Urkulu Roman Tower

Orbaizeta, France

Urkulu (1,419 m) is a mountain in the Basque Country straddling the border between France and Spain. The main feature of the mountain is the remains of a Roman tower topping the summit, erected in the 1st century BC. to commemorate the recent conquest of Aquitaine.

With the summit providing excellent views over the northern and southern slopes alike, it was used as a watchtower in medieval times.

The tower has a truncated-conical shape, measures 19.5 meters in diameter at the base and is 3.6 meters high. Its original height should have been 4.5 meters. The thickness of the walls is 2.6 meters and its interior is filled with the remains of the original stonework.

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Orbaizeta, France

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Details

Founded: 1st century BCE
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in France
Historical period: Roman Gaul (France)

More Information

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Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

CTN Taplin (7 months ago)
What an amazing hike... And a great view at the summit

Hyper Stef (4 years ago)
Great! Magic Moment with wild horses and 360° view!

Sander Zwaenepoel (5 years ago)
Great view

Valentin Toma (6 years ago)
Good 30 min hike, probably in a better type of weather day is even more spectacular. You can drive all the way to the start of the small hike.

Ian Huang (7 years ago)
Beautiful trek!

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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