Cazalla de la Sierra

The site has been occupied since at least Roman times; the town itself was established under Moorish rule and known as Cazlona or Qastal. Ferdinand III reconquered it in 1241, and it was subsequently settled by Christian colonists. In the 16th century a Carthusian monastery, La Cartuja de Cazalla, was founded outside the town walls, becoming a significant religious and cultural centre.

The town developed a tradition of distilling anise-flavoured spirits from the locally abundant mountain anise plant, an industry that survives to this day. Like much of the Sierra Norte, Cazalla lost population during the 20th-century rural exodus but has reinvented itself as a centre for rural tourism, outdoor sports, and the arts.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, a large Gothic-Mudéjar church begun in the 15th century, dominates the town centre with its tower and ornate portal. The Convent of San Francisco and several aristocratic palaces and houses with carved stone doorways fill the historic quarter. The principal attraction outside the town is La Cartuja de Cazalla, a ruined Carthusian monastery now converted into a rural hotel and cultural space; it retains its church, cloisters, and the ghostly shells of the monks' individual houses, and hosts an annual summer arts festival.

Cazalla's distilleries — some family-run for generations — can be visited; the anís de Cazalla and the cherry liqueur (mistela de cerezas) are the local specialities. The surrounding Sierra Norte offers walking, cycling, and birdwatching.

Cazalla is 100 km north of Seville on the A-432. There are buses from Seville (journey 1.5–2 hours). The old town is small and walkable.

La Cartuja is a 2 km walk or short drive from the centre. The aniseed spirits can be bought at local shops and at the Carthusian monastery hotel. Visit in spring or autumn; summers are warm but more pleasant than the lowland heat.