Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
Zaragoza
This great baroque cavern of Catholicism stands on the site where, the faithful believe, the Virgin Mary appeared to Santiago (St James the Apostle) atop…
Getty Images/Westend61
Aragón
Probably Spain's most underrated region, Aragón offers riches wherever you travel, from the crusader-like castles and Romanesque churches of the north to the outstanding Mudéjar architecture of Teruel in the south. The regional capital, Zaragoza, is a major Spanish city of ebullient nightlife and absorbing culture (not least the work of local artistic genius Francisco de Goya), while dozens of picturesque medieval villages dot the serrated landscape, from pink-hued Albarracín to stone-clothed Sos del Rey Católico. But above all, what sets Aragón apart is the majesty of the central Pyrenees along its northern fringe. This is the highest and, for many, most beautiful section of the mighty mountain range – a rare delight for the eyes and a massive natural adventure playground with not only Spain's finest hiking and climbing but also much of its best skiing, canyoning, rafting and paragliding.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
-
Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña
Aragón
The road from Santa Cruz winds 7km up to the 10th-century Monasterio Viejo, tucked protectively under an overhanging lip of rock. A fire in 1675 led the…
-
Zaragoza
The Aljafería is Spain's finest Islamic-era edifice outside Andalucía. Built as a fortified palace for Zaragoza's Islamic rulers in the 11th century, it…
Aragón
San Pedro is one of the oldest and most important Romanesque churches in Spain, dating from the early 12th century. Its open cloister is adorned with 38…
-
Aragón
Teruel's most popular attraction pulls out the stops on the city's famous legend of the tragic 13th-century lovers (amantes) Isabel and Juan Diego. The…
-
Museo del Teatro de Caesaraugusta
Zaragoza
The finest in Zaragoza's quartet of Roman museums was discovered during excavation of a building site in 1972. Great efforts, including an entertaining 15…
-
Zaragoza
Apart from Madrid’s Museo del Prado, this exceedingly well-laid-out museum contains arguably the best exposé of the work of one of Spain’s greatest…
-
Aragón
This Gothic cathedral is one of Aragón's great surprises. The richly carved main portal dates from 1300, and the attached Museo Diocesano contains the…
Plan with a local
