Castell de Morella — Attraction in Morella

The Morella castle, which dominates an ocean of mountains, has been one of the most imposing fortresses in the Mediterranean. The passage of numerous civilisations has left its mark on this impressive construction continuously inhabited since the 3rd Millennium BC. The military fortress built using natural rock owes its importance and charm to this privileged situation. Its construction has made it a strategic place of the first order, an impregnable fortress that has allowed the domain and control of the natural passage from the interior to the coast.

From the Christian conquest to the Arabs and the reforms that took place between the 13th-14th centuries, the other future transformations will be marked by technological advances in the art of war.

The Castle also witnessed the passing of very important characters in history: Abderraman III, El Cid, Jaume I, King Fernando de Antequera, Pope Luna, San Vicente Ferrer, the Prince of Viana and General Cabrera: their actions and his words are part of the history of Morella.

OPENING HOURS OPEN FROM MONDAY TO SUNDAY WINTER SEASON: 11 A.M. – 5 P.M. SUMMER SEASON: 11...

We walked up to the castle which was quite a trek, zigzagging up the hill. Once we got past the metal bridge after the modern bull ring I walked along to the left to see the statue of Ramon Cabrera, a guerilla leader in one of the Spanish succession wars and views over the ruined convent of St Francis. Access to the castle from there was blocked so I walked all the way back and carried on up the hill to the main gate. This had obviously been repaired recently but if an attacker even go that far I'd be impressed. The area before the summit contained the governors palace (now housing an exhibition of the town's history) and various admin, storage and living rooms and a prison. The 19th century improvements were very visible with extra walls and batteries due to the capabilities of modern canon, two of which were added to the castle in the 1950s. The top of hill was very windswept and had lots of rooms with information boards but in Spanish only. The views, as you can image, were just fantastic with the lower fortifications, the city walls, the medieval aquaduct and the wider Valencian countryside...

What a wonderful place! From the moment we turned the corner on the winding mountain road and saw it for the first time, this place has the 'Wow!' factor. The castle is windswept and beautiful, from the cloisters just beyond the ticket office to the sweeping views from the very top. Lots of steps, but the approach is wonderful because you loop up and around the castle, getting different perspectives. Take a drink and some nibbles and enjoy a cool, breezy picnic at the top with gorgeous 360 degree views. Beware though - toilets are only at the bottom by the ticket office, so go before...