Discover Benasal: Holiday Apartments, Culture and Nature

The Torre de la Presó is the best-preserved of Benassal’s three medieval defensive towers and is open to visitors. The four-storey, square defensive tower on the town walls was also used as a prison. The permanent exhibition “L'Experiment Stuka” at the Torre de la Presó deals with the bombings in May 1938.

Nature

El Rivet, a municipal nature area covering 16 hectares, lies within the municipality of Benasal. The area consists of Mediterranean woodland with Valencian oaks, holm oaks and diverse undergrowth. There is a signposted botanical educational trail open to the public. El Rivet also includes a flora micro-reserve, where orchids and pincushion flowers, among other species, occur and are protected.

Near Benasal lies Font d’en Segures, a place of importance to visitors associated with mineral-rich spring water and distinctive architecture.

Culture and History

The historic centre of Benasal forms a visitor route through narrow, irregularly laid-out streets. Some of the town’s oldest houses have been preserved along them. Notable buildings include the Castell de la Mola, a Gothic building from the 13th century and the oldest civil building in Benassal; it was built approximately between 1240 and 1250.

The Castell de la Mola houses the Museu Arqueològic de l'Alt Maestrat and the Aula Museu Carles Salvador. The archaeological museum was founded in 1978 to house and display materials from the regional archaeological research centre, and is located in the Castell de la Mola, a 13th-century building. The Aula Museu Carles Salvador is located in the former Hospital de la Mola and presents the family and school atmosphere of Carles Salvador.

The Torre Redonda is a round tower from the 14th or 15th century and is designated a Bien de Interés Cultural. The Torre Nabàs is a square tower with a large attached masía and is likewise designated a Bien de Interés Cultural.

The Iglesia de la Asunción displays Gothic and Plateresque religious ornaments, as well as gold- and silversmith work, in its parish treasury. Its portal is Baroque and dates from 1677. The chapel contains “La última Cena”, an ironwork sculpture by José Gozalbo, which can be viewed by visitors.

The Ermita de Sant Roc was begun in 1557, completed in 1559 and extended between 1595 and 1599. It is usually reached via the former En Pedró i de la Solana route, now called Sant Roc. Near the Castell de la Mola stands the medieval Forn de Dalt, an oven dating from the beginning of the 14th century. It was restored in 2015, has been open to visitors ever since and hosts cultural activities.

The Lavaderos Públicos are spread throughout Benasal, with stone wash basins beneath wooden roofs. Casa Sánchez Cotanda has two Baroque portals made of dressed stone: one leads to the Virgen del Pilar chapel and the other to the residence. The La Magdalena chapel was built in 1864 with a floor plan inspired by Oriental culture and has an octagonal layout.

Festivals and Local Life

The pilgrimage to Sant Cristòfol takes place every year on Whit Monday. During the Sant Cristòfol festival, it is traditional to eat Tombet together in the vicinity of the chapel, a stew made with rabbit, chicken and snails.

San Antonio Abad is celebrated every year with an animal blessing, traditional dances, Coquetes or Rotllo, and Barreja. The Fiesta de la Tea revives the return of the textile merchants to Benasal with the pine-torch processions that once lit the town’s streets.

The Fira d'Oficis in Benasal includes hands-on workshops, demonstrations of traditional crafts, a craft market, folk music, dances and activities for children in the historic town centre.

More destinations

Other destinations to choose from include Alfondeguilla, Artana, Ares Del Maestre, Catí, Sueras, La Vall D'uixó, Villahermosa Del Río and Fuentes De Ayódar.

Art and Memory

The Museu Vida Rural preserves Benasal’s agricultural and livestock-raising heritage through tools, household objects, furniture and clothing from the past century. The Mural del 750 Aniversario de la Carta Pobla depicts the identity of Benassal, the patron saints, water and the hazelnut plant. Works by three generations of the Pascual Miralles family are displayed in an exhibition room.

To the overarching travel overview: Castellon.