The walls
Along the crest.
Mike1979 Russia — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mike1979 Russia — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mike1979 Russia — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands — CC BY 2.0 · Joanbanjo — CC BY 3.0
Xàtiva Castle crowns a ridge above the city of Xàtiva near Valencia, Spain, standing 310 metres above the modern city and less than a kilometre from its centre in a straight line. It is a twin fortress: the older Castell Menor, built on Iberian and Roman remains, and the newer Castell Major from the Middle Ages. It sits on the old Roman road, the Via Augusta, which ran down the Mediterranean coast to Cartagena and Cádiz. Crenellated walls and towers run along the narrow rocky crest among pines and prickly pears, with wide views over the city, the green plains and the mountains around. Scenes from the series Andor were filmed here. You can reach it by car, by a small tourist train or on foot up a winding road from the old town. The climb is hot in summer, so go in the morning and bring water and a hat.
Along the crest.
City and plains.
The older fort.
Xàtiva, Valencia province, Spain
By car, tourist train or on foot.
In the morning.