The Castle of Cardona viewed from the air

Cardona is a municipality of 4,700 people (2018) about 90 km north of Barcelona in Catalonia.

Understand

Near the town is an extensive deposit of rock salt. The salt forms a mountain mass (called Muntanya de Sal) covered by a thick bed of a reddish-brown clay, and apparently resting on a yellowish-grey sandstone. It is generally more or less translucent, and large masses of it are quite transparent. The hill has been worked like a mine since Roman times; pieces cut from it have been carved by artists in Cardona into images, crucifixes and many articles of an ornamental kind.

Get in

There is no train line near Cardona. The only way to get into town is via the C55

See

Church of St. Vincenç: Apses, transept, and lantern tower, with typical Lombard details

• 1 Church of St. Vincenç. An 11th-century Romanesque church. (updated Sep 2020)
• The Church of Sant Miquel, built in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 14th century in Gothic style. It houses a precious polyptych by Pere Vall, depicting St. Anne, the Virgin and St. Amador, and a 15th-century baptismal font.
• Cardona Salt Mine: Tours are available at Cardona’s Salt Mountain Cultural Park. Closed on Mondays.
• 2 Cardona Castle. Perched on a mountaintop, Cardona Castle can be seen from miles away and is well worth a visit. The castle was constructed in 886 and according to a plaque displayed, is the only castle in Spain that's never been conquered, although that's slightly misleading since it did eventually surrender to the Bourbons at one stage. Nevertheless, this is a very impressive sight and the view over the Catalan countryside from atop the castle's tower is breathtaking. The movie Chimes at Midnight, by Orson Welles, was filmed at the castle in Cardona. Entry is free. (updated Sep 2020)

Sleep

There are not too many options available in Cardona

• Hotel Bremon, C/Cambres, 15 08261, ☏ +34 93 868 4902, fax: +34 93 868 4903, info@hotelbremon.com. Good quality 3-star hotel sitting at the edge of the old town. €70 for a single room. 
• The Parador. Located within the Cardona castle, this is a 4-star upmarket hotel.