CASTLES BY THE CASTELL

 Hello ladies and gents this is the CASTELL telling you that today we are talking about

Castell de Peralada 

The history of the current Peralada Castle dates back to 1285, when the first fortress of the Viscounts of Peralada was destroyed during a war with France. Rather than restoring the original, the viscounts decided to build a new fortress outside the walls, to avoid spatial limitations. Jumping ahead to 1875, the Counts of Rocabertí refurbished the medieval military fortress, converting it into a French-style château, and designed an extensive park next to their new palace. Lush landscapes, a French rose garden, a modest lake and a noteworthy white stork colony can be found in the park, thanks to a recovery project that was launched in 1995. Since then, the colony has grown to include 32 nests and 66 new-born storks in 2014.

There’s something for everyone here. Wander around the Carme Church and its cloister, built in the typical Catalan Gothic style, or visit the wine museum located in an old cellar, where the wines were first produced in the 14th century. The winery is still in operation and visitors can learn about (and taste) Peralada Castle’s most traditional and cherished cava, Gran Claustro. 

The Museum of Glass and Ceramics (Museu del Vidre i la Ceràmica) is also on the grounds of the castle. Considered one of the the most important glass museums in Spain, it contains more than 2,500 ancient pieces of glass, the origins of which range from Pharaonic Egypt to the 19th century. Of particular interest are the 18th and 19th-century cups and saucers that were invented by Mancero, the Viceroy of Mexico, used to drink thick hot chocolate.

Finally, the library is one of the castle’s most famous cultural features. With checkerboard tiled floors and warm wooden shelves, the library houses, among other things, one of the best private Cervantes collections in the world, with around 5,000 works, including more than 1,000 different editions of Don Quijote in 33 languages. Make a weekend out of your trip to this castle and book a room at Hotel Peralada, where you can receive the royal treatment at the hotel’s wine spa

And as always stay sturdy from the Castell