Templar Castle of Ponferrada

The castle is settled next to a vertical slope on Sil River. It is a natural defense and it is surrounded by a ditch in the town side.

To access the castle we have to cross the ditch by walking on a stone bridge, which replaces the old drawbridge. Then, we have to go through the front door, which has two battlements in both sides.

Its great polygonal enclosure (more than 8,000 square meters – 86111 square ft.) has double and triple defenses, forming barbicans, towers, rooms and a huge yard.

Around the parade, we can see the Palace or Great House, where the rooms, the warehouse, the hall of arms, yards, living-dining rooms, the stables and the dining rooms used to stand

The old castle with Gothic door is placed at the bottom, and next to it, the towers of Homenaje, of Homenaje Viejo and de los Reyes Católicos ( towers of Homage, of Old Homage and the Catholic Kings)

The castle has gone through several construction stages. Today, we can see an impressive fortress. Every owner has broadened or modified some parts in order to adapt it to their particular needs, tastes or constructive techniques from the period.

The first settlement of Ponferrada was built when Alfonso VIII of Castile attacked El Bierzo in 1196. Alfonso IX of León had to strengthen his positions in the region, and because of that he started the settlement of the town ( “la puebla” de la villa).

In 1211 Alfonso IX put aside hostilities with the Order of the Temple. He gave them the town of Ponferrada as a help and defense in The Santiago Way. In 1226, the Templars had already fortified the town.

The castle is usually attributed to The Templars, because they were in Ponferrada until 1312.

When the Order of the Temple was dissolved, its Grand Master gave the castle and the town to the king Fernando IV, who gave it to his butler, Pedro Fernández de Castro. Castro started building the Old Castle, settled in a corner of the ground and which has features from the 14th century.

Another descendant from Osorio-Castro family, Pedro Álvarez Osorio, started the great restorations because of security needs (towers of Monclín, Cabrera, Malpica, the drawbridge, the palace, etc), turning the castle one of the biggest fortifications in the Northwest of Spain during the Middle Ages.

All through history, new incorporations, restorations and reparations have been done, such as the stables in 1848 or those which have been done recently to restore and emphasize its beauty.

• Dirección: Ponferrada CP: 24400
• Teléfono: 987414141
• Horario:
  • Del 1 de Mayo al 2 de Septiembre:
    • De lunes a sábado de 11:00 a 14:00 y de 17:00 a 21:00 horas
    • Domingos y festivos de 11:00 a 14:00 horas
  • Del 3 de septiembre al 30 de Abril:
    • De martes a sábado de 11:00 a 14:00 y de 16:00 a 19:00 horas
    • Domingos y festivo de 11:00 a 14:00 horas
    • Lunes cerrado, incluso si es festivo
• Precio:
  • Individual: 3 euros
  • Estudiantes con carné joven, pensionistas, parados, grupos (más de 15 personas): 1,5 euros
  • Niños (<12 años), voluntariado y colaboradores del museo, donantes de piezas, miembros del ICOM; domingos y los días 23 de abril, 18 de mayo, 12 de octubre, y 6 de diciembre: gratis.
  • Existe una visita conjunta al castillo y a los 3 museos por 7 euros.