Hotels in Castelló d'Empúries

Castelló d'Empúries

Castelló d'Empúries is a medieval town and municipality of the Alt Empordà, on the northern Costa Brava, about 9 km east of Figueres. Its old town stands on a low hill in the middle of the alluvial plain, on the left bank of the river Muga and about 4 km from the sea. In 1079 it became the capital of the County of Empúries, replacing Sant Martí d'Empúries, which lay too exposed to pirate raids, and it remained the political heart of the Empordà for centuries. The Gothic basilica of Santa Maria, so large that it is known as the cathedral of the Empordà, rises above streets lined with old mansions. The town also keeps one of the most important Jewish quarters of the Girona diocese, documented from the 13th century, together with the medieval Pont Vell over the Muga and the Ecomuseu-Farinera, a flour mill turned museum. Every September its medieval past comes alive in the Terra de Trobadors festival, with troubadour music, knights' tournaments and a medieval market. The municipality also includes Empuriabrava, a seaside resort about 2 km away with a long beach and one of the largest residential marinas in the world, with some 24 km of navigable canals. Around the town stretch the wetlands of the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park, a haven for birdwatchers. The C-260 road links it with Figueres, the AP-7 motorway and Roses, each about 10 km away. It suits couples, culture lovers and families who want a quiet historic base close to the beaches of the Bay of Roses.