The Moorish alcázar (fortress) crowning Alquézar's highest point was replaced in 1099, after Christian conquest, by a fortified monastery. Some of the columns in its delicate cloister are topped by carved capitals depicting animals and flowers, as well as biblical scenes, and the cloister walls are covered with captivating murals. On the upper level is a museum of sacred art.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.49 MILES
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…
22.52 MILES
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…
17.84 MILES
Old Aínsa's broad, cobbled main plaza, lined by handsome stone arcades and houses, is one of Spain's loveliest. It was created as a market place and…
22.53 MILES
The city museum, partly housed in a 12th-century Aragonese royal palace, contains well-displayed archaeology and early modern art collections, including…
17.86 MILES
The castle precinct off Plaza Mayor mostly dates from the 16th and 17th centuries; there are good views from the walls. The two surviving towers house…
17.84 MILES
Aínsa’s main church bears all the hallmarks of unadulterated Romanesque. Few embellishments mark its thick, bare walls, which date from the 11th century…
17.85 MILES
Housed in a tower of Aínsa's castle, the Eco Museo presents models and information displays on Pyrenean fauna; a few rescued birds of prey in small…
22.05 MILES
On the slopes of La Peña Montañesa, San Victorián monastery has claims to be the oldest monastery in Spain. Dating from the 11th century (though much…
Nearby Aragón attractions
17.84 MILES
Old Aínsa's broad, cobbled main plaza, lined by handsome stone arcades and houses, is one of Spain's loveliest. It was created as a market place and…
17.84 MILES
Aínsa’s main church bears all the hallmarks of unadulterated Romanesque. Few embellishments mark its thick, bare walls, which date from the 11th century…
17.85 MILES
Housed in a tower of Aínsa's castle, the Eco Museo presents models and information displays on Pyrenean fauna; a few rescued birds of prey in small…
4. Espacio del Geoparque de Sobrarbe
17.85 MILES
This small museum in one of Aínsa castle’s towers discusses the geology of the Sobrarbe district centred on Aínsa (including a good chunk of the Pyrenees)…
17.86 MILES
The castle precinct off Plaza Mayor mostly dates from the 16th and 17th centuries; there are good views from the walls. The two surviving towers house…
6. Monasterio de San Victorián
22.05 MILES
On the slopes of La Peña Montañesa, San Victorián monastery has claims to be the oldest monastery in Spain. Dating from the 11th century (though much…
7. Iglesia de San Pedro El Viejo
22.49 MILES
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…
22.52 MILES
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…