Jaen castle is one of the most unique that we have visited, if only for the fact that it now houses the finest parador in Spain.
The Castillo de Santa Catalina sits high above the city of Jaen, from which point you can obtain magnificent views.
The site is that of an 8th century Arabic fortress of huge proportions but most of the building was rebuilt after the conquest of Jaen in 1246. Many of the castle's defensive elements were thoughtlessly destroyed when the parador was built in 1965. |