{"id":92580,"date":"2017-12-09T11:46:49","date_gmt":"2017-12-09T10:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=92580"},"modified":"2020-01-13T09:16:10","modified_gmt":"2020-01-13T08:16:10","slug":"castles-catalonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/castles-catalonia\/","title":{"rendered":"What Castles to Visit in Catalonia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spain&#8217;s long-lasting empire and constant threat against warring neighbors led to the construction of a few mammoth structures that have survived into the 21st century. <strong>Castles<\/strong> once guarded the Spanish borders against naval threats and storming militaries and were later used as prisons against the country&#8217;s own people in some of the darkest years. These still-standing <strong>castles<\/strong> are feats of strength and full of history for many to see today, giving people incredible views from the top and a massive space to imagine what it was like to work and live there centuries ago.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em style=\"text-align: center;\">Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/where-to-have-a-castle-wedding-in-catalonia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Where to have a castle wedding in Catalonia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/castles-catalonia\/#Montjuic_Castle\" title=\"Montj\u00fcic Castle\">Montj\u00fcic Castle<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/castles-catalonia\/#Sant_Ferran_Castle\" title=\"Sant Ferran Castle\">Sant Ferran Castle<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/castles-catalonia\/#Castellet_i_La_Gornal\" title=\"Castellet i La Gornal\">Castellet i La Gornal<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Montjuic_Castle\"><\/span>Montj\u00fcic Castle<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_78966\" style=\"width: 327px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78966\" class=\" wp-image-78966\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Why-you-should-visit-Montjuic-Castle-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"317\" height=\"210\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-78966\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Andrew and Annemarie via Visualhunt<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Via the\u00a0<strong>Telef\u00e8ric de Montju\u00efc<\/strong><i>\u00a0<\/i>at the base of the hill, you can go to the top of <a href=\"http:\/\/ajuntament.barcelona.cat\/castelldemontjuic\/ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><strong>Montj\u00fcic Castle<\/strong><\/a> and see a spectacular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/panoramic-views-from-cccbs-mirador\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">view<\/a> of the city from the\u00a0open platforms there. Since 1640, the castle has seen its fair share of action from the Catalan Revolt of 1641 to the aftermath of the <strong>Spanish Civil War<\/strong> when captured opponents of Franco&#8217;s regime were jailed and shot there, including the Catalan President, Llu\u00eds Companys.<b>\u00a0<\/b>It served as a major fortress for the military in both victory and defeat. The British and French armies both captured <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/montjuic-castle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Montjuic<\/strong><\/a> in separate wars one hundred years apart. In 1963, the <strong>castle&#8217;s<\/strong> interior became the <strong>Military Armor Museum <\/strong>and in 2010, the whole structure was restored to its former appearance, but with parterre gardens filling in the spaces where moats once existed.<\/p>\n<p>Address:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.es\/maps\/place\/Ctra.+de+Montju%C3%AFc,+66,+08038+Barcelona\/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x12a4a2439705e7c1:0x7bbc05d716b63353?sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwibqY-asvXXAhUDvBoKHXBCDaMQ8gEIKDAA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Ctra. de Montju\u00efc, 66, 08038 <\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sant_Ferran_Castle\"><\/span>Sant Ferran Castle<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_92581\" style=\"width: 342px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-92581\" class=\" wp-image-92581\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/16752621203_88c7690302-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"332\" height=\"220\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-92581\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by skruk via Visualhunt<\/p><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Constructed in the 1750s near the city of Figueres, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sant_Ferran_Castle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><strong>Sant Ferran Castle<\/strong><\/a> is considered to be Europe&#8217;s largest fortress. Once holding up to 4,000 troops and 500 horses, the <strong>castle<\/strong> was built in an asymmetrical pentagon style with a perimeter of 3,125 meters in length. It was defended by different hurdles for the invaders to go through. The best sight may be underground where the water tanks lay, which could hold up to 9 million liters of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/agbar-water-museum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">water<\/a>.\u00a0<strong>Castell de Sant Ferran<\/strong>\u00a0also served as the final meeting of the Spanish Republic in 1939 before the government went into exile and Franco&#8217;s forces captured the entire region. After being converted into a prison for a short period, it was turned into a museum in the 1990s where visitors can go on guided tours around the massive complex.<\/p>\n<p>Address:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.es\/maps\/place\/Pujada+del+Castell,+17600+Figueres,+Girona\/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x12ba8de7a5f14a79:0x15c78d1ca273d815?sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwijhOm6s_XXAhWDHxoKHWrMDp0Q8gEIKDAA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Pujada del Castell, S\/N, 17600,\u00a0Figueres, Girona<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Castellet_i_La_Gornal\"><\/span>Castellet i La Gornal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_92587\" style=\"width: 330px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-92587\" class=\" wp-image-92587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/2391452479_ac44d279ca-300x206.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"220\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-92587\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Pepe Manteca via Visualhunt<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"notranslate\"><strong>Castellet i La Gornal<\/strong><b>,<\/b> constructed in the 10th century and located in <strong>Alt Pened\u00e8s<\/strong>, is currently the headquarters of the <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fundacioabertis.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Abertis Foundation<\/a>.<\/b>\u00a0Along the bank of the Foix river, the <strong>castle<\/strong> is the entrance into the rest of the town, which once thrived because of its military use until the 16th century. From its massive watchtower, defenders could see everything come into the city from every direction, making it nearly impossible to launch a surprise attack. It would later serve as the mansion to different aristocratic families until the 19th century when it was finally abandoned. It was saved in the 1920s and later named a site of national <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/upperground\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cultural<\/a><\/strong> interest. The Abertis Foundation took over the site in their role of promoting the environment and enacting social change around the world while keeping the <strong>castle\u00a0<\/strong>preserved in its original state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Address:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.es\/maps\/place\/Carrer+del+Castell,+08729+Castellet,+Barcelona\/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x12a389d49916144f:0xf48a4b3bc306f126?sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwin7OPIs_XXAhWBxxoKHeabAp4Q8gEIKDAA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">\u00a0<span class=\"notranslate\">Cr.<\/span> <span class=\"notranslate\">del Castell &#8211; Castellet &#8211; 08729<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/medieval-villages-catalonia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Most Beautiful Medieval Villages in Catalonia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spain&#8217;s surviving <strong>castles<\/strong>\u00a0remind us what it was like to be the center of a major empire where neighbors all around threatened. Many of them have now been restored for thousands of visitors each year. Entering through the gates, we can witness surviving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/jewish\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>history<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and imagine an era that now only exists in the history books.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Looking for an apartment in the city? <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ShBarcelona<\/a><\/strong> can help you find the perfect one.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"grammarly-disable-indicator\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"grammarly-disable-indicator\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"92580\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 150px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <strong class=\"kksr-score\">5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\/<\/span>\n        <strong>5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">(<\/span>\n        <strong class=\"kksr-count\">1<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\n            vote        <\/span>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spain&#8217;s long-lasting empire and constant threat against warring neighbors led to the construction of a few mammoth structures that have survived into the 21st century. Castles once guarded the Spanish borders against naval threats and storming militaries and were later used as prisons against the country&#8217;s own people in some of the darkest years. These [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":92583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4346],"tags":[4793,8357,6434,8356],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92580"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92580"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101670,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92580\/revisions\/101670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}