Siurana

Encircled in an impregnable place above the river, it took the knights of four counts to subdue it. Its castle defended an impassable border that stretched from the Balaguer pass to Tamarit de Gaià. Conquered in 1153, after the fall of Lleida and Tortosa, it was the last stronghold of the reconquest in Catalonia. If you look at the precipice that surrounds it, you will guess why it was not conquered for three centuries and why the end was so tragic. Abdelazia, the Moorish queen, before being subjugated by the Christians, preferred to throw herself off a cliff with her horse. And the animal, in its futile resistance, left the mark of its horseshoe on the rock, forever. And with it, the last Saracen stronghold in Catalonia disappeared. Today, you can see a charming village of houses and cobbled streets and the remains of the Saracen fortress, located at the entrance to the town. At its feet, a reservoir of clean and calm waters offers the possibility of practising all kinds of water sports. The most important building in Siurana is the church, in Romanesque style, with a portal, with a figured tympanum, framed by three semicircular archivolts that rest on columns with capitals decorated with various motifs. The town is surrounded by interesting places and is a point from which you can enjoy magnificent views of the Serra de Montsant, the Gritella and the Prades Mountains. Siurana is worth highlighting as a reference and destination for climbers and hikers. Its legendary cliffs are known all over the world for carrying out these practices.