A lonely hillside in Spain: Feria Castle

I do not think I have ever visited a more lonely castle - and I know that it's difficult to imagine a building not having friends, but if there ever was one it is here. A 15th-century construction, this squat squared tower lords over the surrounding countryside, and even though I visited on a fairly dim and cloudy day, I could see for miles! I imagine that the visibility on a sunny day would be remarkable.

The viewpoint and how to get there

The photo above shows the viewpoint that stretches away from the main castle and gives extraordinary views over the area. Any approaching army or group would have been spotted hours in advance when this castle was in use. Now, it is a **tourist attraction **in an area that has very few tourists. It sits in the *village of Feria, in Extremadura,* and to reach the castle you will need pretty strong nerves to squeeze your car up and through the tiny steep roads. Alternatively, you could park in the town and walk up, but it is quite a long way!

The top of the tower

At the very top of the square-ish tower, there is a large open terrace, with air/light vents running all the way down through the castle. You can even see into the various fireplaces on the four different floors, each with its own cleverly designed chimney. This terrace provides an even more impressive viewpoint, and from here, you are the highest person for a long long way around.

The collection

Despite not having that many visitors, there is a surprisingly **good museum/model collection inside the tower, with armour and weapons, paintings and recreated scenes of life in the castle. **There is also great information about the people who owned the castle, and their trajectory through history!

Fuente de Maestre village

Close to the castle is the village of Fuente de Maestre, which houses some medieval fountains (where the town takes its name from) as well as one particularly good restaurant that I visited.