Morella

The arciprestal church of Santa María, built between the 13th and 16th centuries in Gothic style, holds two sculpted doorways on its main façade — the Portal of the Apostles and the Portal of the Virgins. Inside, a frieze version of the Pórtico de la Gloria runs behind the choir, reached by a distinctive spiral staircase. Three original stained-glass rose windows from the Valencian school, a painting of the Virgin by Sassoferrato, and an organ by Francisco Turull are among its standout works. In 1700, Pope Innocent XII granted the church a formal link to the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome.

The Convent of San Francisco, begun in 1272, is a clear example of Valencian Gothic. Its chapter house contains a 15th-century fresco of the Dance of Death. The former church of San Nicolás, in late Romanesque style, now serves as an exhibition space. The castle, declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931, was cut directly from the rock and includes a governor's palace, cistern, watchtowers, and royal palace remains.

The easiest way to reach Morella is by car via the N-232, roughly an hour west of Vinaròs. Parking inside the walls is very limited; the most convenient public car park sits just outside the Porta de Sant Miquel, with a second option below the castle on the western side. From Castellón, Autos Mediterráneo (autosmediterraneo.com, info@autosmediterraneo.com) runs two buses a day on weekdays and one on Saturdays, taking two hours and fifteen minutes.

The town is small enough to explore entirely on foot. Worth buying: the traditional striped woolen blankets the town has made since at least the 13th century, knitwear, honey, black truffles (in season February to early March), and the local pastry flaó (plural flaons), made with cinnamon, cheese, and almonds.