Spain: Avila, In the City of Stones and Saints
Spain: Avila, In the City of Stones and Saints Kon Hans The city of Avila, one and a half hour’s drive from Madrid, invites the visitor to a magical journey into the history " High up in the mountains and made from sun, soil and stone and frozen winds that swipe the plains, Avila is a shining Lady that rules from inside her huge walls… ” Walls and Cathedral of Avila And so begins the story of the unique Avila, the “ City of Stones and Saints ” ( Ciudad de los Cantos y los Santos ), with its numerous churches, monasteries and the massive walls that embrace her and immerse her in a glorious medieval tale. A small city of 60,000 inhabitants with a rich history emerges majestically, firm as a rock in its small valley, under the shadow of the Sierra de Gredos , in the highlands of Castile, inviting the visitor to traverse its gates with its colossal impregnable walls looming above, for a magical journey in history, just one and a half hours’ drive from Madrid.