Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WALLS
PASSEIG ARQUEOLÒGIC MURALLES
A peaceful walk takes you around part of the perimeter of the old town between two lines of
city walls; the inner ones are mainly Roman and date back to the 3rd century BC, while the
outer ones were put up by the British in 1709 during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Prepare to be awed by the vast gateways built by the Iberians and clamber up onto the bat-
tlements from the doorway to the right of the entrance for all-encompassing views of the
city. The walk starts from the
Portal del Roser
on Avenida Catalunya.
RUINS
FÒRUM DE LA COLÒNIA
The main provincial forum occupied most of what is now the old town. Further down the
hill, this local plaza was occupied by a judicial basilica (where legal disputes were settled)
among other buildings. Linked to the site by a footbridge is another excavated area, which
includes a stretch of Roman street. The discovery of foundations of a temple to Jupiter, Juno
and Minerva suggests the forum was bigger and more important than had previously been
assumed.
RUINS
PONT DEL DIABLE
The so-called Devil's Bridge is actually the
Aqüeducte de les Ferreres
, an engineering
marvel left by the Romans. Its most intact section sits 4km away from the centre, just off the
AP7 freeway. It is a fine stretch of a two-tiered aqueduct (217m long and 27m high); in its
glory days, it delivered water to over 200,000 people from the Ríu Gayo, 32km away. Bus 5
to Sant Salvador from Plaça Imperial de Tàrraco, running every 20 minutes, will take you to
the vicinity, or park in one of the lay-bys marked on either side of the AP7, just outside the
freeway toll gates.
MUSEUM
MUSEU NACIONAL ARQUEOLÒGIC DE TARRAGONA
9.30am-6pm Tue-Sat,
10am-2pm Sun)
This excellent museum does justice to the cultural and material wealth of Roman Tarraco.
Well-laid-out exhibits include part of the Roman city walls, frescoes, sculpture and pottery.
The mosaic collection traces the changing trends - from simple black-and-white designs to
