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 Lopatinsky Gardens, 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 the 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 and a small museum.