NIt's no secret that Spain is a country of castles. Spain's Cultural Routes is a fine example: its five itineraries hide a (very) good handful of them. We selected five and have stripped them bare.

Gormaz Castle (Soria, Castile and León)

Where In the heart of a hill in the village of Gormaz, in the province of Soria, in the heart of Castile, the land to which some of the greatest Spanish poets dedicated their verses. Any more information? From the top, the entire Duero valley is dominated, the historic river that dies in Porto, Portugal.

Why visit: Perhaps because it is Europe's greatest fortress? Gormaz is no ordinary castle. Gormaz is a wound in the landscape, a great wall that adorns a solitary hill with over 1,200 metres of ramparts that have dominated the horizon for ten centuries. From the top, everything is visible: the pine forests to the north, the meandering Duero river, and the dry fields (drawn with a set square and compass) to the south. It was the work of a powerful state, surely the Umayyad emirs and caliphs of Córdoba, who, from the fortress, controlled the territory and could plan incursions further north. Anyone who visits Gormaz, wanders through its interior, walks the more than three hundred metres of its enclosure's width, and peers into its ravines, understands its history.

Not to be missed: There's a photograph that everyone takes because there's no other option: it's as if the Arab stonemasons and engineers were aware of the barren beauty of Castile and decided to enclose it. The image is the one that frames the fields of Castile (which look like an abstract artwork, changing colour every month, every year) through the Caliphal doorway.

A curiosity: Yes, El Cid was here and you can follow in his footsteps thanks to the Path of the Cid. He also got himself into other trouble defending the villagers of Gormaz, but that's another story. The fact is, after decades of attacks, attempts, and failures, the fortress fell into the hands of the Leonese king Ferdinand I in 1059. He would delegate the custody of the fortress to Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar. Thus, it is known for certain that El Cid was here, it is imagined that he crossed the ten-arched bridge (of Roman origin) that bypasses the Duero and, surely, he practised some prayer in the place where the Romanesque hermitage of San Miguel stands. This hermitage holds within it a baptismal font so minimalist, so contemporary that it looks like a 20th-century sculpture.

Access to the Checkerboard Caves

2. Arnedillo Castle (La Rioja)

Where At the entrance to the spa municipality of Arnedillo, in a very narrow valley that leads into a mountainous area, traversed by the Cidacos river, in the region of La Rioja, a land of worldwide fame for its wines.

Why visit: Because it represents a very palpable reality in the land of a thousand castles: in Spain there are so many that it is impossible to take charge of all of them. Arnedillo fortress has seen better days and therein lies its charm. It is a building that, in another era, was impregnable, clinging to an impossibly steep hillside that today fights against abandonment. It served to protect the entrance to the valley many, many centuries ago (its existence is documented from the 12th century), it experienced a few skirmishes, and the passage of time (and municipal needs) has turned one of its wings into… the municipal cemetery.

Not to be missed: Leave the car parked in the village and walk to it, through woodlands and under stone bridges. It's that simple. The Cidacos Greenway passes a few metres away, so there's no excuse not to go by bicycle either.

A curiosity: A narrow valley is a synonym for protection. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Cidacos valley has been inhabited for centuries. One of the most stimulating proofs of this is the Cuevas del Ajedrezado (Chessboard Caves), in the nearby hamlet of Santa Eulalia Somera. The caves served as homes for the first Christian hermits (who lived in the 5th to 8th centuries), as places of prayer (as evidenced by the tiny early Christian church), and as receptacles of formidable stories: were the relics of Saint Eulalia, martyred by the Romans in the 3rd century, kept here? Who knows… All the information about this and other sites of La Rioja Rupestre can be found at the hands of Prehistoric Rock Art Trails.

3. Benavente Castle (Valladolid, Castilla y León)

Where On a promontory above a very fertile plain, the meeting point of up to three rivers (the Órbigo, the Esla and the Tera). It is located in the Vallisoletano town of Benavente, at one end of Tierra de Campos, the great dry plateau that characterises the heart of Spain.

Why visit: Because it is further proof of the scenic variety of the Vía de la Plata Route On its North-South journey through Spain, it is the transition between the mountainous and green lands of the north and the domains of cereal that occupy much of the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is not uncommon that as early as the 12th century, Christian settlers recognised the importance of this hill to build an alcázar that would eventually become the envy of the kingdoms of León and Castile. Of that ‘Castillo de la Mota’ only the tower that can be seen today remains: a Gothic-Renaissance small fortress that, when there was peace, was filled with gardens, fountains and sculptures, and replaced its coarse windows with decorative details. The transformation from a warrior fortress to a palatial mansion was completed a few years ago: nowadays the tower of the old alcázar houses the facilities of a Parador de Turismo.

