Sant Ferran Fortress Figueres largest bastioned fortress in Europe

The greatest monument in Catalunya is also the largest bastioned fortress in Europe. The Castle of Sant Ferran occupies an area of 550,000 square metres at the top of the hill of Figueres. As a frontier Castle, the location is unbeatable: It has good views of the Serra de la Albera, which creates the border with France, and the Gulf of Roses.

Undoubtedly it was constructed to meet the need to reinforce the border after the Peace of the Pyrenees of 1659 and owes its name to King Ferran VI (Ferdinand VI). The fortification, started in 1766 and completed in 1892, consists of two enclosures.

The interior, of more than 325,000 m2, consists of six bastions connected by stretches of wall. The size of the buildings cannot go unnoticed: stables with capacity for 500 horses, warehouses to store food for 10,000 people for a year, the main square, new pavilions for the accommodation of the officers and their families, and four big cisterns with a total capacity of nine million litres of water.

The exterior enclosure, with a perimeter of 3,120 metres, made up of three hornworks, seven ravelins and two counterguards. It is separated from the outside by a large moat of 10 hectares, which can currently be visited, including the underground galleries.

since 1997 the fortress has been open for tourist visits. There are two types of visit:

1- An unguided tour following a set route around the fortress and includes the Main square, barracks, underground stables, moat and walls.

2- A tour of the underground cisterns in 4x4 vehicle. This tour has to be arranged in advance and is subject to availability.

Note that the website does not give prices for the unguided tour or underground cistern tour. When I visited I paid 4 euros for the unguided tour without prior reservation, but I also want to return to do the cistern tour.

Figueres Sant Ferran Fortress opening hours

Summer: 10:00h to 20:00h (1st July to 15th September).

Winter: 10:00h to 18:00h (16th July to 30th June).

Easter Weekend: 10:00h to 20:00h (Friday to Sunday).

Winter last Sunday of October, November, December, January, February and March: 10:00h to 15:00h.

Closed: Mondays except public holiday's; 1st and 6th January; 25th and 26th December.

Admission up to 1 hour before closing time.

Figures can be reached via the REGIONAL train service which has a station in the centre of town. Figures is also served by the AVE high speed rail network which has a station on the outskirts of the town called Figures-Vilafant. The AVE Figures-Vilafant station is nearest to the Fortress.