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Parador® Cardona

Hotel Duques de Cardona

Spain - Catalonia - Parador de Cardona - one of the Spanish Paradors Paradores

Spain - Barcelona - Cardona

Four star luxury hotel in a ninth century castle with the tower dating from the second century

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It is an impressive ninth century fortress which dominates the valley of the river Cardoner.

The Parador of Cardona sits on top of a hill. In 986 A.D. it was decreed that the local population could have salt every Thursday in return for one days work a week maintaining the fortifications.
Restaurant of Cardona Parador

Within the castle is the church of San Vicente which was built in 981 and enlarged 40 years later.

The 2nd century Minyona tower is reputedly have been the prison of Adeles, the daughter of the Duke of Cardona, who was held by her brothers after falling in love with a leader of the Moors and had converted to his religion, She was only incarcerated for a year before she died.

Incorporated within the Parador® is a gothic cloister, the Duke's patio and an ancient cistern for the storage of water. Everywhere there are moats, towers and walls to defend the castle.

There are numerous decorations in keeping with the surroundings. The furniture is of medieval designs but with modern comfort being important in the design.. Walls are decorated with tapestries and wrought iron torch holders.

The Cardona Parador® has forty two twin bedded rooms, five double, two single bedrooms, three suites and two duplex. All bedrooms have private bathroom, telephone, satellite television, safe and mini-bar.
Parador Cardona - terrace

Many of the rooms have old four poster beds and splendid views.

The facilities include a bar, air conditioning, central heating, currency exchange, lift, satellite TV, a gift shop, gymnasium and sauna.

The Parador® has conference facilities.

The Parador® Cardona has a medieval restaurant which brings images of the ducal feasts held within the castle. The chef specialises in Catalan cooking and some of his specialties are: "Butifarra con mongetes" is local Catalan sausage with beans;
"Lomo de cerdo ahumada con ensalada", smoked pork served with a salad;
"Espinacas a la Catalan" being a spinach dish with raisons;

During the season, delicious dishes made with wild mushrooms are available. The meal can be finished with a selection of cheeses from the impressive cheese and sausage board.
bedroom at Parador de Cardona
The castle has seen many battles in the past and is reputedly to have been attacked by Charlemagne, William the Hairy and Almursur the Moor.

It was extensively damaged during the Spanish Civil war of 1936-39 but was restored and opened as a Parador® in 1976.

From the Parador®, the Roman Bridge crossing the river can be seen. In former towns it was a road much used by the early Christian pilgrims.

Cardona Annual Festival takes place in the second Saturday in September.

On a clear day it is possible to see fifty kilometres to the strange serrated hills on which the Monserrat monastery stands. If visiting, enquire of the times that the "Escolania" is singing. This is one of Europe's most famous boy's choirs.

Also worth visiting is the Salt Mountain and Cultural Park, inside the old Nieves mine near the Parador®, which gives visitors the opportunity to see a truly unique place in the world. Salt mining was the source of the wealth of the Dukes of Cardona.

Distance from the nearest airport is approximately 100 kms, train station is 32 kms away and the nearest port is 100 kms away.

Pets are not allowed.

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No prepayment - No booking fees - Cancellations up to 72 hours prior to arrival without penalty
 
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All Promotions Offered - Best Available Rates

Catalonia Region imposes an extra tax of 1 Euro pppn, upto a maximum of 7 nights, for those over 16 years

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Directions
Parador® Cardona
Castell de Cardona, s/n
08261 Cardona, Barcelona
Latitude: 41° 54' 51.5448" N (41.914441504522166)
Longitude: 1° 41' 8.34" E (1.6856718063354492)
Parador de Cardona - one of the Spanish Paradors Paradores Parador de Cardona - one of the Spanish Paradors Paradores



Nearest Paradores®
Parador®
Distance in Kilometres
Direction
Vic-Sau 96 East
La Seu d'Urgell 100 North
Lleida 119 East
Arties 205 North-west
Vielha 212 North-west
Tortosa 231 South
Aiguablava 233 East

Information on Cardona

 

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Guests' Comments
Comment posted by Sally Woods
We stayed here one night in June this year, on our way to France. Having stayed here before, we thought we knew what to expect, but in fact in the intervening years (13!) they have done a lot of repairs, construction and remodelling, so we hardly recognised it as the place we had been to before, except the restaurant! However, it was better, as there were more terraces where you could enjoy the fantastic views. Comfortable room (with a four poster) and superb food and service as usual.
Comment posted by Bill Farris
My wife Carolyn and I recently visited Barcelona and combined A Western Mediterranean cruise with a five night tour of Paradors in the Pyrennes mountains and nearby Areas of Eastern Spain. Driving the narrow, steep streets that approach the Parador at Cardona put us in an expecting mood that was quickly satisfied by the interior of the parador. We were assigned a large room with a balcony that allowed us to view the surrounding mountains and local villages. Prior to dinner, we toured the castle's authentic public areas and intriguing stairs and hallways. We found the cafeteria in the upper reaches of the castle and enjoyed a light dinner of local specialities. We returned to our beautifully appointed bedroom and enjoyed a good night's sleep. We have previously stayed in several of the Paradors in other areas of Spain and the Canary Islands but found Cardona to be one of the best in all respects. Anyone planning to visit Barcelona should seriously consider the short side trip to Cardona.
Comment posted by Deen/Patch/Zoe
This was my third visit and second stay at the Parador. I wanted to share the experience with my children. They had a very memorable experience. On arrival, we ran into one of the individuals from reception. He was kind enough to guide us to reception. My passport was in the car with my children. I told the head person that my passport was not on me and he proceeded to give me a lecture on requiring a passport in order to register. A fact that I knew after decades of travel. The good will that the first individual generated was neutralized by the second. The room and beds were wonderful. Food, beverages, and service were very good. I would very much recommend a stay at this Parador.
Comment posted by L. C.
Everything was great reception stayed in Spanish, thouigh are Spanish was very basic. Lovely room and decor.

Parador® of Cardona, a hotel in a ninth century castle in Catalonia, Spain.