CASTLES LLERS

Castell de Llers is a 13th-century fortress in Alt Empordà, Girona, which once anchored a network of twelve dependent castles forming a crucial medieval defense system. Built in the Romanesque tradition with a central tower and rectangular walled enclosure, the castle originated from strategic importance dating to the 10th century when it marked the border between the counties of Besalú and Empúries. Though heavily damaged during the Spanish Civil War, restoration efforts between 1981 and 2013 have preserved the tower and walled remains, which visitors can explore to observe the structural ruins and internal room vestiges within the fortification.

Castell d'Hortal occupies a small hilltop near Llers in Alt Empordà, its origins documented in the 11th century under the name Ordal. Ruled successively by the Quermançó family and the viscounts of Peralada, the castle saw its most sustained occupation from the 13th-16th centuries under the Hortal clan. The fortress exhibits rectangular layout with walls enclosing a distinctive cylindrical tower displaying regularly coursed ashlar construction, complemented by sections of unworked stone walls. Currently surrounded by orchards and facing significant conservation challenges from overgrowth and vegetation, the site has been designated a Cultural Heritage Asset of National Interest. Professional restoration efforts are needed to consolidate the structure and develop access pathways before practical public visitation, though the medieval tower and defensive architecture remain visible witnesses to Alt Empordà's feudal history.