Ciudad Rodrigo Castle

When you arrive in Ciudad Rodrigo from the neigbour Portugal, the profile of the castle stands above the rest of the urban area. Its uncertain origin links it to the river Agueda and its old bridge.

It is a military Gothic castle and has got a Tower Keep, distributed in three floors. At the top, there are some battlements, a wall and some defensive towers.

It was a defense and lookout point in frontier territories. Fernando II took part in the beginning of its construction but Enrique II de Trastamara took the final steps to build it.

On many occasions its walls had to be a defensive building against enemies of different kinds and nationalities. The last ones were French and English and came to Ciudad Rodrigo to fight in the Independence War.

Nowadays, the castle houses a Parador Nacional de Turismo (Hotel). Walking along the gardens or around the amazing main Tower means making a journey into history