As I am the first member of WHS.org to write about Loarre Castle, I will quickly describe the monument.

The Romanesque castle-abbey, dating from the 11th century, is located approximately 30 km northwest of Huesca, in the province of Huesca, an autonomous community of Aragon in northern Spain. It is easily accessible via the A132 road, then the A1206.

There is a small, very pleasant campsite with a beautiful view at the foot of the castle and you can climb up on foot from there. Be careful though, the markings are not very clear, you have to trust your instincts. At the castle, there is a parking lot for motorized vehicles.

In 2024, entry tickets cost €6 at the visitor center. As the castle is perched at an altitude of 1,070 meters, the 180° view of the surrounding plain is breathtaking!

From what I remember, its impregnable position on the slope of the sierra allowed the Christians to protect themselves and monitor the movements of the Muslims in the southern plain. We wander from room to room, the San Pedro church, an armory, etc. more or less in ruins, climbing stairs to an upper platform where it is still possible to climb into the dungeon and watch the paragliders move in the sky.

The castle is believed to have only been in use between 1020 and 1035 and the beginning of the 12th century. There are a few historiated capitals in the church, but the overall structure forms a rather rough stone maze.

In itself, even if it were one of the most beautiful examples of military and civil architecture in Europe, in my opinion it is a castle like any other, but the setting is so pleasant that we decided to stay there for two days. On the second day, we took a pleasant walk to a deserted hamlet called Sarsamarcuello. In the village of Loarre, within walking distance of the campsite, there is a café and a small bakery-grocery store where you can stock up on supplies if needed.