# Cardona Castle and the Collegiate Church of Sant Vicenç What to do en Cardona · Cardona Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/things-to-do/cardona-castle-and-collegiate-church · Revisado: 2026-11-13 - Desde: 6 € adult, self-guided visit - Duración: 1 h 30 - Temporada: All year, Tuesday to Sunday - Para quién: All ages; with a pushchair, the ground is uneven Fortress founded in 886 with an 11th-century Romanesque collegiate church and the Minyona tower. Self-guided €6, with a guide €8.75; closed on Mondays. What it is Cardona castle crowns the hill that overlooks the town and the salt valley. It was ordered built by Count Wilfred the Hairy in 886 and was completed over the centuries; the Cardona family, one of the most powerful lineages in Catalonia, made it their residence and from the 17th century surrounded it with a crown of bastions. It was built, in large part, to control the salt of the mountain opposite. Inside the complex there are two pieces that justify the trip. The Collegiate Church of Sant Vicenç, built in the first half of the 11th century, is for the Agència Catalana del Patrimoni Cultural one of the best examples of early Catalan Romanesque: bare stone, height and very little decoration. Beside it is the cloister. And the Minyona tower, circular in plan, the only remnant of the first castle. Legend says the lords locked their daughter in there so she wouldn't see her lover, a young Muslim. The rest of the buildings today house the Parador de Cardona. Self-guided or with a guide Self-guided visit, by the Agència Catalana del Patrimoni Cultural: €6, reduced €4 (over-65s, pensioners, Carnet Jove and others) and free for under-16s. It is free for everyone on the last Tuesday of each month from October to June, on 18 April, on 11 September and on the European Heritage Days. Guided visit, by Cardona Turisme: an hour and a half through the modern fortress, the comital castle, the Minyona tower and the collegiate church. €8.75 adults, €6.50 pensioners, €6 ages 12 to 16 and €4 ages 7 to 11. It leaves from the castle's visitor service office, Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays. For families, at weekends and public holidays: "The True Story of the Minyona Tower", a 1 h 15 theatrical visit that starts at the Casamata. €9 adults, €7 pensioners and ages 12 to 16, €6 ages 5 to 11. At sunset, in July and August: Thursdays at 19:00 in Catalan and Saturdays at 19:00 in Spanish, with the sunset from the Minyona tower. €9 adults. Opening hours Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 17:30 from October to April and from 10:00 to 19:00 from May to September. Sundays and public holidays, from 10:00 to 15:00 all year. At Easter, Friday to Sunday until 19:00. The ticket office closes half an hour earlier. Closed on Mondays that are not public holidays, on 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 6 January. Getting there and moving around inside You drive up to the free car park on the esplanade. On foot, from the town, the Camí Vell has a steep slope. If you bought your ticket online, you validate it at the History Museum office, next to the Parador reception. The courtyard, the cloister, the collegiate church and the bastions are adapted for people with reduced mobility; the Minyona tower is only reached by stairs. The ground is old and uneven, awkward for pushchairs. In rain, the visit goes ahead anyway. The Parador café is open to visitors. With a dog Cardona Turisme allows the visit with a dog around the outdoor areas, quietly and without bothering the group. It can't enter the collegiate church or the Casamata. ## Practical details - Phone: +34 938 684 169 - Email: cardona.cultura@gencat.cat - Opening hours: Mon closed; Tue–Sat 10:00–17:30; Sun 10:00–15:00 - From 1 May to 30 September, Tuesday to Saturday until 19:00. Sundays and public holidays, 10:00 to 15:00. Ticket office until 30 min before closing. Closed on Mondays that are not public holidays, 25 and 26 December, 1 and 6 January ## Cómo llegar y contacto - Web: https://cardonaturisme.cat/es/visita/castillo-de-cardona/ - Coordenadas: 41.9143, 1.6856 ## Cerca de aquí - [Parador de Cardona](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/where-to-stay/parador-de-cardona), a 0 m - [Parador de Cardona Restaurant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/where-to-eat/parador-restaurant), a 0 m - [Historic centre of Cardona, Sant Miquel and the Salt Museum](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/things-to-do/cardona-old-town), a 386 m - [Hotel Boutique Bremon](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/where-to-stay/hotel-bremon), a 496 m - [La Volta del Rector](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/where-to-eat/la-volta-del-rector), a 542 m - [Cardona viewpoints route, from the castle to the salt valley](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/things-to-do/cardona-viewpoints-walk), a 655 m - [La Premsa Hotel Rural](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/where-to-stay/la-premsa-hotel), a 903 m - [La Premsa Restaurant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona/where-to-eat/la-premsa-restaurant), a 903 m ## Consejos ### Walk down the Camí Vell When you finish, leave the car a while and walk down to the town along the old covered path: you pass gates, walls and arrow slits until the historic centre. ### Climb the Minyona at the end From the top you see the town, the Cardener, the Pyrenees and Montserrat. In the last light it is better. ### Book the guided one if you want to understand the collegiate church Self-guided you see the space; with a guide you understand how it was built, what each part was for and why the fortress never fell. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does the visit last? The guided one, an hour and a half. Self-guided, allow an hour at least. ### Can you enter the collegiate church without sleeping at the Parador? Yes. The collegiate church, the cloister, the courtyard and the tower are part of the castle visit, self-guided or guided. ### Is it open on Mondays? No, unless it is a public holiday. Nor on 25 and 26 December or 1 and 6 January. ### Do you need to book? For the guided visit, it is advisable: capacity is limited. Tickets are bought on the Cardona Turisme website. Destino: [Cardona](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cardona.md)