Peralada
Welcome to Peralada
Peralada is a charming, historic village in the Alt Empordà region of Girona dating back over fifteen hundred years. During the Middle Ages it was one of the capitals of the Emporda region and many of the medieval buildings can still be seen in the town today. Amongst them is the old cloister of Sant Domenec, dating from the thirteenth-century and all that remains of an old Augustin convent. There is also the eighteenth-century Church of Saint Martin and the former Carmelite Convent that now houses the Peralada Castle Museum. The convent's former library has been extended and currently houses around 80,000 volumes, including more than 1,000 editions of Cervantes' famous work Don Quixote. There is also a Glass Museum and a Wine Museum in the castle.
Peralada Castle itself was constructed in the fourteenth-century. Set in beautiful, walled grounds, it is home to the famous Peralada Casino. The castle grounds are a popular wedding venue and the casino's restaurant is the perfect place for a special night out. During July and August Peralada Castle is home to the famous Music Festival (Festival Castell de Peralada), featuring a premium of both national and international artists and everything from modern jazz to opera. During the Christmas holidays the inhabitants of Peralada stage a live nativity scene in the castle grounds featuring tableaux from the life of Jesus.
Another great feature of Peralada is its wine. The Carmelites first began making wine in Peralada during the fifteenth century and the tradition continues to this day. Peralada wines are amongst the finest in the region and can be purchased in the wine cooperative's own shop in the village.
View of Peralada
from the Vilabertran road
Peralada is a village of many traditions and events; almost every month there is something new to celebrate. Besides the nativity play and the music festival there is an annual Garden Festival (June), a Gastronomic Festival (October) and many other activities relating to the patron saints of the village and the region.
But there is more to Peralada than just medieval buildings and great wine and music. Located just a few minutes walk from the centre of the village is Peralada Golf Course, more than once voted the best golf course in Catalonia. A beautiful course of just under 6,000m and suitable for all types of players, it is a par-71 18 hole course. Naturally it is possible to take lessons.
Adjoining the golf course is the Hotel Golf Peralada, a luxury five-star resort with terrific restaurants, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gym and wine spa. The wine spa uses wine and other grape by-products to create face and body treatments. The process is known as ampelotherapy and you can have individual treatments or go as a couple or a group.
Peralada is a great place to visit. If you come when there are no activities scheduled it is always nice to enjoy a taste of Peralada Cava while relaxing in the sunshine outside one of the village restaurants or overlooking the golf course. Figueres is only 10 minutes away with its famous Dali museum and the beaches and marinas at Empuriabrava and Roses are also within easy reach.