in 1585.

There are many wonderful recreational areas in Vigo as well. Among the beautiful squares and parks is the large Alameda da Praza de Compostela, where you can enjoy the Fuente Oriental fountain and several sculptures. There is a similar green area along the street Avenida da Beiramar, where you can notice see a monument to Jules Verne. Here you can also take a walk along Vigo’s marina and enjoy the maritime atmosphere that has always left its mark on the city.

At the top of Vigo is the Castelo de Castro fort on the Monte do Castro hill. From here there is a fine view of the city and the area, and you can take a walk in the park that surrounds the fort. Castelo de Castro was built in 1665 as a defense against British attacks. The fort, together with the nearby Castelo de San Sebastián and the now demolished city walls, formed the fortifications around Vigo. South-east of the fort, you can see the old 19th-century prison, which today is open as a museum for contemporary art, the Museo de Arte Contemporánea de Vigo.