Where to see the Zafra castle, the setting for Game of Thrones in Guadalajara

We already know that Spain is a land of castles, and surely there are many fortifications that come to mind and whose majestic image you can remember.

But there are also much less known castles that will never cease to surprise you.

The recent getaway we made to the region of Guadalajara province which corresponds to the Molina-Alto Tajo Geopark, precisely had as its main objective to know the medieval city of Molina de Aragon and its imposing castle.

Zafra Castle, Game of Thrones in Guadalajara

But in this respect, a route by car The aforementioned region has a very interesting surprise in store for you, the Zafra castle, one of the most outstanding corners that you can see there.

It is a very curious fortification due to its incredible location on a rocky promontory on a slope of the Sierra de Caldereros.

Also, if you are a fan of television series, you may have a good reason to go watch it.

Joy Tower from Game of Thrones

Indeed, the Zafra castle has been protagonist of the series Game of Thrones, specifically, appearing as the Tower of Joy in its sixth season.

This scene is particularly important because it reveals key information about the past of Jon Snow and his true ancestry.

La Tower of Joy is where you are lyanna stark, the mother of Jon, at the time of his birth.

In the series, this tower was located in the Dornish Red Mountainssouth of Westeros.

The Guadalajara castle appears in the series when Eddard Stark y howland reed They headed to the Red Mountains, where they met the Lord Commander of the Targaryen Kingsguard, Gerold Hightower and Being Arthur Dayne, one of the members of the Royal Guard.

There they began a fight with swords during the background you have the Zafra Castle.

Once finished, Ned He climbs the Tower of Joy where he meets his sister, lyanna who, on the verge of dying, asks Ned take care of Jon, son of rhaegar, from the hatred of Robert.

The castle appears again later when, years later, Bran stark accompany the Three-Eyed Raven to tell him what happened there, discover Jon's origin and how his father defeated Ser Arthur.

Curiosities history Zafra castle

El Zafra Castle in Guadalajara It is a surprising example of rock castle, whose origin dates back to a first fortification from the time of the Visigoths.

Although in that less inhabited area of ​​Spain there are vestiges of human presence since the Prehistory, the name of the castle corresponds to that of a Gothic soldier who took said enclave from the Romans.

later was Alfonso I the Battler who in the 12th century conquered the castle from the Muslims, and since then it became a very important enclave as it was located between the borders of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon.

This importance is shown by the fact that at that time of the Middle Ages It housed up to 500 soldiers, even despite its small size.

It should be noted that in 1223 the castle was the protagonist of an event known as the Zafra Concord, when the third lord of Molina, Gonzalo Pérez de Lara, resisted the siege of the troops of the king of Castile Ferdinand III, which ended with said agreement.

Already in the most recent times the Zafra castle suffered great deterioration and almost abandonment, until in 1975 it was acquired by Antonio San Polo, who with the help of the master bricklayer Jesus Married carried out the slow work of reconstruction.

Where to see Zafra Castle in Guadalajara

If you want to go see the Zafra castle, you should know that it is a private property that you cannot visit, but it is really worth coming to see its surprising location and enjoy the landscapes that it forms on the slope of the mountain.

As I have already mentioned, you find it in the region that makes up the Molina-Alto Tajo Geopark. and to get there you will have to enter dirt tracks, as there is no paved road that will take you to its location.

When you arrive you will be in front of an elongated fortification completely rebuilt on one of the rock groups that characterize this natural area.

Map: how to get to Zafra Castle in Guadalajara

For get to Zafra castle, you can do it from Campillo Duenas, after crossing it through the main Street, you will find a signposted track heading south that will lead you to it in 3,5 kilometers.

You can also get there from the town of Shouldered along a dirt track that heads north, taking a couple of detours to the left and arriving after three kilometers of travel.