One advantage of the over-representation of some categories on the World Heritage list is that comparisons can be drawn between the sites. From this point of view, it was instructive to visit the last Gothic cathedral in Spain, Segovia, and shortly afterwards the oldest one, the Catedral de Cristo Salvador in Ávila. A development is clearly visible. The exterior of the austere Cristo Salvador cannot compete with the flamboyant Cathedral of Segovia. The Avila Cathedral looks almost like a fortress. Its eastern part is even an integral part of the city wall. But I liked the vestiges of the Romanesque style, especially in the interior. The red and white stone in the ambulatory and the beautifully decorated choir are the special features of the interior.

However, the Walls of Ávila are the main attraction of this WHS, not the Cathedral. The wall encloses the entire old town: 2500 metres long, 88 massive towers, 9 gates, and almost 1000 years old. The old town still appears impregnable today. The walk on the city wall was definitely the highlight of my visit to Ávila. Unfortunately, you cannot walk around the whole old town up there, that would be great. Only a little more than the half is accessible.
From the city wall, you can also see one drawback of Ávila: There are many modern buildings in the old town, too many in my opinion. While the area around the cathedral and the Plaza del Mercado Chico has largely retained its medieval flair, in the eastern part most of the houses are new or modernised.
You have a beautiful, unobstructed view of the walls from the north or from the popular viewpoint Los Cuatro Postes west of the old town. My photo was taken there, a zoom in on the Puerta del Carmen.

The WHS also includes three monasteries and seven Romanesque churches extra muros, outside the walled city. Obviously, the centre was already too small in the Middle Ages. However, not all of them have regular opening hours, and of those that are open to the public, not all are worth seeing. I would recommend the Basilica de San Vicente and the Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás.
The Basilica de San Vicente should not be missed, and you can hardly miss it either, it is located just outside the city wall. San Vicente is considered a masterpiece of Spanish Romanesque architecture. The colonnades and the decorated portal are striking, but the interior is also a little gem.
Santó Tomas, built in honour of St Thomas Aquinas, was commissioned in 1482 by Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon. It is said that they had the Dominican monastery built with the money of displaced Jews. The two Catholic monarchs also appointed the Dominican monk Tomás de Torquemada as the first Grand Inquisitor. The Spanish Inquisition began in Ávila. Torquemada lived and died in Santó Tomas. But unfortunately, you won't find a word about this dark period in the monastery today, or anywhere else in Ávila.
Ávila is much more the city of Teresa de Jesus, who is venerated throughout Spain as a national saint. No surprise that she is more popular, her message was charity and tolerance. Her statue stands in front of the city wall at the Puerta del Alcázar. A number of convents and churches in Ávila are associated with her life. The Iglesia de Santa Teresa, built on the site of her birthplace, and the Convento de San José, the first monastery founded by her, are part of the World Heritage Site.

The Walls of Avila are impressive and outstanding. And this monument alone justifies the inscription. But the historic centre lacks the special charm you find in Segovia or Salamanca. That's why I rate it lower than the other World Heritage cities in central Spain.