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Most of the city's sights, aside from the cathedral and the university campus, can be found in a narrow sector of the medieval town center that runs in a southwesterly direction from Eyre Square to the River Corrib. Not only is the city center compact, but it's also largely pedestrian-friendly, so the best way to explore it is on foot. It takes only five minutes to walk straight down Galway's main shopping street, the continuation of the north side of Eyre Square, to the River Corrib, where it ends (note that the name of this street changes several times).
Built in 1584 to protect Spanish ships that were unloading cargoes of wines and brandies at the quays, this impressive stone arch is now the central feature of the newly restored Spanish Parade, a riverside piazza that draws a gathering of buskers and leisure seekers.
