On Saturday, a group of friends and myself went to explore the Castillo de Butrón, in Gatika. We took the metro to Larrabasterra, and from there took a bus to Gatika. After a short walk on a pleasant autumn day, we came across the castle.
One of the towers was constructed in the 11th century, and the rest of the castle was built in the early 14th century. It has been rebuilt and restored several times since then. It somewhat reminded me of Neuschwanstein castle in Füssen, Germany, except with far less tourists. A few trickled in and out while we were there, but for the most part we had it all to ourselves.
The only downside was that the castle is not open to the public. Apparently, they have tried to open it to the public several times in the past, but it didn't generate enough income to keep it open. I wish they would give it another try, because it looked like a great place to explore. You can still see old tapestries in the windows, and my imagination was going wild thinking about what was behind those huge doors.
However, the grounds kept us easily entertained, as there are paths that surround the whole castle, frequented by people on horseback. We even found some fresh mint!
After the all the exploring, we had worked up quite a thirst, so we trouped down to this quaint little pub/restaurant for some cañas. All in all, a Saturday well spent.
Originally posted 10.20.11
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