RAMPARTS, PIRATES & VINTNERS
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2025
CARDONA CASTLE
Originally constructed in 886, the Romanesque and Gothic-style Cardona Castle was Catalonia’s most imposing and strategic fortress from the 9th through the 18th centuries. Dramatically situated on a high hill overlooking the Cardener valley and the old city of Cardona, the castle played a major role in every regional or international conflict involving the northeastern portion of Spain. In the late Middle Ages the castle’s occupants, the Dukes of Cardona, represented one of the most important dynasties in Spain, second only to the royal family itself.
Today the castle belongs to the state-owned Paradores chain, which operates a hotel and restaurant on the grounds. Day visitors to the castle are able to ramble around the structure’s many surviving medieval stone structures, including the magnificent and ancient Cathedral church and the 11th-century Maiden’s tower, from which an amazing 360° view of the city, valley and nearby hills is afforded those who make the climb.
Catalan Craft
Barcelona has been at the very forefront of the Spanish craft beer scene from day one. British expat Steve Huxley is widely credited with being the pivotal figure in the early days, opening the country’s first craft brewery, Barcelona Brewing, back in 1993. Meanwhile a small but extremely dedicated group of local followers began dipping their feet into the water, traveling overseas to learn from new craft brewers and old masters alike, particularly in Germany and England.
The earliest Catalan brewers thus focused on traditional ales and lagers, and these styles were the focus at early editions of the pioneering Mediona Festival outside of Barcelona. Mediona’s legendary founder Carlos Rodriguez in turn inspired countless local beer fans to take up brewing, and dozens of those disciples now run small but successful breweries of their own, in Barcelona itself and in neighboring cities and villages.
In the past ten years the scene in cosmopolitan Barcelona itself has expanded so quickly that the city now has to be considered a major beer destination, and the well-attended international festival MASH attracts rock star brewers from all over Europe as well as the US. Craft beer still accounts for a very small proportion of beer sales in Barcelona but the numbers have risen dramatically over the past five years as the movement gains more mainstream popularity.
la pirata brewing
La Pirata (”the Pirate”) epitomizes the bold new generation of Catalonian craft brewers: a beer fanatic’s kitchen experiment — in an historically wine-dominated region — that quickly evolved from a passionate hobby to a small but formidable enterprise producing award-winning artisanal brews. Co-owner and Head Brewer Aran Leon is a ubiquitous and genial figure on the Spanish craft beer scene. His American-equipped-and-inspired factory outside Manresa features a lively, casual tap room, while his satellite pub in cosmopolitan Madrid, Pirata Malasaña, offers an expanded international draft list.
manresa
Manresa is the capital of the region of Bages, in the very heart of Catalonia directly west of Barcelona. It is said that the name “Bages” actually stems from the word “bacchus”, and indeed the surrounding area, despite its modern industrial appearance, can lay claim to being an ancient center of winemaking. Manresa and its hinterlands’ prominence in that industry was tragically decimated by pesky vine-eating insects at the turn of the 20th century.
Today, enthusiasm for craft beer has gradually expanded for younger generations of locals increasingly favoring IPA over wine. The key destination for beer fans in the city is the whimsically-named Taverna dels Predicadors (“Preachers’ Tavern”), a cosy alleyway Brit-style pub which features a nice range of both Catalan and international session and specialty brews.
Built around its famed 14th century basilica, Manresa is on the pilgrimage tourist trail, thanks to that edifice as well as the fascinating Cova de Sant Ignasi [Cave of St Ignatius], a sanctuary created to honor the spot where, according to tradition, Saint Ignatius of Loyola shut himself in a cave to pray and do penance during his sojourn in the city in 1522-3. It is believed that this is where he wrote his Spiritual Exercises – which remain influential to this day – after returning from his pilgrimage at nearby Montserrat (see Day 5!)
**Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented on this webpage. Inner Circle Beer Tours (ICBT) is not responsible for errors in or damages resulting from use of the information contained herein. Information contained on this webpage is subject to change without notice.**
