Girona · Cataluña
Peralada
- Province
- Girona
- Status
- Conjunto Histórico
- Population
- 1920
- Elevation
- 32 m
Peralada is a heritage town in the province of Girona, Cataluña, Spain. Population 1920 (2013), elevation 32m.
A castle town in Girona with medieval walls, a chronicle writer's birthplace, and one of the world's great private libraries locked inside a restored French-style fortress.
Key facts
- Province
- Girona
- Heritage status
- Conjunto Histórico
- Population
- 1920 (2013)
- Elevation
- 32 m
History of Peralada
Peralada has deep roots — a Roman settlement, then a medieval county that fell under the control of the County of Empúries. Several medieval buildings still stand in its streets. On Plaça Muntaner, the birthplace of the chronicler Ramon Muntaner (1265–1336) survives, albeit with later alterations.
The castle, once home to the Viscounts of Rocabertí and Counts of Peralada, was restored in the style of French châteaux. Every summer it hosts the Festival Internacional de Música, known as the Festival de Peralada.
Heritage & Monuments
The parish church of Sant Martí is Romanesque in origin, with a Gothic bell tower. The cloister of Santo Domingo, from a former Augustinian convent, has fine carved capitals showing biblical scenes, plant forms, and geometric patterns. The church of Santa Eulàlia contains Romanesque wall paintings.
The Convent del Carme, dating to 1293 and with a Gothic cloister, now houses the Museu del Castell de Peralada — a Gothic church, a library of 80,000 volumes (including 200 incunabula and over 1,000 editions of Don Quixote in 33 languages), ceramics and glass collections, a wine museum, and the Gran Claustro cava cellar. The castle's historic park, designed by François Duvillers in 1877, is accessible through the museum.
Practical Travel Info
The nearest airports are Girona-Costa Brava in Spain and Perpignan–Rivesaltes in France. Figueres has a high-speed rail station with connections to Barcelona, Madrid, and France. From France, high-speed services run from Montpellier and Perpignan to the Spanish border, continuing to Figueres.
From Barcelona and Girona, high-speed trains also serve Figueres. From Figueres, take local transport onward to Peralada. The town and its approach roads have 4G coverage from all Spanish carriers; as of January 2024, 5G had not yet reached Peralada.
Where to eat in Peralada
Ratings & restaurant data from Google.
Traditional food & drink in Cataluña
- Pa amb tomàquet
- — Bread rubbed with ripe tomato, olive oil and salt — the foundation of Catalan eating.
- Escalivada
- — Smoky char-roasted aubergine and peppers dressed in olive oil.
- Calçots
- — Sweet grilled spring onions dipped in romesco sauce, the centre of winter calçotada feasts.
- Botifarra
- — A Catalan pork sausage, typically grilled and served with white beans.
- Crema catalana
- — A citrus-and-cinnamon custard under a brittle caramelised sugar crust.
- Cava
- — Spain's traditional-method sparkling wine, centred on the Penedès.
Watch: Cava
Gallery
Location
Quick answers
Is Peralada worth visiting?▾
A castle town in Girona with medieval walls, a chronicle writer's birthplace, and one of the world's great private libraries locked inside a restored French-style fortress.
Why is Peralada a heritage town?▾
Peralada is officially designated a Conjunto Histórico — Spain's national protection for historic town ensembles (Conjuntos Históricos).
What is the traditional food in Cataluña?▾
Cataluña is known for Pa amb tomàquet, Escalivada, Calçots and Botifarra. You'll find these regional specialities in and around Peralada.
What is the history of Peralada?▾
Peralada has deep roots — a Roman settlement, then a medieval county that fell under the control of the County of Empúries. Several medieval buildings still stand in its streets.
Which heritage towns are near Peralada?▾
Nearby heritage towns include Castelló d'Empúries, Cadaqués, Besalú and Peratallada.
Where is Peralada?▾
Peralada lies in the Alto Ampurdán comarca, in the province of Girona, Cataluña, Spain.
Nearby heritage towns
Once the capital of the County of Empúries, this Girona town holds a cathedral-scale Gothic church, medieval walls, convents, and a Jewish quarter within a historic centre that has kept its medieval street plan largely intact.
A whitewashed fishing town on the rocky Cap de Creus peninsula in Girona, long favoured by Salvador Dalí, Marcel Duchamp, and Picasso, where deep geographic isolation preserved both its dialect and its architecture.
A former independent county capital in Girona, its medieval bridges, Jewish baths, Romanesque monastery, and Gothic palace forming one of Catalonia's most coherent surviving medieval ensembles.
A medieval village in Girona whose castle, stone walls, and cobbled streets trace their origins from a ruling lineage recorded as far back as the Middle Ages, standing at the heart of the Baix Empordà.
Visiting from a nearby city?
Peralada makes a great day trip from:
Last updated 14 July 2026.