Top 4 Castles around Parc de Collserola

fantastic view

On a small hill, above the town of Molins de Rei, are the ruins of the castle that was built in the 14th century on the remains of an old circular defensive tower, called Guadall or Guadallo, of Visigothic origin (8th century) , that is to say, pre-Romanesque. This is confirmed by the remains of a wall lock that used an opus spicatum facing characteristic of that period. On the west facade stands a three-tiered tower where the door and two openings are preserved, one of which is currently reconstructed. There are also remains of the trapezoidal plant, a small tower attached to the rock, the walls of the Guadall tower and the remains of a large cistern, partially drilled into the rock and protected by a barrel vault (10th and 12th centuries ).

Despite its medieval appearance, the Castell de Torre Baró, which dominates the neighbourhood, is a construction from the beginning of the 20th century. It was built as a project to create a hotel that would be the center of an urbanization in the area, but in the end the urban plan did not work and it ended up abandoned without having finished the works. Finally, in 1989 it was restored and declared historical heritage by the Barcelona City Council, and a magnificent viewpoint was built around it. It is currently an information and environmental education point in the Collserola park. Among other activities, guided tours of the castle, itineraries to discover the surroundings and educational workshops for all audiences are offered. It is one of the best viewpoints in Barcelona, from which you can see Nou Barris, Horta, Sant Andreu, Sant Martí and, beyond, the Besòs river and the Collserola buttresses, with the towns of Santa Coloma, Sant Adrià and Badalona .

Become one of the most emblematic symbols of Nou Barris, the Castell de Torre Baró is located between the neighborhoods of Roquetes and Torre Baró. The name of Torre Baró actually comes from another tower, currently missing, which was located where the metro station is today, and which was the residence of the Baron de Pinós until in 1714, as a result of the War of Succession, it was destroyed.

A century later the castle would pass under the direct domain of King Jaime II. In 1320, the sovereign granted Simón des Llor (de Lauro) permission to build a new castle on the site, and in 1332 Molins de Rey and the site of Ciuró were sold for 10,000 salaries. In 1632, "Molins de Rey" and "Santa Creu d'Olorda" are recorded as places owned by Countess Benavent, although by then the castle must have been in a very poor state of preservation. The current owner is Mr. Lluís Vila, a resident of Molins de Rey.

The castle was built on the site of the Guadallo tower (mentioned in 998), at a height of 155 meters and in a fairly strategic location. It is located on the westernmost hill of the branch that leaves the hill of Can Ribes joined, and a very short distance, with the Puig de Olorda. This situation gives it a good perspective of the course of the Llobregat river and the town of Molins de Rey. It was granted to the Hospitallers in the 12th century, according to a document from 1162 in what is known as “Cidró”. In 1202 it was owned by the Order of the Temple.

Castellciuró is a castle located in the municipality of Molins de Rey, in Bajo Llobregat, in the Collserola mountain range, very close to the hermitage of Santa Cruz de Olorde and Puig de Olorda. It is currently in ruins, although these have been restored, and it also serves as a viewpoint. Documented in 1066, the oldest part of the remains of this castle is a wall in opus spicatum (work of inclined stones, alternating the direction of the inclination in each course) very well built, which could be of Visigothic origin (8th century). or pre-Romanesque (10th century) and were destroyed around the year 985 by the Saracen hordes of Almanzor. Of its scarce remains, a couple of walls and a cistern embedded in the rock stand out.

The Black Tower is a Romanesque military construction in the municipality of San Cugat del Vallés, very well preserved, with a quadrangular plan and three stories high with a square tower attached to one corner of the building. Since 1842 until today it is in private hands and belongs to the Rabadà family. Some windows on the façade are geminated and the entrance door is formed by a semicircular arch. Located in a natural setting between two streams, at the entrance to the Gausac valley on the border between the Collserola mountain range and the southern fields of the Vallés plain, with views over the entire horizon to the north. Its origin dates back to the 12th century, in a castle named Ricanli or Ricard, built in the time of Abbot Ermengol and it seems that it was rebuilt between the 14th and 15th centuries. The Black Tower owes its current name to its dark-colored stone walls. Its first known inhabitants were the Vilanova in the 12th century. Later it passed to the Palou family. Throughout the Middle Ages it was the subject of disputes between the owners and the Sant Cugat monastery, which opposed its construction.