Parador de Cardona

HCNA1, Cardona, Catalonia

Historic, 4-star hotel in an amazing medieval castle

A unique opportunity to stay in a major, early-medieval castle, this magnificent Parador undoubtedly has the ‘wow’ factor!

Originally built by the marvellously named Wilfred the Hairy in 886, but with construction continuing to the 12th century, this is more of a complex than a military castle and contains a palace, a delightful church, a Princess Tower straight out of fairytale and, of course a ghost! The architecture is Romanesque and Gothic with panoramic views over the valley and the salt mines from which Hairy Wilfred and his heirs derived their enormous wealth.

Rooms are fairly simple with gothic features, some with charming canopy beds, in keeping with the buildings. Furnishings are inspired from the Catalan Medieval style.

The dining room is spectacular, with pointed, stone arches giving an authentic medieval feel. In the hallways, common areas and throughout you’ll find vaulted ceilings, stone walls and atmospheric courtyards to enhance the magical feeling.

There’s a gym and sauna to relax after a hard day’s touring and a wonderful terrace from which to enjoy the views.

Accommodation

37 en-suite rooms including standard doubles / twins, duplex doubles / twins and suites.
All rooms have bathtubs with shower over. There are no fully adapted rooms but one has wider doorways and a stool can be supplied to use adjacent to the bath.

Hotel Features

Courtyards and terraces with amazing views

Small gym with sauna

On-site parking (NB parking is at the bottom of the ramp leading to the Parador entrance. On arrival you can drive up to the entrance to unload luggage etc)

Restaurant

Elegant, medieval dining room with gothic arches and exposed stonework serving local Catalan specialities.

Breakfast is an extensive buffet with eggs and other hot dishes served to table.

Hotel Facilities

24 Hour Reception
Tour Booking Service
WiFi all areas
Spacious Grounds
Lift
Garden/Patio/Terrace
Shared Lounge / TV Area
No smoking in hotel
Luggage storage
Air Conditioning

Sports and Wellbeing

Gym
Spa

Room facilities (all rooms)

En-suite bathroom
Heating
Air conditioning
WIFI
TV
Fridge / Minibar
Shower over bathtub
Hairdryer
Safe deposit box
Desk

Dining

Restaurant, open to the public
Bar with terrace, open to the public, serving drinks and light snacks

Accessibility

Not suitable for guests with reduced mobility

Parking

On-site parking (free)
Electric vehicle charging station

Pets

No pets allowed

Cardona, Catalonia

To say Cardona is dominated by the Castle of Carmona (now the Parador) is a gross understatement, without the castle the town is a small, farming community set on the Rio Cardener – though the castle itself owes its existence to the town’s other unique feature – the salt mountain.

In medieval times salt was a scarce commodity, ‘white gold’, and the immense volumes here, where he salt seam has been pushed up to the surface, laid the foundations of the Cardona family’s wealth and status, making them one of Catalonia’s leading landowners. The presence of this valuable resource also explains the need for the castle which was built between the 9th and 12th centuries.

Nowadays the salt mountain and mines, which closed in 1990, are visitable and the Salt Mountain cultural Park makes for a unique experience and gives a fascinating insight into the history, geology and botany of the salt basin.

The castle itself is an imposing stone palace / fortress set on a hilltop opposite the mines. It houses the Romanesque church of Sant Vicenç (11th century) as well as the Torre de la Minyona (Princess Tower) and offers fantastic views over the entire valley.

Explore the Castle of Cardona – you may not want to leave
Don’t miss the chance to visit the salt mine 500 m of galleries situated 86 m underground!
Take a trip to the Monastery of Montserrat – Catalonia’s spiritual heart
Explore the Nature Park of Montserrat with wonderful rock formations which inspired Gaudí
Visit Medieval Solsona with its fascinating carnival culture
Take a hike from the Fuentes del Cardener waterfalls