Lugo lies on the Original Way of St. James (Camino Primitivo). Over 20,000 pilgrims took this camino in 2024 and about 6,000 started in Lugo. From Lugo, the necessary kilometres are covered to get the certificate of accomplishment.
Understand
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Gold! That's what lit up Roman eyes, and it didn't take long to wrest control of this area from the native Iberoceltic people. Gold ores stretched through the mountains to the east, and were washed out by early forms of "Placer-mining". There's no sign of this nowadays in Lugo (see Ponferrada for the landscape it created), but what did endure was a substantial city encircled by stout walls, erected 263-276 AD.
Those walls sufficed for defence while the Roman military empire remained strong, but that crumbled from the 4th century AD, and outlying cities such as Lugo fell to Celts and Visigoths. The Moors invaded Spain in the 8th century and swiftly captured all except northern parts held by the Visigoths, and Galicia like Castile and León became a depopulated borderland. When the Moors were rolled back in later centuries, there was a determined effort to re-populate and re-christianise these areas, with a flurry of church-building in Romanesque style.
By the late Middle Ages the pilgrimage route to Santiago was well-established, and Lugo stood on one of the routes, Camino Primitivo from Oviedo. They sought to maximise their revenue by the permanent display of the "host" - the communion bread that supposedly is literally the body of Jesus while retaining its standard appearance. It's displayed in an elaborate "monstrance" on the cathedral main altar.
Spain briefly grew rich in the early modern period from gold, slavery and other commerce with the Americas, but little of this reached Lugo, nor did industrialisation. In 1809 the British fought a rearguard action here as Napoleon chased them all the way to Corunna on the coast. By that era, cannons could blast down walls while mortars could lob over them, and many cities removed this obsolete form of defence in order to open up their streets and expand their conurbation. De-populated Lugo had simply no need, so theirs stood. It became a provincial capital in 1883 and the railway arrived in 1875.
Present-day Lugo mostly makes its living from admin, services, education (it has a campus of the University of Santiago), pilgrimage-related tourism, and those walls.
Oficina Municipal de Turismo is on Praza do Campo 50 m north of the cathedral, open daily 10:00-18:00.
Get in
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By plane
[edit]Santiago de Compostela (SCQ IATA) is the best-served airport, as tourists and pilgrims converge from all over west Europe. Take the bus into city centre for onward transport.
A Coruña (LCG IATA) is slightly closer, with flights from Madrid and Barcelona but not much internationally.
By road
[edit]From Madrid is 505 km by A-6 (toll), which continues to A Coruna (97 km). From Santiago is 105 km by A-54.
By bus
[edit]ALSA buses run from Madrid Estacion Sur five times a day, taking 7 hours via Madrid Moncloa, Astorga, Bembibre and Ponferrada, and continue to A Coruña, Ferrol and Santiago. Some start from Madrid Airport T4.
Four buses a day run from Oviedo, taking 6 hours via Gijon, León (where you may have to change), Astorga and Ponferrada, and continue to A Coruña; one bus comes from Bilbao via Santander.
Arriva Galicia buses ply between A Coruña and Lugo every 30 min, taking 90 min.
Monbus runs from Vigo twice on Friday and Sunday, taking 2 hr 30 min via Santiago, but doesn't otherwise serve Lugo.
1 Lugo Bus Station is on Praza da Constitución south of the city walls.
By train
[edit]There are four connections a day from Madrid Charmartin, all taking about 4 hr 30 min. One is direct via Segovia Guiomar, Zamora and Ourense, the others have a change at Ourense.
Two trains a day from A Coruña take 1 hr 50 min via Betanzos.
2 Lugo railway station is 500 m east of city centre.
Get around
[edit]The inner city within the walls is compact and best explored on foot. Avoid bringing a car in here, the old streets are traffic-restricted and parking is difficult.
See
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- Roman Walls encircle the old city in an unbroken 2.1 km loop, among the best preserved in Europe. There's a walkway on top, 71 towers and ten gates. Access free 24 hours by the stairs at any gate, for example by Praza Pío XII west of the cathedral.
- 1 Catedral de Lugo, Praza Santa María, ☏ +34 98 223 1038. M-Sa 09:30-18:30. Built from 1129 in Romanesque style, with additions down the centuries in Gothic and Renaissance. Highlights are the capilla mayor, other chapels, choir, girola or ambulatory, and museum. Adult €8.
- Domus Mitreo, Praza Pío XII 3 (just west of cathedral), ☏ +34 61 032 3926. Tu-Sa 11:00-14:00, 17:00-20:00, Su 11:00-14:00. Roman house from about 3rd century AD, same age as the adjacent walls. It also exhibits the Roman foundations of Lugo. Adult €3.30, conc €2.20, 1st W of month free.
- Praza Maior is the bosky main square just east of the cathedral.
- 2 Casa do Concello is City Hall, just east of Praza Maior. It's Baroque with a mid-18th-century façade. Perched on top is a 16th century clock tower rebuilt here.
- 3 Museo Provincial, Praza de Soldade, ☏ +34 98 224 2112. Tu-Sa 10:00-13:30,16:00-20:30, Su 10:00-15:00. Displaying Galician art. It's within the former monastery of St Francis, and incorporates Iglesia de San Pedro, the Church of St Peter. Free.
