In the mid-11th century, the shore of the Sió was conquered from the Arabs, and soon enough castles and churches proliferated, guaranteeing a Christian presence. In this way, Sió became a border space in these lands, as well as an area of social, cultural and economic communication. The Sió Castles Route, in Segarra, stretches from Gàver (Sant Guim de Freixenet), where the Sió is born, to Balaguer, where it flows into the Segre.
Different castles along the route currently open their doors to visitors to reveal everything they hide inside. For example, Concabella Castle is home to the
Sió Castles Interpretation Centre, which offers information about the fortifications and their history. It also has a permanent exhibition that allows you to discover the flora and fauna of the drylands of Lleida. Nearby, we find
L'Aranyó Castle, which was originally a lookout and defence tower to contend with Saracen attacks. In the 19th century, it was owned by the Pedrolo-Gomars, the family of Catalan writer Manuel de Pedrolo, who was born there in 1918.
Our tour continues with the Montcortès Castle, which dates back to the 11th century and which, at the end of the 15th century, was renovated and replaced by the building that we see today, impressive in its grandeur and elegance. We’ll continue along the Sió Castles Route until we come to the municipality of Les Oluges, where we can behold one of the most impressive architectural jewels of the Lands of Lleida, the walled town of Montfalcó Murallat. This small medieval village sits on a hill, a strategic position for surveillance and defence at the time of the Christian reconquest. Inside, the Church of Sant Pere, the communal oven and the remains of the cistern that collected rainwater can still be found. Other essential visits along this route are Les Pallargues Castle or Florejacs Castle, built in the 10th century by Arnau Mir de Tost.
The Sió Castles Route is a low difficulty route that can be done by mountain bike, on foot or by car. One possible starting point is the city of Cervera, which invites you
to walk through its old town, explore its walls, visit the spectacular Church of Santa María or immerse yourself in its museums. If you decide to do the Sió Castles Route
on the last weekend of August, the Aquelarre festival is an absolute must.
