Zaragoza

Zaragoza is the capital and largest city of Aragon in Spain, and one of Spain's five largest cities, but it is one of the least known outside of Spain. Founded on the river Ebro during the Roman Empire as Cesaraugusta, Zaragoza now holds a large cultural and architectural heritage attesting to 2,000 years of affluence and importance. The city is best known for its Basilica del Pilar, built to venerate the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Saint James in very early Christian times, which became a major marker of cultural identity for Christian Spain. The city was again put on the global map by the 2008 Expo, which left it with a whole new modern part developed further for various purposes after the exhibition closed.

Zaragoza sits between Madrid and Barcelona on a high-speed railway line. It enjoys relative affluence, yet it is still often overlooked by tourists so prices, such as for accommodation, remain much lower than in either of Spain's most famous cities. It's a great stop along your way, or even a destination in its own right.

History
The city on the Ebro river was founded at the turn of the millennium by the Roman Emperor Augustus, and named after him as Caesaraugusta. 2,000 years later, the architectural remains of large public buildings indicate Caesar Augustus’ influence over the city. Today you can still admire the city’s Forum, Thermal Baths, the River Port or the Great Theatre, archeological remains which reflect the splendour of the city as it was during the Roman Empire. It was on the banks of the river Ebro that Saint James (called Santiago in Spanish) reportedly saw the apparition of Virgin Mary on the pillar, which is seen as the pivotal moment in the foundation of the Spanish Christian heritage.

After the fall of the empire, the city and the rest of today's Spain, was conquered by the Goths and then by the Moors. Zaragoza, was the northernmost stronghold of the Moorish caliphate, and then emerged as a capital of its own kingdom, or Taifa. The founding of the Taifa in the 11th century was marked by the construction of the Aljafeira Palace, which remains one of few relatively intact monuments from that era. Despite being often on the front line, Zaragoza continued to develop as a major art and science centre.

As Zaragoza was regained by the Christian kings of Aragon, the development continued and the relative tolerance which Christians enjoyed under the Muslim rule was extended to the Moors initially. The Moorish artistic and architectural tradition was incorporated into the local architectural style called Mudéjar, of which many examples survive in Zaragoza. Under Christian rule, Zaragoza's two cathedrals, the original La seo and the Basilica del Pilar, were constructed to venerate the Virgin Mary apparition. The city's importance and affluence in the subsequent ages is reflected in its rich architectural heritage and many improvements given to its most important buildings, which gives them a number of layers of appeal.

Zaragoza has retained relative affluence by becoming a major industrial hub, with factories spread over several industrial parks around the city, and a big logistics hub (named PLAZA, or Plataforma Logística de Zaragoza), taking advantage of its strategic location on the railway line between Madrid and Barcelona and its airport, focusing on freight. The Expo 2008 universal exhibition held in the city resulted in massive development of its western outskirts into exhibition grounds, which have been repurposed for business, civic services and public recreation grounds.

Climate
Zaragoza has a Continental Mediterranean climate, very dry, with cold winters and hot summers. With an average of 318 mm per year, rainfall is a rarity mostly occurring in spring. There is drought in summer with only a few storms in the late afternoon. In July and August temperatures are typically above 30°C (86°F), reaching up to 40°C (104°F) a few days per year. On those days you will quickly pick the idea of siesta: hiding away after lunch, during the hottest part of the day, to enjoy later the evenings and nights at a delightful 18-22°C. In winter the temperatures are low, usually between 0 and 10°C (32-50°F), with some frosts during the night. Snow only shows up once every couple of years but fog is not uncommon (about 20 days from November to January). However, the only bad part is the Cierzo, a cold and dry wind blowing from the NW that is quite common on clear days, and can make your stay really unpleasant. Beware also of sunny days in spring and autumn, if the Cierzo blows, you will regret not having warm clothes with you.

When to visit
The best time to visit Zaragoza is during spring (April to mid-June) and autumn (Sept-Oct). In late June and July the days can be quite hot but in the evenings the city is bustling with people going out for dinner or having a beer with friends in a terrace. In August the city is almost deserted, with most people being on holidays at the mountains or the coast, and more than half the bars, restaurants and small business closed.

The major city festival is El Pilar that takes place every year the week of the 12th of October, with lots of concerts, performances and street animations. It is also the best time to see a bullfight in Zaragoza.

The Easter week, although not in the same league that the Andalucia or Calanda counterparts, is very scenic, with several processions going over the city centre every day with their dramatic sculptures, black-dressed praying women and hundreds of hooded people playing drums. It is a Spain's Festival of International Tourist Interest since 2014.

By plane


Transfer to/from the airport: The cheapest option is the airport bus 501 stopping at Los Enlaces, Delicias train station, Avenida de Navarra, and Paseo de María Agustín 7, in the city centre (45 minutes ride). The bus costs €1.85 and runs every 30 minutes M-Sa and every hour on Sundays and holidays. Alternatively a taxi will cost around €25-30 and take around 20 minutes to the city centre.



Nearby airports
As Zaragoza Airport has limited flight connections, it can be more convenient to fly to Madrid or Barcelona airports, from where you can reach Zaragoza in less than 3 hours.

