Spain Castles

Old Spanish castles allow to get to know Spain from the inside out, experience the medieval atmosphere and the charm of the sophisticated period of Grandees in Spain. Once there were a few thousand castles like that. The architecture of Spanish strongholds has a number of characteristics related mainly to Muslim rule and some kind of isolation of the Iberian Peninsula (Pyrenean Peninsula) from the culture of Western Europe. Beautiful mosaic patterns, circular towers, geometric and floral motifs manifested in the ornamentations of walls and ceilings, numerous fountains and pools – Spanish strongholds inherited all this splendour from Muslim rulers. The wonderful medieval castle Alhambra called «Granada's Mauritanian soul» is the best known architectural model from the period of Muslim rule. Other similarly huge medieval Spanish castles such as La Mota, Belmont, Coca, Alcázar arouse as much interest; they once showed the importance of the country and royal power for a short but distinctive period called the Spanish Golden Age. Today many Spanish strongholds are not only architectural gems or museums but also hotels attracting tourists with their colours and the atmosphere of bygone times.