Castell de Burriac

Spain, Spain

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Castell de Burriac in Cabrera de Mar, Maresme region of Catalonia, Spain, is a medieval fortress crowning a 392-meter hilltop 3.5 kilometers from the coast, first documented in 1017 as a strategic watchtower controlling the Maresme plain and Mediterranean approaches from Vilassar de Mar to Caldes d'Estrac.

Originally called Castell de Sant Vicenç after its Romanesque chapel—whose apse survives from the 9th century—it was renamed Burriac by 1313 under the Sant Vicenç family, with 12th-13th century expansions including a circular homage tower, storage rooms, and defensive bastions, later rebuilt in the 15th century.

Abandoned as a fortress by the 18th century while the chapel served until 1836, the ruins now managed by Cabrera de Mar council offer panoramic coastal views via hiking trails like SL-C 115, recognized as a Cultural Asset of National Interest blending Romanesque and Gothic elements.