Cardona Castle and Salt Caves

The last fortress to surrender during the War of the Spanish Succession.

The city of Cardona is located a little less than 100 kilometers from Barcelona and is famous for its medieval eponymous castle, majestically rising on the top of a hill and from the 9th century to this day is an ideal enclave for controlling the valley of the Cardener River and nearby salt deposits, better known as the "salt caves", as well as the entire Salina valley (La Vall Salina). The Dukes of Cardona lived in the castle between the XI and XV centuries, but gradually the castle lost the role of a dwelling and became a strategic point of which it was until the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1714, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Cardona Castle became the last fortress to surrender (note, not conquered, but capitulated) to the Bourbon troops.

To date, this wonderful historical complex, which includes a castle, salt deposits and the medieval city of Cardona, is a kind of triangle of great tourist and historical interest.

Cardona Castle was built in 886 by the order of the legendary Catalan figure Count Wilfred the Hairy, just like the old part of the city of Cardona, and shone with its splendor and nobility until the XV century, while it was the active residence of the Dukes of Cardona, called "Kings without a crown" for their innumerable wealth, which brought them salt trade from salt deposits. The most iconic sights of the castle are the Mignon Tower dating from the XI century, the ducal courtyard, defensive bastions and the ancient church of Sant Vicens - a pearl of the X century that has preserved all the charm of the Catalan Romanesque style. The church was built to house monks from the community of canons.

The historic center of Cardona helps to understand the evolution of the city and the castle and reflects the character of the Middle Ages in its woven streets and old squares as well as in the old houses of different districts of the city center.

Salt in the salt mountain was mined since the Neolithic period (that is, a very long time ago), and from 1992 to 1990 it was one of the most important potash mines in the world. The Iberians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, and Christians all without exception used natural salt formations, extracting and selling salt as a very important element in the life of everyone without exception. Today, the former salt mines have turned into a museum open to the public and very popular among tourists. Magnificent photos can be taken inside the tunnels of the salt mountain, where once worked tirelessly more than one hundred workers extracting salt.

If you are inspired to visit Cardona and its wonderful caves, I am waiting for you to apply for an excursion, where we can plunge into the salty past of Catalonia with its medieval castles and valleys!