Uncategorized

On November 16, 17, 22 and 23, Hostalric Castle will be closed for filming. Apologize for the inconvenience.

Once again, the Agència Catalana del Patrimoni Cultural is promoting the European Heritage Days (JEP), an initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, considered the festival of cultural heritage. Hostalric also join in! On the weekend of October 12 and 13, admission to the Castlewill be free (open doors). The opening hours are Saturday 12 from 10 am to 2 pm andfrom 3 pm to 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm. Please note that the last access is 30 minutes before the time limit.

Hostalric is surrounded by mountains and woodland, an oasis of peace and quiet in the heart of nature, ideal for strolling, enjoying sport and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The town is located between the Montseny Natural Park and the Montnegre Massif. Two signposted routes wind their way through the medieval market gardens area, giving you a different perspective of the castle and old quarter. You can choose between the circular route following the Tordera River (4.9 km) and a stroll from the market gardens to the castle. These two routes of varying difficulty and length can be completed on foot or by bike. You can also combine them with a visit to the castle or medieval quarter of Hostalric, enjoying a meal in one of  the town’s restaurants. Hostalric has 4 privileged viewpoints: the Torre dels Frares and the Torre de Ararà (access with the visit with the key), the Torre de Ararà, the Plaça dels Bous and the Hostalric Fortress.

Natura in Hostalric: combines natural and cultural heritage! Hostalric explodes in autumn: the vegetable gardens turn into a mosaic of ochres, browns and oranges, the leaves fall from the trees in Plaça del Bous, the Tordera river flows down more forcefully,… You can enjoy this spectacle in 4 privileged viewpoints : the Torre dels Frares and the Torre d’Ararà (access with key card), Plaça dels Bous and Castell d’Hostalric. Do you want to go for a walk in the middle of autumn? The route around the Castle and/or the Parc de les Rieres are the best options and ideal for families. Nature and heritage with ocher tones! Hostalric has 4 privileged viewpoints: the Torre dels Frares and the Torre de Ararà (access with the visit with the key), the Torre de Ararà, the Plaça dels Bous and the Hostalric Fortress.

Hostalric, the government of a medieval territory The Viscounty of Cabrera was a very important feudal lordship that was part of the territories of the Catalan-Aragonese Crown. It extended from the forested mountains of Montseny, the Guilleries and the Collsacabra to the Mediterranean Sea, with the center located in the current region of La Selva. The territory of the viscounty had its own forms of government, centralized in the walled town of Hostalric. The geostrategic context of the town of Hostalric greatly favored its rise as the Viscounty’s capital. The town began to stand out from the 13th century and, during the following century, it consolidated and increased this pre-eminent position in terms of Viscount capital. The population will centralize a large part of the high administration and main judicial court of the Cabrera family territory. The figure of the agents of power at the service of the Viscounts, who made effective the governance of the territory, will be key. There was the notary public, the clerk’s office and the judicial court, and the attorney general and the clerk resided there. For example, the notary of Hostalric Pere de Santantoni stood out, who was notary public, ordinary judge and attorney general of the entire viscounty in the 14th century. It also housed a hospital, several hostels and even a small Jewish community. With the aim of enhancing the tangible and intangible heritage of the Viscounty of Cabrera, the Selva County Council has created the cultural tourism product La Ruta dels Cabrera. It is structured in 4 thematic routes (the military, the administrative, the religious and the commercial), with Hostalric being the main protagonist of the administrative route. Take a virtual tour of the viscounty’s heritage. The heritage The medieval wall Hostalric appears in documentation in 1106 as Ostalrico or Quota. However, we do not know if at that time the town already had a wall. In the following century, King Jaume I the Conqueror granted Viscount Guerau V de Cabrera the license to hold a market in the town and between the years 1242 and 1243 the settlement charter of Hostalric was signed. Therefore, the defensive structure that we still see today very possibly originated between the 13th and 14th centuries. Six hundred linear meters of fortified walls with eight towers are preserved, in addition to the Portal de les Hortes (the only portal of the wall preserved in its original state), the Portal de Barcelona (reconstructed) and outside the wall the Torre dels Frares and the Tower of the Convent. The Tower of the Friars It is called so because in the building in front, where the Town Hall is today, there used to be the convent of the minimal friars of the order of Sant Francesc de Paula. The tower was built in the 13th century and is the highest defensive element in the town of Hostalric, with a height of thirty-three meters. It has three floors and the original access was on the first floor, without a fixed staircase, to have a better defense. The highest part was crowned by a magnificent corridor matacán of which there are still remains, although during the French War (1810) due to a bombardment, a good part of the upper part of the tower collapsed. Currently the three floors can be visited and host a permanent exhibition on medieval Hostalric and the French war. To facilitate the ascent, you will find an elevator to reach the viewpoint on the terrace. The Castle There is evidence that in 1145 there was already a castle on top of the Hostalric hill, linked from the beginning to the Viscount Cabrera family. The castle was located on the central section of the royal road between Barcelona and Girona, and therefore had great strategic value. From the 17th century and especially during the 18th century, the ancient medieval castle was completely altered with major architectural reforms to adapt it to the powerful development of gunpowder artillery. So, today few vestiges of the medieval castle remain visible, such as the north and south facades of the main building, a cistern from this period inside, as well as other minor architectural elements. The Relliguer cave The Relliguer cave is an underground gallery excavated in the sandstone at the base of the castle. The entrance is in the medieval enclosure, in a sector very close to one of its most important accesses (Barcelona portal) and also to the fortified path of medieval origin that connects the town with the fortress (ancient castle). It is a hypogeum of twenty-six meters of descending route that leads to a small room located six meters deep. It could be a hypogeum used as a shelter and hiding place in times of danger or a gallery related to the fortification of the hill.

The orchards are a burst of green, the yellow of the elm and broom fields, the red of the currants, medieval streets with floral details… You can enjoy this spectacle from 4 privileged viewpoints: the Torre dels Frares and the Torre d ‘Ararà (access with keyed visit), Plaça dels Bous and Hostalric Castle. Or take one of the recommended walking routes and discover the town’s natural surroundings. As a result of this natural wealth, Hostalric has joined Vilas Florides. This is a badge promoted by the Confederation of Ornamental Horticulture of Catalonia (CHOC) with the aim of promoting the transformation of corners, towns and cities of Catalonia through flowers and ornamental plants. This project distinguishes municipalities that work to transform their public spaces through landscaping and the improvement of green spaces. With the incorporation of Hostalric, the Comacarca de la Selva is one of the counties with the most participating municipalities in Viles Florides with 10 thriving municipalities (Arbúcies, Blanes, Lloret de Mar, Sant Hilari Sacalm, Santa Coloma de Farners, Sils, Vidreres, Tossa de Mar and Maçanet de la Selva).