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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.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Aragón.
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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 a pilar (pillar) of jasper on 2 January 40 CE, leaving the pillar behind as testimony of her visit. A chapel was built around the pillar, followed by a series of ever more grandiose churches, culminating in the enormous basilica.
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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 monks to desert this original site and build the Monasterio Nuevo 1.5km further up the hill. Abandoned by the mid-19th century, these historic monasteries have since been rehabilitated and merit a visit by anyone interested in architecture, sculpture, history, scenery or wildlife.
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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 passed into Christian hands in 1118. In the 1490s the Reyes Católicos (Catholic Monarchs), Fernando and Isabel, tacked on their own palace. Aragón's regional parliament has sat here since 1987.
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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 lovers' mausoleum sits in a side-chapel of the Mudéjar Iglesia de San Pedro and there are various ticket options for different parts of the complex, but the 50-minute complete visit to the mausoleum, church, cloister, tower and ándito (exterior walkway) is well worth it.
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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-minute audiovisual, have been made to help visitors visualise the splendour of this theatre that accommodated 6000 spectators on more than 30 rows of seating. The theatre is visible from the surrounding streets and is protected by a huge polycarbonate roof, 25m above ground, that is set at the height of the top of the original building.
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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 artists. Each of the three floors has a different focus, the 2nd floor being the one that exhibits Goya's own work. Four complete sets of his prints are on show, including the groundbreaking Desastres de la Guerra (Disasters of War), a bitter attack on the cruelty of war.
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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 cathedral's superbly carved 16th-century choir stalls, plus some extraordinary frescos and painted altarpieces. The stately interior features a brilliant 16th-century alabaster altarpiece by Damián Forment showing scenes from Christ's crucifixion. Ascend the 180 steps of the bell tower for 360-degree views all the way to the Sierra de Guara.
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The most impressive of Teruel's Mudéjar towers, 40m-tall El Salvador is an early-14th-century extravaganza of brick and ceramics built on the model of an Almohad minaret, with one tower inside another and a staircase occupying the space between. The bell chamber at the top, with two levels of elegantly arched windows, provides Teruel's best city panoramas. On the way up you'll find interesting exhibits on Mudéjar architecture and old Teruel.
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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 beautifully carved Romanesque capitals, and its mausoleum contains the tombs of two Aragonese kings: the brothers Alfonso I (r 1104–34) and Ramiro II (r 1134–37). It also possesses an unusual hexagonal tower.