Castell de Peníscola (Castell del Papa Luna)

The Templars raised it between 1294 and 1307 on a rocky outcrop that pushes into the sea, and almost a century later the Castell de Peníscola took in an exceptional tenant: in 1411 the Aragonese Pedro Martínez de Luna, Pope Luna (Benedict XIII), moved his court and his library here after the Western Schism. That is why this town in northern Castelló ranks, alongside Rome and Avignon, among the only three papal seats in history.

What to see inside

You walk through the plain vaulted Templar halls, the chapel, the pope's study and, above all, the upper terraces, where the view sweeps 360º of Mediterranean. There are no courtly luxuries here: the bare stone of a military fortress dominates, and the visit lives off the views and the history rather than any decoration.

Film and TV

Peníscola's outline rising above the waves has served as a set more than once. Part of Charlton Heston's El Cid (1961) was shot here, and decades later the rock and its walls stood in for Meereen in Game of Thrones. There is an admission fee, so check the opening hours before climbing up, and pair the visit with a walk along the Renaissance walls and the rest of the old town of Peníscola. It is one of the most rewarding day trips from the coast.