Zaragoza

Zaragoza (Saragossa in English) has an air of purpose and sophistication way beyond that of a provincial centre. Large, abstract sculpture; bold, decisive planning and a handful of imposing historic buildings imbue the city with a strong, memorably distinct character. It's the capital of Aragon and one of the biggest industrial cities of northern Spain hardly a typical tourist destination yet to pass through without taking in what it has to offer would be a mistake. There are two cathedrals, a unique Arab palace, and its small museums harbour fine Roman antiquities and a collection of superlative Goya etchings. What's more, Zaragoza has a famously boisterous nightlife.

Zaragoza Hotels

Ah Agora W.t.c., - C/ Maria Zambrano, 31, Zaragoza, Spain, 50018
Husa Via Romana - Don Jaime I 54-56, Zaragoza, Spain
GoyaHotel - Cinco de Marzo 5, Zaragoza, Spain, 50004
Hesperia Hotel - Conde de Aranda 48, Zaragoza, Spain, 50003
Husa Royal Hotel - Arzobispo Domenech 4, Zaragoza, Spain, 50006
Paris Hotel - Pedro Maria Ric 14, Zaragoza, Spain, 50008
Plaza Delicias - Los Fayos 11, Zaragoza, Spain
Catalonia Zaragoza Plaza - Manifestacion, 16, Zaragoza, Spain
Palafox Hotel - C/ Casa Jimenez S/N, Zaragosa, Zaragoza, Spain
Silken Reino de Aragon - Calle Coso 80, Zaragoza, Spain, 50001

GETTING YOUR BEARINGS

Plaza del Pilar sits alongside the river Ebro, the hub of Zaragoza. It's dominated by the massy Basilica de Nuestra, Senora del Pilar, which puts the older La Seo cathedral, tucked across the street at the far end of the square, somewhat in the shade. Directly opposite the basilica is a block of apartments and alleyways, in places near derelict and strangely deserted, that extends into the area of El Tubo an old and dingy quarter by day, renowned for its tapas bars and clubs by night. Running away from the Plaza either side of this block like the prongs of a fork are the two main thoroughfares of the old part of town: Calle de Alfonso 1 and Calle Don Jaime 1, both of which eventually meet Calle del Coso, a busy road that acts as a kind of buffer between the city's old core and the new part of town. Midway along Calle del Coso the Plaza de Espana feeds traffic into Avenida de la Independencia and the commercial heart of modem Zaragoza.

If you have arrived by train you will find yourself quite a way from the city centre and it's worth taking the bus to Plaza del Pilar: leaving the station walk down Calle General Mayandia, turn right onto Paseo Maria Agustin and take a number 21 bus.

Call into the tourist office in Calle de Don Jaime 1 and pick up a street map. You will find most places of interest (with the exception of the Aljaferia Palace) within easy walking distance of the Plaza. To find the Aljaferia Palace from the centre of town follow Calle Conde Aranda from the junction of Calle del Coso and Calle Cesar Agusto; the palace is beyond Calle Aranda's intersection with Paseo Maria Agustin.

Zaragoza Attractions

Plaza del Pilar

Plaza de Nuestra Senora del Pilar is uncompromisingly modem. Backed by a near derelict block of the old town and dominated by the 17th century Basilica, the square is a striking use of civic space and should be seen. It's a bit like walking into one of de Chirico's surreal dreamscapes: at one end some minor continent appears to be sliding into the square, sheets of water continually tearing across it, and a huge globe of similar matter seems to have escaped and rolled some way off into the vast Plaza. At the other end flat expanses of water perpetually flow across broad stretches of marble, watched over by a commanding statue of Goya (who lived nearby), and neo Fascist copper lighting pillars flank the entire length of the plaza.

There are pleasant terrace cafes here where you can sit with a drink and ponder on what you think of the rather crude statue of Goya, and on what Goya might think of the array of artefacts that lie before him.

Don't miss a second look at the Plaza by night when the Basilica is lit up like an iced sugar palace and the whole place is haunted by people out for an evening stroll.

Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar

The Basilica stands on the site of a haloed shrine: on January 2nd, 40 AD the Virgin Mary, standing on top of a marble pillar, appeared to St James. The Pillar remained as proof of the vision and the spot soon became a place of veneration and pilgrimage, and so it remains. Several churches have stood on this site; the massive Basilica that stands today was designed by Francisco Herrera the Younger around 1677. The distinctive skyline of colourfully tiled lanterned cupolas is the result of additions a century later.

The interior is spoiled by a rather reverential powder blue and magnolia finish, but worth appreciating for the sheer size of the structure and for the 18th century frescoes: those in the Chapel of San Joaquin are the work of Goya. The Gothic statue of the Virgin, decorated in Pilasta medals, is found in a niche to the right of the Lady Chapel. Thousands come each year to kiss the column on which the statue stands.

