Saints, legends and a strange sweet concoction – Avila is a city full of surprises.

In Central Spain, not too far from Madrid, lies a medieval walled city, with history galore, and tales of miracles and mysticism. Its name is Avila, and it sits 1,117m above sea level, in the autonomous region of Castilla y León, making it the highest capital city in Spain. It is built on the summit of a rocky hill and is surrounded by the brown, arid, treeless land that makes up many parts of central Spain. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see

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On our journey there, taking one of the many cercania trains that run daily from Madrid, we spent our time watching the amazing birds, including a flock of vultures, flying about the Sierra de Gredos mountains that enclose the city.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the history of Avila stretches back to 700BC and the Vettons, peoples of Celtic origins who found the area, with its defensive mountains and nearby river, a perfect place to make camp. But its true origins are said to stretch back even further than that. According to mythology, the site was founded by Alcideo, the son of Hercules and Abyla, who named the city after his mother. However, it was the arrival of the Romans in 3BC which saw the city take on a more strategic role, with the building of the first city wall turning Avila into an important defensive enclave and developing the basis of the current city layout.

The walls that greet visitors now date from the beginning of the 12th century and tradition has it that their construction, on the remains of the old Roman wall, was supervised by Raimundo de Baroña, the son-in-law of Alfonso VI. Nine centuries on, his work is still impressive. Las Murallas, as they are known, stretch 2.5km around the old city, have 82 towers and nine puertas (gates) as well as three smaller openings. Perfectly preserved, they contain many elements of the Mudejar style so dominant in the Arabic-influenced architecture of the time.

For a truly dramatic entrance into the city, head for the Puerta del Alcázar, where two enormous towers are joined by a bridge overhead. It’s the only one of its kind in Europe and instantly transports you back in time - even more so if you take advantage of the chance to walk the city walls. For €3.50, you have the chance to pretend you’re a medieval soldier, clambering up watchtowers and mounting patrol while the city continues its life below.

We walked the walls as the sun set and were lucky enough to see Avila, a mass of pretty pink sandstone anyway, bathed in shades of rose-pink and orange while, just outside the city, we can see a belltower and the mountains behind it glowing like embers in a fire. For a moment we were in a Sergio Leone movie.
We also took advantage of the walls to watch Avila’s many storks begin their evening flight, lazily swooping down      from the cathedral where they have made their nests. Like the walls, the cathedral  also dates back to the 12th century but it was never finished. It’s a strange building, with some parts more resembling a     fortress than a place of worship, and it has a mixture of architectural styles, although it is mainly Gothic. Of special interest is the marble tomb of El Tostada, the 15th-century bishop Don Alonso de Madrigal, created by the sculptor Vasco de la Zarza. It’s undoubtedly an impressive tomb, full of  rich detail.

The cathedral is home to many interesting works of art, as well as a fascinating treasury, but I was more struck by the simpler pink sandstone Iglesia de San Pedro, which lies in the Plaza Santa Teresa, the site of the main market area of the old city and now a lovely place to sit and relax for lunch or tapas.  You can’t visit Avila without trying its roast, succulent pig. But give the yemas de Santa Teresa a miss - it’s a strange, sweet concoction of egg yolk and sugar that tasted to me like uncooked cake mixture. It was going down a storm in the plaza, though.

Santa Teresa is Avila’s most famous saint and mystic and her influence can be found all over the city. She was born in the 16th century and experienced religious visions from an early age. Among her many sayings was: “Life is a night in a bad hotel” - I think we’ve been to the same ones. Her mummified hand used to be kept on the night table of former dictator Francisco Franco. Among the many sites dedicated to her are the Convento de Santa Teresa, built over her birthplace in the old town, where a museum holds her rosary beads and the fingers she would use on it. Of slightly less gory interest is the Convento de la Encarnación, which lies outside the city walls and was where the saint lived for 20 years. Everything and anything that was around - or might have been around - at the time is on display and gives a real insight into how the nuns lived. Finally, among the many convents she founded is the Convento de San José, which holds, among other artefacts, the coffin in which Teresa slept.

On a more earthly level, the Monasterio de Santo Tomás was founded in 1482 and later became the summer residence for the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabel. It was also home to the Spanish Inquisition for several years, though now it houses a display of oriental art built up by the monks over their years of missionary work. It is also home to the beautiful alabaster tomb of the Infante Don Juan, the heir to Ferdinand and Isabel, who died six months after his wedding.  However, it is the magnificent wooden choir section that most impresses. It’s a massive work of art with carvings representing a variety of plants and animals.

Avila is often overlooked, which is a shame as the city is a treasure trove of delights and we could easily have spent a long, leisurely weekend there. Just don’t offer me yemas again.