The village of Miravet, whose walls are licked by the Ebro River, is famous not only in the province of Tarragona — here is one of the fortresses of the Knights Templar, considered a typical example of the architecture of the Order. Miravet Castle is located on a steep 100-meter cliff. To get there, you need to cross the river on an old cable ferry and climb the rock through the deserted streets of the village. According to adults, Costa Dorada offers more exciting entertainments, but children perceive such a river crossing as a real adventure.
You can view the Miravet fortress even as you approach it. A 25-metre-high wall surrounds the defensive complex. The castle is protected by a cliff on one side and nine powerful towers on the other. It is worth noting that the Templar castle did not appear as an empty place — items dating back to the II century BC have been found in the territory of the fortress.
In the XI century, an Arab fortification was built here, and in the XIII century, the Templars rebuilt the castle. Within these walls, members of the Order tried to wait out the siege when the King of Catalonia ordered the arrest of the Knights of the Order.
Miravet was opened to the public only in 1994. It is possible that later a complete reconstruction will be carried out here, and theatrical performances will be arranged. But for now, you need to call on the imagination to help see how the sentinels examined the surroundings, how the castle's defenders drove away uninvited guests, and how they prepared for sieges.
Interestingly, the castle had a kitchen garden and an orchard of olive trees; vast storehouses were used for food supplied by the peasants. A rainwater reservoir was carved directly into the rock; there were no other water sources in the castle. Climb the spiral staircase to the terrace, where you can see all the surroundings. A guide in several languages, including English, can be downloaded from the castle website.
