Medieval Towns: Experience History At Its Core With These Beautiful Places
- Travel Lifestyle Places
Donna Hussain- 0
- 9 minutes read
Wish to travel in time? Then you should consider visiting these cities once in your lifetime. We are talking about the Medieval age or which is commonly known as the Middle age. This refers to the period of nearly 1000 years between the decline of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Renaissance in Europe. The perishment of the iconic medieval age took place over 500 years ago. So for that, it is even more exciting to visit these Medieval towns UK if you want to explore history at its core.
These are not some mere artifacts or weathered shards of the past that have been preserved, but the complete medieval cities stand till this day. As if attracted straight from the pages of your decorative history books, these historic locales will take you back in time, to an age that has no connection to the one we are living in. This article of top Medieval towns in the world is not solely dependent on Europe. It will have all places combined. With this, you will understand what were medieval towns like and will also get a medieval towns layout.
Top 5 Medieval Towns In The World
Cities that have rich history often offer remarkable architecture and unique monuments. Western history illustrates that span that is stretching from the 5th to 15th Century as the Middle Age and many towns from this time can still be witnessed in Europe. Let us begin this list of some of the best Medieval towns in the world that you should visit at least once.
Bruges, Belgium
This place was once referred to as “Venice of the North.” It is considered among the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. It was a major center of culture and trade during its golden era from the 12th to 15th centuries, even though it went through a gradual decline in its success after the year 1500.
With the majority of its medieval framework staying intact, it is convenient to feel as if you have been taken back in time when encountered with the beautiful gothic cityscape of Bruges. In the year 2000, its historic city center was announced as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And after a span of revitalization during the next half of the 19th century, it has become an important tourist destination.
Carcassonne, France
This bastioned medieval city truly seems like a picture straight out of a storybook of children, with stories of valiant knights and impossible quests. The imposing fortress walls are of Carcassonne measure around 1.9 miles long with 52 monstrous towers that are placed strategically throughout its length. This majestic structure was created as a stronghold to safeguard the city from attacks, and it has a lengthy and storied history of numerous battles won and lost.
Many years after the demilitarization of the medieval fortress by Napoleon Bonaparte under the Restoration, it had degraded to such a state that in 1849 the French government planned that it should be demolished. However, thanks to strong opposition from local citizens, it was instead preserved as a historical structure and later restored. In 1997, Carcassonne was also announced to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A very famous tourist attraction, Carcassonne fights with the fairytale medieval island village of Mont-Saint-Michel as among the most visited medieval sites in France.
Citta Di San Marino, Italy
The City of San Marino is the capital of the Republic of San Marino which is the only living city-state in Italy and was an independent republic since the 13th century. It resides majestically atop Monte Titano, which is the largest point in the country. The heart of the city is covered by a fortress wall that connects its three watchtowers, which were constructed at varied times between the 11th and 14th centuries to safeguard the city from outward threats.
The city still prevails today, relatively untouched and remarkably preserved in its medieval state. Partly for that purpose, the Historic Center of San Marino on Mount Titano also makes it to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Monsanto, Portugal
While this may not seem like your typical medieval city along with significant church spires and a hulking border wall that are dotted with imposing towers in the quaint village of Monsanto is rightly a medieval gem that is preserved in the mountainside, that is seemingly frozen in time. Along with that, its medieval architecture, in both Romanesque and also in uniquely Portuguese Manueline style is the most striking feature of Monsanto and is the plethora of gigantic boulders that illustrates its landscape.
Rather than moving the boulders or breaking them apart to avail that as building materials, the early inhabitants of Monsanto instead built the village around them, even inculcating some into their structures of the building. As an outcome, some houses looked to be wedged between the huge masses of stone, while others seemed to be crushed beneath them. The streets are also very narrow to adjust modern vehicles, so the chosen method of transport apart from walking is by donkey.
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is undoubtedly among the most famous tourist destinations in Europe. And thanks to the notion that it was left virtually undamaged by all the occurrences of WWI and WWII, it is generally believed to be the best-preserved huge medieval town in Europe as well. Mesmerizing gothic architecture is a highlighting feature across the city, but mainly in the Old Town Square, which also makes the list as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
As mentioned on UNESCO’s official website, the historic Prague center stands as “a supreme manifestation of Medieval urbanism.” It is even the locality of the primitive medieval astronomical clock across the globe that is still operating.
The Bottom Line
Centuries of climate change, war, general efforts to modernize, and urban renewal have resulted in the loss of several medieval infrastructure. There are some towns that are lucky enough to have some structures from the medieval period within their confines, while others have nothing except some buildings. In this article, we have discussed the top 5 medieval towns across the globe that have still preserved their history and you should visit them at least once to experience the essence of the middle age. So if you are looking for medieval towns in England to visit, then this is the ideal article for you.
