 If you are an Erasmus student or a foreign visitor to Zaragoza, and want to be a guest or simply visit the city on your own, you can get some major tips from this guide! You can also check the detailed map here, with all major attractions and hidden secrets! Well, I think you will first arrive at Delicias Bus/Train Station. I don’t know to which hostel/hotel/flat you will go but you can check the bus timetables easily on the internet to get wherever you need to go.. Also, consider consulting an app called ViveZaragoza with the routes and exact time of bus; it can be very useful. Bus and Tram tickets are 1.35€. You get the tram tickets from the station ticket machines. Concerning transportation by air, be warned. DO NOT TAKE A TAXI TO OR FROM THE AIRPORT ALONE; it can be 25 euros easily. We have a 2€ bus going from many stops every 30' or 1h, so check the schedule on the internet. >READ ALL THIS ARTICLE BEFORE STARTING YOUR TOUR< If you want to walk for 50 minutes more and see some "off the beaten path" major sights read down and start after the next image. I don’t know where will you be so I make you first a guided tour of the city centre and then other nice stuff. You should stop in Plaza Paraiso or Puerta del Carmen, which is the transport and commercial heart of the city, then follow the big flow of people who go to the main avenue, Independence Ave. This is very modern and full of shops; you should go in the direction of the river (towards that building which looks like a drunk chess table), as the old historic centre is there. At the end of it you will be in Spain Square so go to left and go to our most beautiful pedestrian square: Calle Alfonso. Stuff you need to see: Pilar Basilica is free and is the ninth biggest cathedral in the world. If you enter the cathedral through the main right entrance you will see soon two bombs hanging from wall; those were two bombs from the civil war. If you have good sight you can try to spot the holes in the ceiling since we haven’t covered them. As you walk into the cathedral you may see a small queue of people kissing a small stone behind a golden hole in the wall. That is supposedly the pilar where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. James. Then, keep enjoying our main square, which is quite big and modern. It has some cool stuff like the South America waterfall, the world globe, some small but curious statues, the Goya (famous painter) corner... If you see a square building in the square, you have discovered the Roman ruins museum. It’s not perfect but still nice. If you have never seen roman ruins it’s especially worth your time;here you have quite a lot to peruse. The white cathedral La Seo is very nice inside, and thanks to noble people paying for their family chapels since antiquity, it is very rich in gold and paintings. You can go in for 4€, but be sure not to miss the free part: as you are heading toward the entrance, go into the left street (should be in shadow) and check out the Muslim "Mudejar" wall, which is an awesome example of 'Mudejar' art. “Mudejares” refers to the Muslim people who preferred to stay in Spain after it was reconquered by Christians; they slowly converted to Christianity with time. Keep walking along this street until you reach a small square and then go to the river by passing through the arc. Once on the banks of the Ebro river, go to the Stone Bridge with the lions. Halfway down the bridge, stop and , take a picture {the best view of Zaragoza} and return to the square again. But, don’t leave this area too soon; go to the other side of the square where there is a small church with a crooked tower like Pisa. Approach it and see the Roman walls and a Caesar statue (which people say was a present from Musolini). You will also see the central market here. BTW, If you didn’t realize, Zaragoza is a very old city, and its name comes from Roman times when it was called CaesarAugusta. Before 19th century it used to be full of Baroque buildings, but due to Napoleon and his French soldiers it got quite damaged during the guerrilla war against Napoleonic troops. Go up until you see a big avenue with palm trees in the middle to your right: Avenida Conde Aranda. Walk until the very end (7 min) and you will see a park with a big castle. THIS IS A MUST SEE. It is open all mornings except one; check on the internet for the daily hours, and is for free on Sunday. This castle/palace is called the Aljaferia. It is a Christian castle with a Muslim palace inside, and is just 1€ with a guided tour included. From here return to the Pilar square from same way or return following the banks of the river, where you will also see a modern 90"s style Europe Square with an obelisk in the middle. There are some museums, small churches, a bullfighting ring, and an old roman theater in the area, For more information about these, go to the information office in Plaza del Pilar or in Plaza de España corner. Longer Zaragoza tour If you want to do the big Zaragoza tour you should start in Parque Grande in the morning, exactly in Plaza Carlos V, where the buses 53, 35, 42 and Ci1 and the tram passes by. The park is easy to find because the biggest hospital and our stadium are close to there, and also the square has a lighthouse in it. From there you should check out Parque Grande. It is on the main avenue which threads through the city, and can take up to 30 min or more to walk. I recommend it, but be warned: I love walking. So once in the park the best thing is just to stick to the main promenade, which is in a French style. Keep walking to go to the statue at the top of the hill and see the views. The park has also a tiny zoo with peacocks and swans; this is on the right side of the main promenade, inside a walled part. After exploring the zoo, go back to the big avenue and start going downtown (head to where the trees and the lane are, not to the hospital) enjoying our modern avenue which is pedestrian-friendly with few intersections where you have to watch for traffic. The first thing you will see is Plaza San Francisco. You can feel the young,university vibe there, and it is the best part of Zaragoza for hanging out and grabbing a beer (not for clubbing) since it features some of the best prices in the city. (I especially recommend Bocatart and Mercado Provincial). In this square there is statue in the middle and to your side you have a very old school which used to be a church (hence the a bell tower) and on the other side you have the entrance to the university campus. The street full of cheap bars is the left one if you are in front of the uni gates.. To go back to the avenue, you just need to follow the tram: you will soon see the second part of the avenue. It has asimilar style, but at the same time you will feel the real Zaragoza, because, although it looks touristic, not many tourists walk this way, so you will see how normal life is in the city. Before arriving to the end and a big open square, 'Paraiso Square,' you need to see a beautiful old building to your left. It used to be the old medical school, but now is where the main university administration is housed. , Here you can find free expositions and an old library all on the main floor, and it is free to visit.. Next, return to Independence avenue and start the Touristic Route I wrote above. Off the beaten part, just if you have car or more free time
If you enjoyed this article, LIKE and SHARE. Thanks for your time! PD: Special thanks to Claire for her help correcting my destruction of Shakespeare's languageificar. |