The Castillo de Gardeny stands on a low hill west of Lleida's centre, a blunt Templar stronghold rather than a romantic turreted castle. Its value is partly historical and partly physical: the thick walls, church, and austere rooms give a clear sense of the military order that held this strategic point above the Segre plain.
Come for the castle, but leave time for the view. From Gardeny, Lleida opens out below you, with La Seu Vella on its own hill and the flat Catalan interior stretching away beyond the city. It is one of the best short detours in Lleida if you want a sight that explains the city's medieval importance.