Not to be missed: Or perhaps it's something to be missed because the remains that the Romans left in their wake through Benavente and its surroundings have not yet been unearthed. But they were there, of course, and in the future, they will be. The city was called Brigaecium and excavations to find it definitively are ongoing: the latest studies place it to the northeast of Benavente. It would be a city by the Esla river, extensive, with winding streets, dwellings, and thermal baths.

A curiosity: Although the castle tower houses Paradores accommodation, it is possible to visit its interior, to peer out of its windows to admire the views (this is the perspective of the valley that those defending the fort would have had), to have an aperitif in the bar and to marvel at the wooden coffered ceiling brought from the now-demolished convent of San Román del Valle.

Views from Utrera Castle.

4. Utrera Castle (Seville, Andalusia)

Where On a natural hill, overlooking the very heart of the Sevillian town of Utrera (declared a Historic-Artistic Site) and the valley that stretches to (almost) the mouth of the mythical Guadalquivir River.

Why visit: Because it has been at war against time for too many centuries to ignore it; because it integrates perfectly into the urban fabric of the town; due to its privileged location; for its enviable panoramic views over the whitewashed houses of Utrera, because it has a few luxury neighbours (the parish church of Santiago, the Convent of the Purísima Concepción…); because at its feet the culture of flamenco was forged and in its livestock farms the mix of breeds was created that would give rise to the fighting bull (also called the bull of lidia) for bullfighting shows; because within its walls echo the peals of the famous bells of Utrera. Do I need to go on?

Not to be missed: Its Keep, the most visible head of the walled complex, stands on the remains of an ancient Moorish tower, destroyed in the 14th century by Muhammed V of Granada and forgotten until almost the day before yesterday, when it was restored and recovered. Inside, there is a small and interesting museum that recounts the history of the fortress and the frontier towers of the Moorish border that dot the area. If you are lucky enough to visit the town in the summer months, it would be an excellent idea to find out about the cultural programme hosted in the Parade Ground. The space is ideal for attending a concert, a theatrical performance or a film screening.

A curiosity: To Utrera's extensive curriculum (flamenco, bullfighting, the famous bell-ringers...) must be added the profound devotion with which Holy Week is lived. The town is one of the ten stages of Paths of Passion, the cultural itinerary that travels through the towns in the heart of Andalusia where these celebrations are most intensely experienced. What does the Holy Week of Utrera offer? A collection of intangible sensations (smells, silences, the heart-wrenching tones of the saetas, the cantes de madrugá…) which are added to the power of the pasos (seeing the Virgen de los Dolores adorned in black is a spectacle never to be forgotten), the work of the brotherhoods and an entire town devoted to the most striking and artistic religious devotion.

5. Medina del Campo (Valladolid, Castilla y León) 

Where In the town of Medina del Campo, in the province of Valladolid, at a crossroads of roads, highways, and railway lines on the plateau. The Castillo de la Mota guards from the heights (in reality, from a small hill) the valley of the Zapardiel River.

Why visit: It is a perfect example of another type of castle that exists in Spain: a fortress linked to the birth of Medina and whose foundations sink ten centuries into history, yet it has been restored and recovered as if the builders had finished the work only yesterday. It was built in the mid-15th century, serving as a fortress, prison (illustrious guests such as Cesare Borgia or Hernando Pizarro have spent the night here), and archive of the Crown. The Catholic Monarchs were responsible for putting the finishing touches on it: under their rule, the great moat surrounding the construction, the great defensive barrier, and the underground firing gallery were built.

Not to be missed: Just over half a century after the castle was finished, in 1557, Emperor Charles V passed through Medina del Campo. Although his final destination wasn't this town (but rather the Yuste monastery, where retirement awaited him), his visit certainly left its mark. To commemorate his last visit (and his final stay at the still-standing Renaissance Dueñas Palace), Medina del Campo annually celebrates the ‘Arrival of Charles V in Medina del Campo on 5th November 1556’, a faithful and colourful historical recreation of the event. More information? At Routes of Emperor Charles V, Of course.

A fun fact: In reality, there are many fun facts. It was one of the first castles in Europe to adapt its walls and facade openings for the use of artillery; in addition to having an intricate system of underground galleries and a 40-meter-high knight's tower, of very unusual dimensions. Even so, despite its warlike aspect, the fortress also had residential spaces and harbours delicate details of great artistic interest such as the 15th-century Flemish triptych ‘The Virgin and Child among Musician Angels’; a Mudéjar door, or the decorative sobriety of the chapel.