Castle of Begur (Castell de Begur)

Coordinates: 41.9564400000, 3.2084670000 (map)

The main sight of Begur — the Begur castle, Castell de Begur — is perfectly visible from every observation point in town. It pops up here and there on photos and videos that often mean to capture completely different things!

The castle was built in the 11th century by the feudal lord who wanted to protect his property from bloodthirsty pirates and jealous neighbours. Strategically speaking, the castle was ideally located to be easily defensible and thus, from that moment on, participated and suffered greatly in each armed conflict that befell the town, until it was destroyed completely in 1810 by the army of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The extensive restorations of the 20th century only concerned the outer walls of the Begur castle, which was enough for the town to get its symbol back. Restoring the interiors was deemed unnecessary, as its most prized possession — the beautiful panoramic views of the mountains and the sea — couldn't be taken away by even the most powerful enemy. Instead, the municipality outfitted the castle with a convenient observation deck for the visitors and tourists.

The visitors' surprise and disappointment — where is the actual castle, pray tell? — quickly gives way to wonder and awe at the views. A circular ceramic map on a cylindrical pedestal introduces visitors to the local geography and helps pinpoint the beautiful elements of the landscape you see below: the islands Illes Medes, the Pyrenean peak El Canigó, the easternmost border of the Iberian peninsula Cap de Creus, the resort towns of the Costa Brava like Palamós and L'Estartit, the coves Sa Riera and Sa Tuna...