There will be other things that we don’t but something that we can boast about in Spain is having charming towns to give and take. So it is not surprising that an entity like National Geographic, which has the highest prestige in terms of geography; world cultures and historical heritage, have noticed. Following the editorial criteria of the different members of National Geographic Travel, They have selected what they consider to be the most representative localities of the rural beauty of our country, from mountain villages to coastal jewels.
However, this time we are going to stop at what is the most beautiful town in all of Barcelona, according to this ranking. This is Cardona, located in a valley in central Catalonia, on the banks of the Cardoner river. At these coordinates we find a picturesque town with an important medieval past, how could it be otherwise.
On a hill, stands out in it the walled fortress of its beautiful castle, an example of Catalan Romanesque. In fact, the medieval past of this enclave in the Bages region begins around the 8th century with the construction of said castle-palace-monastery.
To this day, the streets of the town still have the ability to take us back to the time when its Romanesque and Gothic buildings were built. One of the most emblematic is the fortified enclosure, dating of the 9th century and today it is enabled as a Parador de Turismo.
The most representative elements of the Catalan Romanesque in the area come together in this medieval castle. In fact, the anecdote tells that when the director Orson Welles was shown images of the Cardona castle, he did not hesitate for a second. It was what he was looking for for the filming of Chimes at Midnight and give the story that spirit of 15th century England that he needed to take his story inspired by Shakespeare’s work to the cinema.
The palace, which is located within the walled enclosure, has a ducal courtyard and a large hall with pointed arches. On her side, the Tower of the Minyona It is one of the key pieces of the complex, as well as the chapel of San Ramón Nonato, which preserves Romanesque and Gothic elements.
However, the jewel of the castle is the Collegiate Church of San Vicentean impressive Romanesque temple from the 11th century that has a central nave almost 20 meters high.
In addition, the town of Cardona also has other interesting places such as the main street, the Plaza del Mercat or the church of Sant Miquel. Although we must not forget the Cultural Park of the Salt Mountain, in the vicinity of the urban area and for which the town has been a finalist in the European Commission program that recognizes excellence in sustainable tourism.
Likewise, the surroundings of Cardona offer a multitude of possibilities for excursions in which farmhouses and old farmhouses populate the path of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park. Nearby, the sources of the Llobregat river offer the traveler that exact landscape that he was looking for.
Cover photo | Inns (Wikipedia)
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