Zaragoza is a charming city-the capital of Aragon-which is mirrored in the Ebro River, the beating heart of its daily life.
Its history, magnificent architecture and excellent cuisine make it an interesting destination to visit, perfect for a weekend getaway. Strolling through its alleys one can sense the historical influence of the Arab and Roman worlds, especially when admiring the Aljafería Palace and its two Cathedrals.
The latter are precisely two of the most important places to visit while exploring the city. Salvador Cathedral, one of Aragon’s most important architectural constructions, thanks to the various influences it has undergone over time (ranging from Gothic to Baroque, via Mudejar) is a perfect example of Zaragoza’s troubled history. The interweaving of such different styles gives it a unique appearance. The Cathedral has undergone several reconstructions and modifications over the years, but the appearance we can currently admire is that of 1550.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar, on the other hand, is one of the most important religious buildings in all of Spain; every year millions of pilgrims visit it to venerate the Virgin of Pilar.
The building of gigantic proportions encloses within it Damián Forment’s Renaissance Altarpiece and Goya’s “Regina Martyrum” dome fresco, works that create an ideal space for tradition and devotion to the Virgin of Pilar.
Another monument not to be missed is the Aljafería Palace, one of the greatest vestiges left by Muslim architecture, today the Palace serves as the seat of the Parliament of Aragon.
The structure thoroughly recounts the dominations suffered by the city throughout its history, built in fact in the Arab style during the Islamic occupation of Spain it was then expanded during the Middle Ages by the Aragonese monarchs and transformed into a fortress with the addition of towers at the end of the 16th century at the behest of King Philip II.
Its disarming beauty and “tranquility” have led it to be a “cultural and noncultural” landmark for the city of Zaragoza.
Instead, the beating heart of the commercial business of yesteryear is the Lonja, a building donated by the Aragonese Royal Family and built in the style of 15th-century Florentine palaces with the aim of creating a favorable environment for merchants. An ancient seat of trade and business, the Lonja internally unfolds into a single hall with aisles separated by columns supporting the marvelous star vaulting.
Along the Ebro River, on the other hand, strolling north from the city center, one encounters the area that hosted Expo 2008.
The International Exposition, which had as its theme “Water and Sustainable Development,” bequeathed to the city the large “Metropolitan Water Park” in addition to the Torre del Agua, built for the occasion and maintained over time in its original splendor.
The crystal building, the work of architect Enrique de Tersa, rises 76 meters high into the sky, and inside, you can visit the permanent exhibition “Agua para la vida,” whose central theme is precisely water and the perception of it through the use of the five senses.
To end our days, however, the alleys of Zaragoza’s historic center around sunset time fill with people of all ages. Here you can still experience the real Spanish atmosphere, the one made up of tapas, cerveza and late night chats so make sure you don’t miss it!
But come to us Running Tourist, daring explorers, let’s warm up our muscles, start the GPS search and set off to discover Zaragoza by running.
THE PATH.
The route from Running Tourist in Zaragoza starts from its historic center, precisely from the beautiful square of Nuestra Señora del Pilar where, majestically, stands the Basilica, we now continue for 300 m to the Lonja of Zaragoza, called the most beautiful Renaissance-style palace in the city.
Our route continues over the Puente de Piedra to cross the Ebro River. The bridge, also called the “lion bridge” because of the four lions, the symbol of the city placed on the pillars on either side offers a spectacular view of the Basilica especially at sunset time.
As soon as we have crossed it we keep to the left and take the riverside in the middle of the green admiring the Ebro and the city on our left.
This route will take us directly to the dedicated Expo area to the Torre del Agua. We will now take the Bridge on Av. Expo 2008 to reach the Aljaferìa Palace through Av. Pablo Garallo, Calle Jardines de Lisboa and finally Av. De la Autonomía. Now the road is straight ahead until we find the Palace on our right. A historical emblem of Zaragoza, the palace encompasses centuries of art, history and culture. In 2001, UNESCO declared the Mudejar art of Aragon a World Heritage Site and pointed out that the Palace of the Aljafería, a national monument since 1931, is one of the most representative monuments of that Aragonese style. Taking now Av. De Madrid, then Calle del Conde de Aranda and then Calle del Coso we will come to Calle don Jaime I.
From here our tour unfolds through the narrow streets of the historic center until we reach the Cathedral of Salvador de Zaragoza, the city’s first Christian cathedral.
The Cathedral concludes our tour of the historical and contemporary sights of the city of Zaragoza, now all you have to do is take a nice refreshing shower before having a tapas dinner in one of the many establishments that crowd the streets of the center, choose one, blend into the crowd and get carried away by the lively atmosphere of this city.