From Madrid Barajas Airport: go to Atocha RENFE train station either by taxi (30 minutes, around €25) or by metro (45 min, €2) and then take the high speed train AVE to Zaragoza (1hr 30min, around €50). A cheaper but not so comfortable alternative is taking an ALSA coach that runs between Barajas terminal T4 and Zaragoza every 2–3 hours (3hr 45min trip, single/return: €15/€26). If you are in terminals T1 T2 or T3, take the free airport bus shuttle to terminal T4. The bus to Zaragoza stops in the same place as the airport shuttle. The ALSA ticket counter can be found inside the terminal and a vending machine with ALSA tickets is close to the bus bays.

From Barcelona Airport:  The easiest way is to take the half-hourly RENFE R2Nord suburban train to Barcelona Sants (20 min, €2.20), and then take the high speed train AVE to Zaragoza (1hr 45min, around €60). If you already have your AVE ticket, you can get the suburban train ticket for free in the automatic vending machines, by typing the code for “cercanías” that appears in your AVE ticket.



By train
Zaragoza is served by the high speed train AVE that reaches Madrid in approximately 1hr 30 min, and Barcelona in about 1hr 45min. There are up to 19 trains a day in each direction for Madrid and 12 for Barcelona. Regular rates start at about €50 to Madrid and €60 to Barcelona, but you can get up to a 60% discount if you book through the web 15 days in advance.

The train tracks have been opened to private companies, so you can buy a ticket from or to Madrid for as low as €9. The possible options are Ouigo or Omio.

A cheaper way to get to Zaragoza from Barcelona is using the Regional Express - a slow train going on an ancient track, stopping at every small village and some post-industrial ghost towns, and really astonishing landscapes. The ride takes 5 hours, costs €22.

Other neighbouring cities like Huesca, Teruel, Pamplona, Logroño, Bilbao or Valencia are connected by a few daily conventional trains.

For more information on train schedules and prices, visit the website of RENFE. Note, there isn't a single cafe/bar with wifi in the station.

All trains and buses arrive at The city centre is some 2 km away from, and can be reached using urban buses 34 and 51 or by taxi (10 min, around €10).

By bus
You can reach Zaragoza either from Madrid or Barcelona in 3hr 45min. The coach company is ALSA and the single/return ticket costs around €15/€26. Zaragoza is also well communicated with other main capital cities, such as Valencia and Bilbao. There is possibility of getting to Zaragoza from France by bus. The main lines travel from Lourdes, Tarbes, Pau and Oloron.

For bus schedules from Barcelona, also try Barcelona Nord.

By car
Zaragoza is very well connected by free speedways with Huesca (1 hr), Teruel (2 hr), Madrid (3 hr), and by toll highways with Barcelona (3 hr, €30), Pamplona and Bilbao. Traffic around the city is relatively light except on some weekends and holidays.

Free parking in the city centre is very scarce. Most streets have metered parking limited to 1 or 2 hours. Underground paying parkings are scattered in the entire city and usually have free places.

Distances to Zaragoza: Madrid 312 km, Barcelona 307 km, Bilbao 305 km, Lleida/Lerida 150 km

By foot
If you stay in or near the old town, most of the main attractions are within easy walking distance.

By bus or tram
A transport card costs €7 at any tobacco kiosk (including an initial fee of €2, and credit of €5). With the card you will pay for a journey and can change lines within an hour without being charged again. Single tickets bought from the driver are €1.35 (cash only).

Most bus routes have audio announcements and "next stop" displays inside the vehicle.

There is one tram line ("Tranvía") which runs from the north to the south west, through the city centre. The tram uses the same fare system as the buses - touch your card on a reader when boarding. More tram lines are projected to open soon.

Tourist bus
Sightseeing bus is another option. It costs €7 (free if you have the Zaragoza card) and the ticket can be used the entire day.

By taxi
The taxi drivers are plentiful and mostly honest.

By bicycle
There is a shared bicycle system called Bizi. It has a fairly good website in English which allows you to get a temporary subscription online beforehand. This subscription is valid for three days and costs €5.28. As with most shared bicycle system, the first 30 minutes are free after which you'll pay €0.52 per additional 30 minutes. This is up until 2 hours, after which you'll have to pay a penalty of €3.16 per hour. The deposit is €200.

After getting a temporary subscription online, you receive a subscription number which, together with your pin code of choice, enables you to take a bike immediately upon arrival in Zaragoza. Bike availability is usually good, and there are plenty of stations in the city centre, as well as near the Delicias train station and the expo area.

However, in 2015, the screens of many bicycle stations were not properly working (broken, unreadable text, flickering). Since this makes it impossible to enter the subscription number and pin code and therefore also impossible to borrow a bike (though it probably still works for annual subscribers who have a contactless card), the system becomes somewhat unreliable.

See
Plaza del Pilar is the main square, just south of the River Ebro. On the square are the two cathedrals and the "Fuente de la Hispanidad", a fountain and sculpture representing Columbus' discovery of the New World. The tourist office is here as well.

