Wine & Culture · Peralada

Castell de Peralada: wineries, casino and summer festival

A medieval castle, a Carmelite convent turned museum, a winery by Pritzker-winning architects, a casino and one of Catalonia's great summer festivals — all in and around one small Empordà village.

Villa Pax Journal · October 2026 · 6 min read

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Few villages of its size hold as much as Peralada. At its heart stands the Castell de Peralada, home to a museum, a Michelin-starred restaurant, Casino Peralada and the summer Peralada festival, while the Perelada winery adds tastings of DO Empordà wine and cava.

The castle and the Carmelite convent: a short history

The story begins with the Rocabertí family, viscounts who became the first counts of Peralada. After their original castle burned in 1285, they rebuilt outside the town walls, beside a Carmelite convent. Centuries of change followed, including a neo-medieval remodelling commissioned by the last counts from 1875, with new gardens designed in 1877.

In 1923 castle and convent passed to the Mateu family. Miguel Mateu, son of the founder of Hispano-Suiza, set out to revive the estate's winemaking and filled its rooms with his collections. His descendants still run Perelada today.

The castle museum: library, glass and wine

The museum occupies the 14th-century convent, with its Gothic church and one of the few Gothic cloisters in Catalonia. Highlights include a library of nearly 100,000 books (more than 200 of them incunabula), over 2,500 pieces of glass (a collection the village's tourist office calls the most important in Spain), around 1,000 ceramics and a wine museum. The guided tour ends in the old convent cellar, where Perelada's Gran Claustro is still made. Book through the Peralada Castle Museum.

Perelada winery visits: a cellar by RCR Arquitectes

A note on spelling: the wine house uses Perelada, the village Peralada. Wine has been made here since at least the 14th century, when Carmelite monks built cellars to supply the county.

In 2022 Perelada unveiled a new winery by RCR Arquitectes, the Olot studio awarded the 2017 Pritzker Prize. Almost entirely underground beneath a planted roof, it is barely visible from outside; hundreds of geothermal wells help heat and cool it, and it is billed as the first winery in Europe to achieve LEED Gold certification. Historic estate buildings beside it house a visitor centre and wine bar.

Wine, cava and tastings

The range spans single-estate wines, the Gran Claustro labels, sweet Garnatxa de l'Empordà and a broad family of cavas. By the estate's account, a 1960s dispute with the Champagne houses over its "Champagne Rosado" helped bring about the Cava appellation.

The standard visit pairs a guided tour with a tasting of three wines. A longer experience adds the castle museum (around three hours, groups of up to 15, in Catalan, Spanish, English or French), and private experiences are also offered. Formats change, so book ahead and check current options.

DO Empordà: the appellation around Peralada

DO Empordà covers Catalonia's far north-east, between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. Vines have grown here for more than 2,000 years; the appellation was first approved in 1975. The DO calls this the land of carinyena and garnatxa (Carignan and Grenache), and native varieties make up roughly two-thirds of its vineyards.

Two forces shape the wines: the Tramuntana, a north wind whose gusts often exceed 120 km/h and which helps keep the vines healthy, and the soil — mostly sandy and poor, with slate and granite on the mountain slopes. Garnatxa de l'Empordà, the region's traditional sweet wine, is a fine way to end dinner.

Three more Empordà wineries that welcome visitors

• La Vinyeta, Mollet de Peralada — tours and tastings, including small English-speaking groups, with an optional picnic.
• Espelt Viticultors, Vilajuïga — organic for over twenty years, with tastings in its wine bar and visits to Mas Marés, its estate in Cap de Creus.
• Terra Remota, Sant Climent Sescebes — organic wines, a tasting room and picnics among the vines.

Casino Peralada: an evening in the castle

Housed in the 14th-century castle, Casino Peralada offers roulette, blackjack, poker (including regular tournaments) and slot machines, plus a relaxed Snack del Casino and occasional dinner shows.

It is for adults only: you must be over 18 and bring original ID — a national ID card or passport for EU citizens, a passport for everyone else. Swimwear, sportswear and beach flip-flops are not permitted. See the casino's entry requirements before you go.

The Peralada festival: summer nights of opera and dance

Founded in 1987, the Peralada Festival (Festival Castell de Peralada) is one of the major arts events of the Catalan summer, held each year in July and August. Opera and dance are its core, with concerts and recitals alongside. Its signature setting is the castle park and gardens; the Gothic church and cloister host recitals and chamber music, and recent editions have spread to other spaces, including the new winery. There is also an Easter edition.

It is worth timing a stay around: a warm evening of opera in the castle grounds is one of the Empordà's great pleasures. Venues and programmes change each year, so check the official festival site and book once your dates are fixed.

Opera in the castle grounds, a glass of Empordà garnatxa, and a short walk home — that is a summer night in Peralada.

Fine dining: Castell Peralada Restaurant

Inside the castle, Castell Peralada Restaurant holds one Michelin star, first awarded in 2017. Chef Javier Martínez reinterprets recipes from the castle's archives, focusing on a different century each year. Expect private dining rooms in the towers, a terrace over the lake and gardens, and a cheese trolley of more than 50 varieties. For more tables nearby, see our guide to Golf Peralada's hotel and restaurants.

Practical questions

Can you visit the Perelada winery?

Yes. Guided visits include a tasting of three wines, and there are combined visits with the castle museum. Groups are small, so book ahead and check current options on Perelada's website.

Is Casino Peralada open to visitors?

Yes, to adults over 18 with original ID (EU citizens: national ID card or passport; others: passport), and a dress code applies.

When is the Peralada festival?

Each summer, in July and August, plus an Easter edition. Programme and tickets appear on the festival's website.

Staying beside the castle

Villa Pax sits beside the fairways of Golf Peralada, part of the same Perelada resort as the castle, winery and casino; Peralada's medieval walls, wine museum, casino and festival are a short walk away. The 1,600 m² estate is entirely private: eight en-suite bedrooms for up to 15 guests, two pools, a gym and a private nightclub for nights that run late.

For the rest of the week, see our guide to things to do near Peralada, the medieval and coastal villages of the Empordà and a seven-day Empordà itinerary.