Marzà combines a lived-in village setting with medieval castle remains and the route of the Way of St. James. This blend of architectural history and a route through the village offers a clear focus for travellers looking to combine culture and walking. In the village centre, you will come across historic buildings and the castle remains; the named streets and connection points are also important for planning your route.

Castle Remains and Village History

About 40 houses and farmsteads make up the village centre. Most date from the 17th and 18th centuries and have undergone extensive modern alterations. Together, they form narrow lanes and a square among medieval castle remains. This brings different periods of construction together: the castle remains and the homes built or altered later. This blend shapes the village’s character more fully than looking at the castle gate alone.

The castle gate northeast of the square has an elegant round arch made of large wedge-shaped stones. West of the portal stands a large section of the castle wall with loopholes; houses are attached to much of it. The gate and wall display different architectural features and are also integrated into the inhabited village centre. To understand Marzà’s history, therefore, it is important to consider both individual structural elements and their setting among the houses, lanes and square.

The village’s history also reaches back to an event in 1288: at that time, the Abbot of Sant Pere de Rodes bought the castle d’Amarsà, together with its appurtenances and jurisdictions, from the knight Simó de Sales. The new church of Sant Isidre i Sant Antoni de Marzà stands on the western edge of the village; it was blessed on 15 May 1968. The church is also a prominent landmark for following the Way of St. James through the village.

The Way of St. James and the Landscape

The route of the Way of St. James described in August 2026 reaches Marzà along a path parallel to the Riera de Pedret. In the village centre, it follows Carrer de la Tramuntana and Carrer del Mar; by the church, the route leaves the village along a stretch near the railway tracks. The approach, the passage through the village centre and the route as it leaves Marzà are thus described using different landmarks. The two street names in the village centre are particularly useful for your planning if you want to identify the local section of the route.

Another landscape feature lies northeast of the village: a basalt layer is exposed there. The protected-area designation is a separate matter. The Aiguamolls de l’Alt Empordà area, protected under the PEIN, also includes the municipality of Pedret i Marzà. While the basalt layer is a geological feature located at a specific spot, the protected-area designation applies at the municipal level. These two scales add to the picture of the surrounding area without describing the same thing.

Getting There and Choosing Your Stay

Marzà itself has no railway station or train service. The nearest station is in Vilajuïga, and a local path connects the village to it. If you are including rail travel in your plans, check current services and the condition of the path, as train services and local path conditions can change. This allows you to consider travelling by train via Vilajuïga as a separate planning point alongside the cultural and landscape aspects of your stay.

When looking for a holiday rental in Marzà, you can tailor your trip to the village’s features. For those interested in culture, the village centre brings together medieval castle remains and houses with a history stretching into modern times. For walkers, the Way of St. James through the lanes and past the church offers another specific point of reference. If train travel is part of your plans, also take Vilajuïga and the local connecting path into account. This way, the type of stay comes first, followed by the practicalities of getting there.

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