Tortosa
A drive along the Ebro, a huge fortress with a parador, and a town that left me with a heavy feeling.
From Miravet we drove on to Tortosa. The road follows the Ebro and it was really beautiful: mountains, the river, and we drove past a dam. There are plenty of viewpoints along the way. Sadly we didn’t have time to stop at any of them, but if you take this road, do stop.
Tortosa itself, though, left me feeling quite depressed. We left the car in an underground car park in the centre, and when we came out the town felt like it was dying: crumbling buildings, a very poor neighbourhood. At the same time you can tell it was once a rich town. The big cathedral and the enormous fortress both show it.
I wouldn’t recommend doing what we did and parking underground in the centre. What really is worth seeing is the fortress, the Castell de la Suda. You can drive right inside it, and there’s a four-star hotel there too, the Parador de Tortosa.
Tortosa is also known for Hemingway: in 1938 he worked here as a war correspondent, writing about the bombing of the town. A street is named after him, and on it there’s a former air-raid shelter, Refugi 4. It’s one of about twenty shelters built in the town during the Civil War, and there are guided tours of it now. We didn’t go, so I can’t say whether it’s worth it.
To be honest, I’m not sure I’ll want to come back to Tortosa in the next ten years or so. The day was sunny and pleasant, but the town itself left me with a very unpleasant impression. Walking around the centre in the evening genuinely scared me.
💡 Don’t leave your car in the centre. Drive straight up to the fortress: you can go in by car. And don’t skip the viewpoints on the road along the Ebro.
🌐 Translated from Russian; the translation hasn't been proofread yet.