The Ciudad Monumental is the walled old town of Cáceres and one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. The UNESCO designation in 1986 recognised something that is still striking today: within the walls there are no electric pylons, no advertising hoardings, no modern buildings visible, and almost no traffic. At night, with the golden stone lit from below, the effect is extraordinary.
Enter through the Arco de la Estrella (Gate of the Star), the main ceremonial entrance cut through the walls in the eighteenth century. The plaza inside — the Plaza de Santa María — is the heart of the old town, surrounded by the co-cathedral, the Palacio de los Golfines de Arriba, and several of the finest noble palaces in Spain. From here, a warren of narrow streets leads past tower after tower, each with the armorial bearings of the family that built it carved above the door.
The towers are the defining visual element. The Moors built the first ring of fortifications; after the Christian reconquest the noble families added their own towers as status symbols. Queen Isabella, wary of over-mighty lords, had many of them levelled — but enough survive to give the skyline its distinctive jagged silhouette. Walk the perimeter of the walls in the late afternoon when the light catches the stonework at its best.