Travel blog - Tips to explore the world on a budget: Mérida

Mérida, the capital of Spain's Extremadura region, has the largest and best-preserved Roman ruins in the Iberian Peninsula. The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Founded in 25 BC as Augusta Emerita by Emperor Augustus for retired soldiers, it later served as the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania. The Roman Theatre, built between 16 and 15 BC, seats 6,000 people and still hosts summer performances during the Classical Theatre Festival. Next to it, the Amphitheatre, built in 8 BC, once held 15,000 spectators for gladiator games. The Temple of Diana, with its 16 Corinthian columns from the 1st century AD, survived because it became the base for a Renaissance palace. The National Museum of Roman Art, designed by Rafael Moneo and opened in 1986, displays Roman mosaics, sculptures, and artifacts in a building inspired by Roman architecture. The Alcazaba fortress, built in 835 AD by emir Abd ar-Rahman II, is the oldest Islamic fortification in Spain and was constructed atop Roman ruins, using recycled materials. The Los Milagros Aqueduct, called the "Aqueduct of Miracles" for its 25-meter-high pillars, brought water from the Proserpina reservoir to the city. Other highlights include the 792-meter Roman Bridge over the Guadiana River, the Circus Maximus with seating for 30,000, and many excavated villas, baths, and monuments. Mérida, with about 60,000 residents, offers local Extremaduran food, a walkable historic centre, a mild climate, and a unique journey through Roman, Visigothic, and Islamic history.