The remarkably well-preserved castle comprises two distinct parts: the outside wall, with its 13 towers and main entrance; and the inside wall and central construction, built on a rocky platform. A moat dug out of the rock separates the two walls.
A suggested route for exploration is to walk from the main entrance up the sloping ramp and out to the moat. Visit the baths , which you can get down to by a couple of dogleg staircases over in the corner on your left, then move on to the stables , from where you gain access to the three towers that punctuate the southern wall.
Continue around the wall and enter the inner fortress through the tower at the top of the access ramp into an open courtyard . The loggia , with its Gothic facade, on the western side of the yard, is the single most impressive structure in the castle, its delicate ceiling offering relief from the otherwise formidable aesthetic elsewhere. Behind the loggia is the Great Hall .
Opposite the loggia is a chapel that was converted to a mosque after the Muslim conquest (the minbar, or pulpit, still remains). The staircase that obstructs the main door is a later addition and leads to the upper floors of the fortress. From here, you can climb to the round tower in the southwest corner, which is known as the Warden’s Tower – on a clear day there are magnificent views from the roof.
