Michelle Mannion stumbles across cubist sculpture, Roman ruins and moreish snacks in the Spanish city
Plaza del Pilar
Aragon’s capital had a modern makeover to host Expo 2008, with upgrades including an expanded airport terminal and a Zaha Hadid-designed bridge, but this walking tour is based in its historic heart.
Start in the main square. Plaza del Pilar is a focal point for city celebrations – at fiesta time in October, 300,000 people take part in a floral offering to mark the appearance of the Virgin Mary to St James on the site of the Basilica del Pilar. This mighty 17th-century Baroque structure dominates the square, with its eleven cupolas and four towers. Inside is equally grand, if touristy – crowds pile in to kiss the Virgin’s pillar (the surface is indented from all the lip action), and a slot machine-style offering box has “candles” that light up according to the number of euro you feed it. Take a look at the Goya frescoes (there is a statue of the Aragonese painter in the square) and the two unexploded bombs dropped on the building during the Spanish Civil War.
The basilica is one of two major monuments to Catholicism here, the other being La Seo Cathedral, at the eastern end on Plaza de la Seo. Dating back to the 12th century, the architecture encompasses everything from Romanesque to Neoclassical styles, with its Mudejar (Moorish) influences earning it UNESCO World Heritage status. With its stunningly detailed chapels and soothing choral music, it offers the more serene experience of the two (perhaps because it costs €4 to enter). Visit zaragoza.es/ciudad/turismo for opening times.
Ebro river
Behind Plaza del Pilar is Spain’s most voluminous river, the Ebro. Prior to the Expo this area was run down but, fittingly, as the topic of the show was “water and sustainable development”, the riverside got a spruce-up. Wider walkways, cycle lanes, green spaces and public art have been added, making it a pleasant place for a stroll.
On the south bank, Club Nautico is a stylish place for a glass of wine or bite to eat. The décor is at once modern and retro, with a glowing red bar, Goya reproductions, and old wooden chairs upholstered in cowhide. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide good views, and the cuisine is Mediterranean and Aragonese with a fine-dining twist. Restaurant open 1.30pm-4pm/9pm-12am; bar 1.30pm-1am (until 2am-3am on weekends). Closed Sunday afternoons and Mondays. Paseo de Echegaray y Caballero; tel +34 976 396 822; clubnauticozgz.com
Central Market
Head away from the river down Avenida de Cesar Augusto for a rather different foodie experience. Housed in an iron, brick and glass modernist structure dating back to 1903, the thriving Central Market is where the locals shop. Wander the aisles and take in the colourful racks of meat, veg and cheese, and the lightning-speed banter between traders and customers. Glassy-eyed fish stare out of trays of ice, while pigs’ heads hang from the ceilings (one sported a fetching pair of sunglasses when I visited). Open Mon-Fri 9am-2pm, 5pm-8pm; Sat 9am-2pm; closed Sun.
Pablo Gargallo Museum
A couple of minutes’ walk south-east will take you to Plaza de San Felipe. On its western side, in the 17th-century Argillo Palace, is the Pablo Gargallo Museum. Born in 1881, the Aragonese sculptor was one of the first artists to work in iron and was a friend of Picasso’s. His incredibly intricate metal works span art nouveau, expressionist and cubist styles, but the human body remained his favourite motif, so here you will find sensuous nudes alongside comical-looking heads. Spy the pug-like boxer in La Bestia del Hombre, fists at the ready. The building is gorgeous, with the collection spread across a peaceful central courtyard and the floors surrounding it. Open Tues-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 9am-2pm, closed Mon; entry is €3.50. Visit zaragoza.es/ciudad/museos
Caesaraugusta Theatre Museum
Zaragoza was named after its founder, the emperor Augustus (Caesaraugusta), and its Roman origins are still much in evidence, with parts of the city walls still standing, and four old structures – the forum, the river port, the public baths and the theatre – now museums. Of these, the last one – a five-minute walk from the Gargallo via Calle de Casto Mendez Nunez – is the best preserved.
Discovered by chance in 1972, excavations revealed a 6,000-capacity theatre built in the first century. While a lot has been destroyed, the orchestra area and the lower semicircular rows of seating survive largely intact. Inside, a model shows how it would have looked in all its glory, while exhibitions tell the story of the theatre and what the site has been used for since. Skip the dull film. Open Tues-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 10am-2pm, closed Mon; entry is €3.50, or €7 for all four museums. Calle San Jorge 12; zaragoza.es/ciudad/museos
El Tubo/Calle del Heroismo
Finish with some well-earned tapas. One of the most popular areas for this is El Tubo, the warren of narrow streets just behind Plaza de Espana. Good spots include the lively Taberna Dona Casta, which serves up tasty croquettes; El Condumio, offering deep-fried pig snouts; and La Cueva de Aragon, where the sole tapa on offer is mushrooms on bread with a garlicky sauce.
For a real local’s experience, head for Calle del Heroismo, a few minutes’ walk south-west. As in El Tubo, some of the bars along here are open just for tapas and others for lunch and dinner. If you are here in the evening, visit El Escabeche (open 7pm-12am daily and also 12pm-3pm Sat), a friendly, wood-panelled little place that specialises in fish – try a small dish of escabeche con pepinillos, aceitunas y pimientos (tuna with gherkins, olives and roasted red peppers) for €3.30. Across the road, La Dolores is a laid-back spot with a random array of decorations on its walls – if you’re lucky, the owner may be playing traditional guitar in the corner. It’s usually open until about midnight.
Visit spain.info