Basilica Museum, Basilica Nuestra Senora del Pilar

Accessible from inside the Basilica. Visiting the Basilica museum is a bit like walking into an ancient gift shop; it's crammed with medals of the Virgin of El Pilar, along with the opulent, fulsome baubles of the 18th and 19th century Aragonese aristocracy. It's the kind of jewellery you either love or hate, with gems and pearls worked into convoluted designs: a frog on a swing of diamonds, birds in flight, bejewelled bows, buckles and badges. Whatever else you think of them, there's no denying the ingenuity of the designs. Some of Goya's working drawings for the Basilica frescoes are also housed here, though fans of his work are better off spending their time in the Camon Aznar museum.

La Seo: The Cathedral of San Salvador

A fascinating jumble of Moorish and Gothic styles are squeezed into this small cathedral, lodged beyond the statue of Goya at the end of the Plaza del Pilar. Originally a mosque, the main body of La Seo was built between 1119 1550, and the belfry dates from the 17th century, ethereal figures tumbling around its clockface.

Wander down the lane to to the left of the entrance to admire the Mudejar east end a gingerbread confection of pale brick and blue and white ceramic patterning. Zaragoza was markedly tolerant of its Moorish citizens after the Reconquest, which is why flashes of Mudejar decoration light up the tawny brick churches of the city. It was a tolerance that lasted: inside La Seo the dazzling Mudejar style cupola surprisingly dates from the 15th century. Put a coin in the slot to light it up for full effect. The coloured alabaster altarpiece and the chapel of San Miguel Archangel both display elaborate Gothic workmanship, and there is yet more richly embellished 16th century carving around the tiny cathedral.

Museo de Tapices: Catedral de la Seo (Plaza de La Seo)

The museum should be open daily 9.00-14.00 and 16.00-18.00, though in Spring 1992 it may still be temporarily closed. Tel 29 12 38. The exceptional Brussels tapestries on display here date from 15th to the 17th centuries. They form one of the most important collections in Spain, as rich in their detail of period costumes and customs as in their refined workmanship. Lonja de Mercaderes Alongside the Basilica, this imposing "change building is the most important piece of Aragonese Renaissance architecture. Dating from the mid 16th century it shows obvious Italian influences, especially in the ringed pillars and the medallions and grotesques that decorate the interior. The Lonja is now used for temporary art exhibitions and consequently opening times vary.

Museo Camon Aznar

Head straight for the collection of Goya etchings housed on the third floor. This museum contains the very best prints of this great Spanish artist: four series of etchings unsurpassed in the history of print making.

The series known as Los Capricbos are here, biting, satirical pieces on the vice ridden power mongers, politicians and clergy of the day. Goya's vision encompasses all of humanity and the ignorant and dispossesed are scrutinised as ascerbically as the rich and powerful. The Disparates (Follies) series display fantastical and allegorical pictures, at times nightmarish, including the famous "The sleep of reason produces monsters". There's a series showing 18th century bullfighting scenes too the Tauromaquia magnificent in composition and draftsmanship. Finally, the gruesome scenes recorded in Los Desastres (The Disasters of War) remain as horrible and moving as any full colour photographs of war today. If you have any time left, there are paintings worth taking a look at on the lower floors, cutting across a huge range of styles and periods.

Aljaferia Palace

Open Tuesday Saturday 10.00 14.00 and 16.30 18.30. Summer Tuesday Saturday 10.00 14.00 and 16.00 20.00; Sunday 10.00 14.00. Restoration work has been in progress for some time, which means that much of the palace may be dosed. Access to the patio should be assured, but it is worth checking with the tourist office before setting off on the 30 minute walk from the Plaza del Pilar.

High outer walls, a moat and defensive towers form an imposing exterior: within is a courtyard of intricate and elaborate Moorish decoration. It comes as a real surprise to find a Moorish palace so far north and in the centre of an industrial city. It was built by the Banu Hud family and remains a unique example of Hispano Arabic architecture; after the Reconquest it was taken over by the Catholic Monarchs who added the Church of San Martin in the 15th century. The upper storey, remodelled by Ferdinand and Isabella, and the opulent coffered ceiling of the throne room also remain from this period.

Museo Pablo Gargallo

Plaza San Felipe 3. Tel 39 20 58. Open Tuesday Saturday 10.00 13.00 and 17.00 21.00, Holidays 11.00 14.00. Worth calling in as much to take a look at the Italianate courtyard of this old palace as to view the collection of 20th century sculpture. Look out in particular for "Kiki de Montparnasse", an elegant Modernist bronze of 1928.