A steep 10-minute climb, past Montefrío's town hall (a former 18th-century palace), brings you to this hilltop castle overlooking the town, which hosts an interactive museum on local history. All that remains of the original Moorish fortress, built in 1382, is its defensive wall; after the Reconquista – Montefrío was taken by the Reyes Católicos in 1486 – Diego de Siloé was commissioned to build the looming Iglesia de la Villa within the castle complex in 1549.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.44 MILES
The Alhambra is Granada’s – and Europe’s – love letter to Moorish culture. Set against the brooding Sierra Nevada peaks, this fortified palace started…
24.96 MILES
The Royal Chapel is the last resting place of Spain’s Reyes Católicos (Catholic Monarchs), Isabel I de Castilla (1451–1504) and Fernando II de Aragón …
24.63 MILES
Built between 1737 and 1759, this spectacular basilica unveils a blinding display of opulent baroque decor. Barely an inch of its interior lacks…
12.76 MILES
On the edge of the Barrio de La Villa, this church represents a high point in Andalucian baroque chiefly thanks to its wonderful Sagrario (Sacristy),…
25.38 MILES
This is the stunning centrepiece of the Alhambra, the most brilliant Islamic building in Europe, with perfectly proportioned rooms and courtyards,…
25.41 MILES
The richly decorated Sala de Dos Hermanas (Hall of Two Sisters), in the Palacios Nazaríes section of the Alhambra, sits on the northern side of the Patio…
25.42 MILES
The celebrated Patio de los Leones (Lion Courtyard) sits at the core of the Palacio de los Leones, the palace built in the Alhambra in the second half of…
25.42 MILES
This is one of the star rooms in the Alhambra. Boasting a mesmerising octagonal stalactite ceiling, it's the legendary site of the murders of the noble…
Nearby attractions
1. Iglesia Mayor de la Encarnación
0.17 MILES
Opposite Montefrío's tourist office stands the imposing neoclassical Iglesia Mayor de la Encarnación, whose striking circular form and 29.5m-high dome…
10.63 MILES
From a distance the Fortaleza de la Mota looks more like a city than a mere fort, with its high church tower and doughty keep rising above the surrounding…
12.68 MILES
One of Priego's most lavishly decorated baroque churches, with a particularly splendid gilded main altarpiece beneath an extravagantly decorated dome.
12.76 MILES
On the edge of the Barrio de La Villa, this church represents a high point in Andalucian baroque chiefly thanks to its wonderful Sagrario (Sacristy),…
6. Castillo de Priego de Córdoba
12.8 MILES
The rectilinear towers of Priego’s castle stand proudly alongside Plaza Abad Palomino. Originally an Islamic fortress, it was thoroughly remodelled by the…
12.8 MILES
Southwest of the centre, an entire plaza/park is reserved for this splendid baroque fountain completed in 1803, with its three-tiered basin continually…
8. Centro Cultural Adolfo Lozano Sidro
12.9 MILES
You get three museums for your money here: a history museum with four rooms of well-displayed archaeological finds from the Priego area; a gallery with…