Besalu bridge

Castle Excursions from Barcelona

Visit some of the most spectacular castles in Catalonia

The castle excursions are excursions from Barcelona that will tell you about the past history of Catalonia in the times when the Moors from the South and the Christians in the North fought over the lands in modern Catalonia.

Travel back in history with our excursion to the medieval castles of La Segarra. After the Moors conquered Spain in the 8th century they tried to move into France but were defeated by the powerful Franc empire in the battle of  Poitiers. The Moors were pushed back behind  three rivers, the Llobregat, Cardener and Segre, in the middle of Catalonia. This frontier between the two empires was unstable for three centuries.  We will visit the site of that “hot” frontier (except that now it is only hot in summer) and we will visit some of the castles that took a critical role in maintaining the conquered territories.

You will leave the hotel in the morning and set off departing from the city, heading west. Very soon you will reach the Llobregat River that was important during Roman times. We will drive along this river for 20 miles while the route will allow us to admire the peculiar shapes of Montserrat Mountain (pinnacles of rocks resembling to a gigantic musical organ) that is considered to be a spiritual place.

The undulating hills over the next 30 miles, with their patchwork of cereal crops and pine forest, give way to the flatter terrain of La Segarra territory, an area that has the most castles and fortified villages in Catalonia. You will arrive to the village of Guissona in which you could take a coffee in a 19th century café (the oldest café in the village) before starting the visit.  Guissona is a historic fortified village, the birth place of Pere Fages (Pedro Fages in Spanish) a volunteer soldier who helped to found San Diego and became the Governor of California (1770-74 and 1782-91).  You will discover the house where he was born (now a private residence) and visit other interesting places in this nice village.

After leaving Guissona we will drive to a six-mile line along which three castles are located. You will get to visit one of the best preserved castles in the area in the company of an experienced guide. The tour inside the castle starting from the hall of arms heading to the dungeons, while accessing the kitchens and the stables, will reveal the castle’s history and will show us in an interactive way how people used to live in medieval times.

Before having lunch you will be able to admire two other castles from the outside: one integrated in a tiny village and the other one showing its fantastic silhouette among a few abandoned houses just in the middle of the countryside.

Photos of some of the highlights of the Castle Excursions

Medieval bridge BesaluCastle PalafrugellCastle Palafrugell

Itinerary of the Castle Excursion

Travel back in history with our excursion to Montserrat and the medieval castles of La Segarra.

In Montserrat there are three different attractions in one:

  • The mountain itself, with its pinnacles of rock resembling a gigantic musical organ.
  • The 1,000 years old Benedictian monastery that is pre-dated by a history of hermitages and hermits.
  • The image of the Black Madonna, famous since the 13th century for producing miracles.

Proposed schedule for a one-day trip to Montserrat and La Segarra castles:

We leave the hotel in the morning and set off towards Diagonal Avenue departing the city heading west. Very soon we reach the Llobregat river that was important during Roman times. We will drive along this river until Montserrat mountain, where we leave the river to drive up the middle of the mountain where the monastery and the basilica of the Black Madonna sit.

There are several things to admire and do in this remarkable place, touching the Black Madonna to ask her for some favours, take a walk around the mountain or go higher in the mountain in a funicular that rises on a 50% gradient.

Lunch in Montfalcó Murallat
For lunch we head towards one of the most distinctive villages in La Segarra territory: Montfalcó Murallat, a tiny self-enclosed village, with just one entrance, on top of a hill.

Afterwards we will visit one of the most well preserved castles in the area, where we will be given an inside visit of it.  The tour inside the castle, from the hall of arms to the dungeons, from the kitchens to the stables, will show us its history and will tell us how people in medieval times used to live.

Back to Barcelona
On our way back to Barcelona we  can admire the silhouette of two more castles on our way. We arrive to Barcelona in a little more than one hour's drive.

Tour details and prices

Important information: The itineraries of the tours to the castles of Catalonia can be customized. We arrange our tours for private groups of minimum 8 people.

The duration of the Castle Excursions
From 4 to 8 hours (the tour can be customized and shortened )

Prices of the Castle Excursions
Prices start at
26 €
per person for a private Castle Excursion from Barcelona. with a guide, a minibus and a driver.

Similar Tours