Spain · History
Medieval villages in Spain
Walled towns with a single gate, castles on the rock, Jewish quarters, fortified bridges and arcaded squares that have barely changed in centuries: a selection of the best-preserved medieval villages in Spain, from north to south.
Updated 20 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Walled towns
-
SpainAlbarracín
Walls climbing the hillside above reddish houses hanging over the river, in the mountains of Teruel.
What to see in Albarracín -
SpainPedraza
A town enclosed by walls with a single entrance gate, its castle and an arcaded square.
What to see in Pedraza -
SpainMorella
A walled town on a hill crowned by its castle, in inland Castellón.
What to see in Morella -
SpainUrueña
A small walled village on the plateau, which you can walk around along the top of its walls.
What to see in Urueña -
SpainLaguardia
A walled town above wine cellars dug beneath the streets, in Rioja Alavesa.
What to see in Laguardia
Stone, castles and bridges
-
SpainBesalú
A fortified Romanesque bridge over the river and a medieval Jewish quarter.
What to see in Besalú -
SpainPeratallada
Cobbled streets, a castle and a moat carved into the rock, in the Empordà.
What to see in Peratallada -
SpainFrías
Houses hanging over the rock, a castle on top and a fortified bridge over the Ebro.
What to see in Frías -
SpainSantillana del Mar
Mansions with coats of arms and a Romanesque collegiate church in a stone town next to Altamira.
What to see in Santillana del Mar -
SpainSos del Rey Católico
The birthplace of Ferdinand the Catholic, with cobbled streets and houses bearing coats of arms.
What to see in Sos del Rey Católico -
SpainAínsa
An arcaded main square and a castle facing the mountains of the Pyrenees.
What to see in Aínsa -
SpainOlite
The royal palace of the kings of Navarre, with towers and battlements straight out of a fairy tale.
What to see in Olite -
SpainUjué
A village perched on a hill with a Romanesque fortress church overlooking the Navarrese Ribera.
What to see in Ujué
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-preserved medieval village in Spain?
Albarracín, Pedraza, Santillana del Mar and Besalú are among the best preserved, and each has a very different style.
Which medieval villages are near Madrid?
Pedraza, in Segovia, an hour and a half away; and a little further, Sepúlveda, Sigüenza or Medinaceli.
And near Barcelona?
Besalú, Peratallada and Pals, in Girona, less than two hours away, and Cardona, in central Catalonia.
Bagintravel · We travel together
Shall we plan your trip wherever you choose?
Tell us where and in under a minute you’ll have your day-by-day route, with places to stay, transport, expenses and tips. And we go with you in your pocket, offline too.
The app is currently available in Spanish.
More travel ideas
- The most beautiful castles in Spain
- The most beautiful villages in Spain
- Roman Spain: ruins and monuments
- All ideas
Reviewed 20 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.