Zaragoza

Situated on the banks of River Ebro, it is one of the major cities of Spain. The city contains historical remains of nearly 2000 years. It has been a centre of cultural activities of the Jews, the Christians, the Romans and the Moors for many thousand years and therefore contains the artistic treasure of these cultures. Tourists from all over the world, especially those who have a love and interest for art are drawn here to witness the rich cultural heritage of this place.

Not only cultural heritage, the city is also a huge centre of modernity. Large number of shopping malls, theatres, beautiful restaurants and hotels can be found here.

Places of attraction

Nuestra Señora Del Pilar Basilica

It is a baroque church and is named after Virgen del Pilar whose image is housed in a chapel of the church. It is a pre historic structure and was built around the 17th century. It contains many artistic and noteworthy pieces that belong to different periods of time. They represent the different cultures that were once a part of this beautiful structure which is now considered as a national monument.

Aljafería Palace

It is an Arab castle and was built around the 11th century. The castle was also used as a fort. The architecture of this place is brilliant and the paintings, the sculptures and the plastered decorations on the walls and the ceilings are worth noticing. It is presently being used as Parliament headquarters by the Aragonese government.

San Salvador cathedral

It is a cathedral of the 8th century and is also known as The Seo. The cathedral contains many beautiful artistic and historic pieces of different styles like the Renissance, the Gothic and the Mudejar. The site was originally a mosque but a church was built here in the 12th century. The specialty of this church is that it is north facing instead of facing the east which was a tradition of those days. The main reason for this was that Mecca, a centre for Muslim prayers was in the east.

Lonja de Zaragoza

It is also known as the Zaragoza Market. It was built around the 16th century and the main motive behind building this place was to provide a public market for the people and the merchants. Traditionally all the transactions were carried out by the merchants in the churches and cathedrals.

Museums

Caesar Augusta Roman Remains Museum

It is also known as the Museo Del Foro de Caesaraugusta. The museum mainly provides a picture of the Roman culture. The ruins of the houses, market places and other structures provide a brief glimpse of the Roman life of that period.

La Seo Chapterhouse Tapestry Museum

It is a museum mainly consisting of beautiful art work of various cultures. The museum is situated in the La Seo cathedral. The museum is well known for the beautiful collection of historic tapestries.