Zaragoza

Overview:

The city of Zaragoza – known in English as Saragossa is the capital of the province Zaragoza and also of the Aragon autonomous community in Spain. This is located on Ebro River and its tributaries. The valley contains different landscapes – thick forest, desert, mountains and meadows.

In 2010 beginning, this city had a population of 700,000. More than 50% of the people here are Aragonese. The altitude of this city above sea level is about 200 M and it is at the crossroads of Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia and Toulouse. All these cities are equidistant (300 KM) from this city. In summer 2008, Expo 2008 – a fair on water and sustainable development was hosted by Zaragoza.

Climate:

The average temperatures in a year are as follows:

Maximum – 24 °C in the months of June, July, August
Minimum – 6 °C in December-January

Art and Culture:

Zaragoza was founded two thousand years back and is one of the best monumental towns in Spain. Romans, Iberians, Arabs and Goths contributed to its heritage.

Some of the important monuments are as under:

1.Basílica Nuestra Señora Del Pilar – is the most popular pilgrimage center and is dedicated to the goddess Holy Virgin of Pilar. She patronizes not only this town’s populace, but also people from all Spanish speaking countries.

2.Catedral de la Seo – was built in the 14th century in Gothic style and is older than Romanesque temple. There are 5 naves and the main altar has been constructed in Mudejar-style architecture.

3.La Lonja – was an ancient building used as a stock exchange and it is a 15th century monument of Renaissance movement. Nowadays it is used for conducting expos.

4.La Aljafería – is an 11th century palace of Moorish times and is one of the monuments of Taifas dynasty that still exists.

Cuisine:

Popular dishes in this town are – chicken in a sauce of cured ham, cod-fish with eggs and garlic, eggs with asparagus sauce, Lamb Sheppard’s style, Longaniza de Fuentes, onions and paprika, sausage, roasted veal, tomatoes, etc. Traditional sweets are Turrones, Mostillo and Roscones.

Sports and Entertainment :

Zaragoza is popular for snow and Ice sports and these are located in the nearby Pyrenees; many ski resorts are located here.

Shopping:

Since this city is at crossroads to a number of important cities, it has become a center for fashions and trends and is popular for shopping. Travelers to various cities stop over and shop before proceeding further on their journey.

Business & Economy:

Important international fairs are organized in this place.