Churches






Expo




Zaragoza Card
You can buy a Zaragoza Card, a prepaid product for tourists visiting Zaragoza that combine many of the services tourists are likely to use in a prepaid package. You can buy cards valid over 24hr (€20) or 48hr (€23) online or at the tourist office. The card includes:
 * Free entry to major museums and monuments.
 * 24 hour unlimited use of the Tourist Bus.
 * Prepaid public transportation (5 trips with the 24-hr card, 7 trips with the 48-hr card).
 * Including guided tours and the services of the “roaming” tourist guides.
 * One free drink and tapa in selected bars.

Do

 * Parque Grande is excellent for a walk or a chill. Huge in size, you forget the city, and the many fountains adds to distraction.
 * Football: Real Zaragoza play soccer in Segunda División, the second tier. Their home ground La Romareda (capacity 33,600) is 2 km southwest of town centre.

Swimming pools for hot days
Summer days can be very hot in Zaragoza. If you prefer relaxing by the swimming pool over a sightseeing program, here are a few suggestions. Public swimming pools in Zaragoza are generally clean and well maintained. The entrance fee is some €3 for an adult. Open-air pools are open until 9 or 22:00 in the evening.





Shopping streets
Zaragoza has much to offer in the way of shopping, with most central streets being lined with shopping opportunities. Shopping area stretches from Residencial Paraiso in Sagasta to the Plaza de España. The most exclusive shops are on Francisco de Vitoria, San Ignacio de Loyola, Cadiz, Isaac Peral and the streets crossing them. Craft and souvenir shops are located in the Jaime I and Alfonso I streets, starting in the Pilar Place, and at Anticuarios de la Plaza de San Bruno, where Sunday mornings a small flea market takes place.



Department stores and shopping centres




Markets




What to order
Some of the best known regional specialities are:
 * Bacalao al Ajoarriero, cod-fish with garlic and eggs,
 * Huevos al Salmorejo, eggs with cold tomato cream,
 * Longanizas y Chorizos, highly appreciated kinds of sausages,
 * Ternasco Asado, roasted young lamb,
 * Pollo al Chilindrón, chicken in a sauce of cured ham, tomatoes, onions and paprika,
 * Cordero a la Pastora, lamb Shepherd's style,
 * Lomo de Cerdo a la Zaragozana, cutlet,
 * Migas a la Aragonesa, a dish made of crumbs scrambled with an egg and chorizo,
 * Huevos rotos con foie, scrambled eggs with foie gras, often served with roasted potatoes and slices of smoked ham (jamon)
 * Borrajas is a vegetable which can only be found in Aragon. It is usually eaten with olive oil,
 * Melocotón con vino, peaches in wine, is a good option for dessert, though sometimes it is hard to find a restaurant serving this.



Tapas
Zaragoza is well known because of its many tapas bars. A "Tabla" is a wooden plate in which different tapas like cheese and sausages are served, often with a bottle of wine in the price.



Other restaurants




Splurge




Drink
There is a number of good wines produced in Aragon.

Tareas of Calle de Espoz y Mina and Calle Mayor, which are a stone's throw from Plaza del Pilar, have plenty of varied bars from which to choose.



Sleep
Accommodation is a reason to visit Zaragoza in itself - if you plan to visit both Madrid and Barcelona taking advantage of the fast train connection, you can choose to stay here, halfway between them. Not only will you pay less for the combined train tickets to Zaragoza from either city than from the entire Madrid-Barcelona AVE ride, but you will also benefit from the much lower rates hotels charge in Zaragoza. And all the attractions of Zaragoza are an added bonus on top of it!



Budget






Cope

 * Zaragoza city government website

Consulates

 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Go next

 * Madrid and Barcelona are easily reached by car, high speed train or bus.
 * The Alsa bus to Madrid stops in Alcalá de Henares, a charming old university town, handy for Madrid airport.
 * Monasterio de Piedra - charming monastery built in 1194 dc surrounded by an amazing park full of waterfalls. 90 minutes by car. Excellent guided tours, a two-hour attraction.
 * Fuendetodos - Birthplace of the great painter Francisco de Goya. 80 minutes by car.
 * Moncayo- A fascinating mountain view. 80 minutes by car.
 * Monasterio de Rueda- Romanic monastery which belonged to the cirtencens order.
 * Monasterio de Veruela- Romantic monastery which belonged to the cirtencens order.
 * Formigal- As the Pyrenees are just 2 hours away from Zaragoza, head to the ski slopes there.
 * Teruel and Huesca are easily reached by car, train or bus.

The following places are located in the Huesca province, not more than 2 hours by car and in the middle of the Pyrenees. Charming places in the middle of the nature.


 * Loarre Castle - One of the best Romanesque castles in Europe, the site for Ridley Scott's 2005 film, Kingdom of Heaven.
 * Ordesa National Park is particularly spectacular in autumn and decorated with waterfalls.
 * Alquezar- A small village situated in the Sierra de Guara National Park.
 * Villanueva de Sigena- The Monastery of Santa María de Sigena is located next to the town. Birthplace of Michael Servetus, the discoverer of pulmonary circulation with a museum dedicated to his work.