Making a circuit of the restored city walls, long sections of which boast fine towers reminiscent of the Moscow Kremlin, is a pleasant way to pass a warm summer evening, with parks, various monuments and churches to be encountered along the way. Originally built between 1596 and 1602, the impressive 6.5km-long, 5.5m-thick, 15m-high walls had 38 towers, with 17 still standing.
Overlooking the Spartak Stadium , just outside the line of the walls on the west side of the park, the Korolevsky Bastion is a high earth rampart built by the Poles who captured Smolensk in 1611. It saw heavy fighting in 1654 and 1812.
Backing onto a longish southwest stretch of the walls, the Lopatinsky Gardens have a 26m-high cast-iron monument to the 1812 defenders . At the foot of the walls southeast of Glinka Garden you’ll find an eternal flame memorial , plus another monument to the heroes of 1812 . The nearby, witch-hatted Thunder Tower offers city views from its fourth tier; a small museum (admission R50, 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday) on the 3rd floor covers the kremlin's history.
