Arguably the most important of Gibraltar’s tunnels, the Great Siege Tunnels (also known as the Upper Galleries) came about during the siege that took place between 1779 and 1783. The Gibraltarians needed to get their guns up high in order to repel the Spanish, so one clever local came up with the idea of boring a tunnel through the Rock, allowing artillery to be moved. The tunnels were thus dug by hand (by which we mean without machinery), although the slow and laborious work meant the siege was done before the tunnels were completed. The tunnels are a major historical tourist attraction in Gibraltar today, and we’re unashamedly fond of the wax figures and statues that give an insight into the hard work of the siege.