{"id":2469,"date":"2018-03-07T07:00:12","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T15:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mydailyspanish.com\/?p=2469"},"modified":"2022-08-30T06:12:51","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T14:12:51","slug":"15-beautiful-castles-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mydailyspanish.com\/15-beautiful-castles-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Most Beautiful Castles in Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you think of beautiful Spanish scenery, you might be inclined to imagine beaches, mountains, and other natural phenomena, meaning that man-made structures can often be overlooked.<\/p>\n

With literally thousands of castles in Spain, it\u2019s hard to pick just a few favorites, but we\u2019ve given it our best shot!<\/p>\n

\"Spain<\/span><\/p>\n

So, without further ado, let\u2019s check out the list! These castles are gonna have you like:<\/p>\n

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via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Castillo de Butr\u00f3n, Galicia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Castillo<\/span><\/p>\n

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With its Bavarian-style turrets and surrounding trees, this one is pretty Disney, but it doesn\u2019t have a very fairy-tale history. Instead, as the home of the mighty Butr\u00f3n family originally, the castle was witness to some pretty brutal battles between two bands of nobility in the Bizkaia area.<\/p>\n

2. La Alhambra, Granada<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"la<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of Spain\u2019s most famous castles, you might have come across The Alhambra in the film El Dorado<\/em>, Paolo Coelho\u2019s The Alchemist<\/em>, or even while playing Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/em>!<\/p>\n

Its name originating from the Arabic for The Red One<\/em>, it has strong Moorish roots. Despite some reconstruction, it maintains the charm of the Islamic architecture of yesteryear.<\/p>\n

\"La<\/span><\/p>\n

via Pixabay<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this \u201cpearl set in emeralds,\u201d as described by Moorish poets, is a stunner!<\/p>\n

Who were the Moors?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Way back in the 8th century, Muslims, known in and around Spain as Moors<\/em>, entered Christian Spain, and they lasted almost 800 years in Granada (they didn\u2019t last that long in other parts of Spain). This 800-year period is known as the Reconquista<\/em> (\u2018reconquest\u2019), which saw Christian forces attempting to expel the Moors from the country. <\/p>\n

In 1492, the same year that Spain\u2019s monarchy funded Columbus\u2019s trip to America, the Moors in Granada were defeated by the Christians, marking the end of Moorish rule in Spain.<\/p>\n

3. Arco de Santa Mar\u00eda, Burgos<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Arco<\/span><\/p>\n

via Wikimedia<\/strong><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

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I don\u2019t know about you, but the facade of this Burgos-based structure reminds me of an epic sandcastle! <\/p>\n

The 6 figures you can see at the bottom are two Judges of Castile, two Counts, Emperor Carlos I, and el Cid. Above them is the guardian angel of Burgos, flanked by (smaller statues of) two beadles. Right at the top is the Virgin Mary (Virgen Santa Mar\u00eda<\/em>).<\/p>\n

4. Castillo de Peralada, Catalu\u00f1a<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Castillo<\/span><\/p>\n

via Visual Hunt<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

The heart of the county of Peralada, this castle has undergone various reformative works over the years, having been destroyed in battle in the 13th century. Today, part of the premises is the headquarters of a large winery!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a stunner by night, with lights showing off a vibrant blanket of greenery covering much of the exterior.<\/p>\n

Did you know?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Spain is made up of 17 autonomous communities, each with its own unique qualities. Some of the bigger of these regions even have their own languages! Catalonia, for example, uses Catalan in addition to the Spanish that we teach here at MDS (My Daily Spanish).<\/p>\n

For years, there has been great debate over which language to use in schools and other public spheres, and a strong push from some sides for Catalan independence (you may have heard about this in the news recently!).<\/p>\n

For many of the castles situated in Catalonia, the Catalan word castell<\/em> is often used instead of castillo <\/em>(e.g. this one would be Castell de Peralada<\/em>)!<\/p>\n

Check out which region might suit you with our quiz<\/strong><\/u><\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. Castillo de Montju\u00efc, Barcelona<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Castillo<\/span><\/p>\n

via <\/strong>Wikimedia<\/strong><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

This castle has seen its fair share of history since it was built in the 1600s, having stood through the War of the Spanish Succession, the Battle of Montju\u00efc, and the Spanish Civil War of 1936\u20141939 (psst\u2026this will give you a helping hand if you want to have a go at our Spanish history quiz<\/u><\/a>!).<\/p>\n

During the civil war, the castle was the site of the torturing and killing of political prisoners on both sides of the conflict.<\/p>\n

Unlike castles that have been left in a more natural state, Montju\u00efc boasts vibrant, beautifully designed gardens.<\/p>\n

\"Castillo<\/span><\/p>\n

via <\/strong>Wikimedia<\/strong><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

This castle is also close enough to the sea that you can see the port from it!<\/p>\n

6. Castillo de Belmez, C\u00f3rdoba<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"Castillo<\/span><\/p>\n

via Visual Hunt<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

Belmez Castle has a long history, having been occupied for a long time by the French. Part of the beauty of this castles lies in the fact that it\u2019s situated atop a striking hill, overlooking a collection of charming Belmez houses.<\/p>\n

To be quite honest, if I were to make a sunny version of Frozen<\/em>, this is where I\u2019d have Elsa flee to (who needs the North Mountain, anyway?!).<\/p>\n

Did you know?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You might have figured out by now that the Spanish word for \u2018castle\u2019 is castillo<\/em>. The reason that these two words are quite similar is that they both come from the Latin word castrum<\/em>, meaning \u2018fort\u2019! And, get this, the historic region of Castile (which covered quite a bit of northern\/central Spain) is called Castilla<\/em> in Spanish.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s thought that this relates to the fact that so many castles were built here as part of the Reconquista <\/em>(which I\u2019ll tell you about a bit later). The language of Castile became known as Castilian (castellano<\/em>), which nowadays we often call \u2018Spanish.\u2019<\/p>\n

7. Alc\u00e1zar de Los Reyes Cristianos<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Alc\u00e1zar<\/span><\/p>\n

via <\/strong>Visual Hunt<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

Also known as Alc\u00e1zar de C\u00f3rdoba, this castle boasts a bathhouse and 50,000 square meters of garden (for reference, that\u2019s over 6 soccer pitches).<\/p>\n

This castle has been built and remodeled over the years as it\u2019s had different owners, but it maintains a strong sense of Moorish influence.<\/p>\n

What does<\/strong> \u2018alc\u00e1zar\u2019 <\/strong><\/em>mean?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n

You\u2019ll notice that some of these castles are called \u2018Alc\u00e1zar de X\u2019<\/em>. The word alc\u00e1zar<\/em> refers to a castle or fortress, but is often used to describe Moorish castles, as it comes from the Arabic al-Qasr<\/em>, which, again, comes from the Latin word castrum<\/em>.<\/p>\n

8. Palacio Real de Olite, Navarra<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Palacio<\/span><\/p>\n

via Visual Hunt<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

Strictly speaking, this beauty is a palace, but has some pretty castle-y qualities (hello, turrets!).<\/p>\n

It is now recognized by its three main parts:<\/p>\n