Arab Walls and Castle of Brihuega
Brihuega wears its medieval bones proudly: a long curtain of Arab-era walls still rings much of the old town, punctuated by square towers and pierced by ancient gates that you can walk through freely. The ruined castle at the northern edge of the walled enclosure adds a romantic silhouette against the Castilian sky.
Walking the walls
The best-preserved stretch runs along the northern escarpment above the Río Tajuña gorge, where the honey-coloured limestone wall rises several metres and the original crenellations are still largely intact. Start at the Puerta de Calatrava, a beautifully proportioned horseshoe-arched gate that dates to the Moorish occupation of the 10th century, and follow the path clockwise.
The circuit takes about 40 minutes at a leisurely pace and delivers constantly changing views — over terracotta rooftops, down into the river gorge and out across the lavender plateau. Interpretive panels in Spanish and English explain each tower and gate along the way.
The castle ruins
The Castillo de Brihuega sits at the highest point of the walled town and was substantially rebuilt by the Archbishops of Toledo in the 13th century, who used Brihuega as a summer residence. Today only the outer shell and a few interior arches survive, but the site is open and unguarded, inviting quiet exploration.
Scramble up to the highest remaining wall for the single best panoramic view in town: the Tajuña valley below, the red-tile rooftops of the old quarter, and on clear days the distant silhouette of the Sierra de Ayllón to the north.
History in context
Brihuega also witnessed the Battle of Brihuega in December 1710, a decisive engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession in which Bourbon forces under the Duke of Vendôme defeated a British and Portuguese army. A small monument near the Puerta de la Cadena marks the event.
The town later became a royal textile factory site under Carlos III, and the old Real Fábrica de Paños building — now a cultural centre — stands just inside the walls, giving the compact old town an unusual industrial-heritage layer.
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