- Convent of San Domingos remains active, with the nuns in seclusion. No tourist visits but enquire whether it's possible to attend the church service. It's 100 m east of Museo Provincial.
- O Vello Cárcere meaning "The Old Prison" has been converted into an art exhibition space. It's on Praza da Constitución next to the bus station, open daily 11:00–14:00, 16:00–19:00.
- 4 Sala Porta Miñá, Carme 3, ☏ +34 98 225 0962. Tu-Su 10:00-14:00, 16:30-19:30. Small museum about the Roman city. Free.
- Carme the cobbled street leading down from Sala Porta Miñá is picturesque-going-on-ramshackle.
- 5 Rosalía de Castro Park is a leafy park south of the city walls, laid out in 1927. It's open 24 hours.
- 6 Roman Bridge
was probably first built 3rd century AD along with the walls. It was much altered over the centuries, and as late as 2012 carried traffic, with metal walkways tacked on to avoid pedestrians getting squished by HGVs. It was then pedestrianised, the walkways removed, and an effort made to restore the likely original appearance. - 7 Museo Interactivo de Historia de Lugo (MIHL), Av Infanta Elena, Parque da Milagrosa, ☏ +34 98 229 7446. Tu-Su 10:00-14:00, 16:30-19:30. An interactive museum about the history of the city. Much of the content is temporary exhibitions, and their quality varies. Free.
Do
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- Football: CD Lugo play soccer in Primera Federación, the third tier. Their Estadio Anxo Carro (capacity 7000) is on the riverbank 2 km west of city centre.
- Círculo das Artes is a performance and events venue southwest corner of Praza Maior.
- El Camino Primitivo is a variant of the pilgrimage trail to Santiago, 320 km starting in Oviedo. The name is because it was the first documented pilgrimage, by King Alfonso II of Asturias in 814.
- Arde Lucus is three days in mid-June, celebrating the city's Roman roots.
- Fiesta of San Froilán is held 4-12 October. Froilán (833-904) was born in Lugo and became bishop of León.
Learn
[edit]University of Santiago de Compostela has a campus in Lugo south of city centre, with courses in veterinary medicine, humanities, engineering and business administration.
Centro de Linguas Modernas attached to the University teaches Spanish, Portuguese, French and English.
Buy
[edit]- Supermarket: biggest is Hiper Froiz, 200 m north of the bus station at Carril das Flores 14, open M-Sa 09:00-22:00.
- Gadis is the main store within the city walls, 200 m north of Museo Provincial at Quiroga Ballesteros 10, open M-Sa 08:30-21:00.
Eat
[edit]- Restaurante da Rua is 100 m south of Museo Provincial at Rúa Nova 13, open W-M 11:00-00:00.
- Restaurante Campos is an upmarket place just south at Rúa Nova 2, open Tu-Sa 12:30-15:30, 20:00-23:30, Su 12:30-15:30.
- Royal Tandoori is east of centre at Rúa Rafael de Vega Doutor 1, open Tu-Su 12:30-16:30, 19:30-00:00.
- 1 Shanghai, San Roque 62, ☏ +34 98 225 2890. Th-Tu 12:00-16:00, 20:00-00:00. Reliable Chinese near the bus station.
- 2 Fonte do Rei 2, Av de Madrid 63, ☏ +34 98 222 3711. Tu-Su 10:00-00:00. Trad tapas and seafood for good prices.
Drink
[edit]- Bars are concentrated in the area between the cathedral and Museo Provincial.
- Cook, Praza Augas Férreas 7 (off Av Madrid), ☏ +34 98 222 7272. Nightly 23:30-03:00. Popular bar in a student area, with good beers and tapas.
- Beer: common brands are Estrella Galicia, Cruzcampo, Steinburg and San Miguel.
- Wine from the Galicia region is predominantly crisp and white, similar to Portuguese.
Sleep
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- 1 Hotel EsteOeste, Praza de Santo Domingo 1, ☏ +34 98 268 8112. Clean and central, part of Sercotel chain. B&B double €80.
- 2 Eurostars Gran Hotel, Av Ramón Ferreiro 21, ☏ +34 98 222 4152. Clean comfy chain hotel. B&B double €90.
- Mercure Lugo Centro, Rúa Marina Española 29 (200 m south of Eurostars), ☏ +34 98 283 1080. Welcoming efficient Accor hotel. B&B double €120.
- 3 Hotel Spa of Lugo, Rúa Camiño do Balneario, ☏ +34 98 222 1228. Basic hotel with Roman spa down in the basement. B&B double €80.
- 4 Hotel Los Olmos, Rúa Camiño de Liñares 15, ☏ +34 61 302 4272. Edge of town hotel off N-VI ring road. B&B double €85.
- 5 Hotel-Restaurante Ceao, Av Benigno Rivera, ☏ +34 98 220 9525. Smart place near A-6 junction, handy for motorists. B&B double €100.
Connect
[edit]As of March 2025, Lugo and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers.
Stay safe
[edit]Lugo is safe. Beware traffic, safeguard valuables and steer clear of lowlife, same as anywhere else.
Go next
[edit]- Santiago de Compostela is a must-see for its magnificent medieval centre.
- A Coruña has a historic centre, much battered by Napoleon and the British.
- Ourense has geo-thermal springs.
- Ponferrada is a strange landscape carved out by Roman gold-mining.