Out of about 32,000 villages in France, 157 are awarded to represent "Les plus beaux villages de France", or the most beautiful villages of France. Castelnou, roughly 2 hours north of Barcelona straddling on the border, is set in front of a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and windy country roads. The surrounding hills are barely inhabited, and the village is perched onto one side of the mountain topped with a medieval castle. There are several panoramic vantage points before reaching the village (where some of these photos were captured) and upon reaching the gates cars have to be parked outside the village wall. Tourists then proceed on foot into 1000-year-old village.
The city wall and rampart houses a small community of about 70 inhabitants, under the watchful guard of the castle. The village began in year 990, when the first builders began to erect houses on the rough edges of the mountain rocks, and by the 13th century it already had a long enduring military history of wars with the Aragon and Majorca kingdoms. The castle changed hands a few more times before it gained the tranquility and prestige of today.
The village now houses several workshops of artists and artisans, as well as small cafés and restaurants, most of them exemplifying the Catalan roots of the region. It seemed to be completely detached from the increasingly artificial environment in which we are enmeshed, and it is now a village charged with great emotions and history, with breathtaking scenery and relics that quietly but intricately attest to its 1000-year history.
The church of Sainte Marie del Mercadal and the Tower of Castelnou are located just outside the village.
http://www.castelnou.com/patrimoine.html
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