Ruined Old Town, Corbera d'Ebre

- darkometer rating: 6 -

The ghost town of what used to be Corbera d'Ebre before it was completely destroyed in the Battle of the Ebro in northern Spain towards the end of the Spanish Civil War. After the war it was left in its ruined state to serve as a memorial, while a new town was built down the hill.

>More background info

>What there is to see

>Location

>Access and costs

>Time required

>Combinations with other dark destinations

>Combinations with non-dark destinations

>Photos

More background info: See under Corbera d'Ebre, and also under Ebro and Spanish Civil War in general.

In the past, the ghost town could be visited for free at any time, but this has changed. It is now administered the "Associació del Poble Vell" ('Old Town Association') and an admission fee is charged. But that's just as well, as money is needed for the preservation of the site and they also offer guided tours and documentation material – see poblevell(dot)cat. They work in association with, but independently from, the Consorci Memorial dels Espais de la Batalla de l'Ebre.

What there is to see: Mainly just some ruined buildings and the partially reconstructed church at the top of the hill. Some buildings on the edge of the old town are actually not ruins, but restored, once you're up the main street, however, you are indeed surrounded by rubble.

The ruins are not as impressive, in that beauty-in-decay kind of aesthetic way, as in Belchite – also because this village was much smaller than Belchite – but it still conveys a certain impression of wartime destruction – see the photo gallery below.

The ghost town is partially commodified through information panels, following an “alphabet route” and interspersed amongst the ruins are also several works of art, including a cross with the single word “terror” on it, which makes for an unexpected juxtaposition with the church building as its backdrop.

The old church has been stabilized and is protected from the elements by a new plastic roof, and you can enter parts of the interior. In particular you can climb the tower to the top for good aerial views over the town and the surrounding landscape. Back down at ground level you can inspect some more artwork as well as a wooden model of old Corbera d'Ebre before its destruction. There is even a small souvenir stall.

On one wall of the church is a memorial plaque that lists a few names of people, presumably from this village or of survivors of the battles here, who died in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria (where many captured Republicans were sent after the Spanish Civil War).

You can also go on guided tours offered locally (see below), but I can't say anything about these as I visited the site with my own guide I had for the entire two days of Spanish Civil War themed explorations in the region. He was also able to point out e.g. the locations of where particular British soldiers fell or details such as graffiti inside one of the ruins apparently left behind by a member of the International Brigades.

Overall, the ghost town of Corbera d'Ebre is certainly not on a par with the highly atmospheric Belchite in Aragon, but still worth a visit when in the Terra Alta area.

Location: Atop the hill above the new town of Corbera d'Ebre, northern Spain.

Google Maps locator: [41.079, 0.475]

Access and costs: not difficult to find, rather inexpensive.

Details: to get to the ruined town you can either walk up the hill from the new town of Corbera d'Ebre, or if you have a vehicle drive up to the small car park by the entrance to the ghost town if you want to spare yourself part of the ascent.

You have to buy a ticket to be admitted into the ghost town, but it's not expensive at a mere 2 euros.

Guided tours are also offered for 5 euros per person; these take place regularly on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and last for an hour and a half. (To arrange a guided tour phone 608 863616).

Opening times (for self-guided visits): in summer daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 to 8:30 p.m.; in winter only at weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (but visits outside these times can be arranged in advance by phoning the number above).

Time required: guided tours last an hour and a half, but without a guide you probably need much less time, maybe only half that.

Combinations with other dark destinations: see Corbera d'Ebre.

Combinations with non-dark destinations: See under Ebro and Spain in general.