Gun openings
Over the isthmus.
Harry Mitchell — CC BY 3.0 · John Cummings — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ymblanter — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joe Dorward — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Great Siege Tunnels are a series of tunnels cut into the solid limestone at the northern end of the Rock of Gibraltar, about 1 km in a straight line north-east of the town centre. They are also known as the Upper Galleries. They were dug during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasted from July 1779 to February 1783, the last of the fourteen sieges the Rock has seen. The garrison needed to cover a blind angle on the north-east side, so tunnels were cut into the rock with hand tools and gunpowder to place cannon in openings overlooking the plain. Visitors walk the long, hand-dug galleries, see the gun openings looking over the isthmus and the airport, and models showing soldiers' life and how the digging was done. From outside, the openings look like small windows in the sheer cliff face known as the Notch. Entry is with the nature reserve ticket. The galleries are long and slope in places, so wear comfortable shoes; they are close to the Moorish Castle, so the two can be visited together.
Over the isthmus.
Dug by hand.
A sheer cliff.
Nature Reserve, Gibraltar
Moorish CastleThe Moorish Castle is a medieval fortress on the slope of the Rock of Gibraltar 5 minutes walk
Upper Rock and the Barbary MacaquesThe Upper Rock is the top of the Rock of Gibraltar, a long, narrow limestone pen9 minutes walk
Catalan BayCatalan Bay is a bay and fishing village on the eastern side of the Rock of Gibr10 minutes walkDuring the Great Siege, 1779 to 1783.
Yes, they are close by.