Bardejov's medieval defensive walls are among the best preserved in Slovakia — virtually the entire circuit survives, along with the main gate and seven bastions, and walking along or near the walls gives a strong sense of how formidable a 15th-century fortified town would have looked to an approaching army. The fortifications were built between the 14th and 15th centuries and were never seriously breached.
Two of the bastions are now used by the Šariš Museum as depository buildings and are occasionally accessible. The outer moat area has been converted into a green belt that rings the town, providing a pleasant walking route outside the walls. The contrast between the intact medieval stone and the quiet, residential streets just inside the walls makes for one of Bardejov's most atmospheric walks.