Zurbarràn is a castle ruin in Toussaint, located on the hill near Pomerol castle.^[2] Both castles stand over an abandoned slate mine, which led to Zurbarràn having an extensive cave system underneath it.

History

Not much is known about how Zurbarràn came to be, though by early 1268 it had been neglected for so long that it gave off the feeling of being an enchanted ruin and possibly home to monsters. Despite this, Pomerol appeared to have some control over this area, as their steward, Alcides Fierabras, had people working in the ruins' courtyard.

When Geralt took a contract about a monster somewhere in the caves, Alcides led Geralt to the cave's entrance near Zurbarràn. Coincidentally, while searching in the caves for the monster, Geralt overheard a secret meeting between Nilfgaardian opposition plotting against Emperor Emhyr and learned of Vilgefortz's current location.^[2]

Notes

• This location is mentioned in both The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its Blood and Wine expansion as where some wines came from (but ambiguous if produced or simply exported). However, owing to the castle having been in ruins with no mention of vineyards, it's unclear if this was an oversight or if Zurbarràn was rebuilt.
  • During A Favor for a Friend quest, Geralt will mention finding red wine from "Zubarran", which is most likely referring to this castle.
  • The in-game book, Guide to the Vineyards of Toussaint, Volume II: the Blessure Valley, mentions that Castel de Neuf comes from here.
    • Although the in-game book title calls itself a guide to vineyards, it's unclear whether Zurbarràn is actually a vineyard in 1275 or just a title slip-up (like trying to mimic real-world tour guide pamphlets or kept short for simplicity).

References