The city is currently the 5th biggest city in Spain but it has never been portrayed as a touristic destination. It never helped that communications were not very good, the city seemed to have nothing to offer to the visitor appart from ...
...the Basilica of "El Pilar" Its location, half way between Madrid and Barcelona made it a city where people stopped for lunch, a quick visit to the temple, and continue to their destination ... Well, things are changing. The Basilica is, without any doubt, a building that you will not forget. Its shape and its location make it a building to take a pic of... (if you do, don't forget to take a shot from the nearby Stone Bridge, Puente de Piedra. Sunset, as in the picture above, is also nice).
...the Basilica of "El Pilar" Its location, half way between Madrid and Barcelona made it a city where people stopped for lunch, a quick visit to the temple, and continue to their destination ... Well, things are changing. The Basilica is, without any doubt, a building that you will not forget. Its shape and its location make it a building to take a pic of... (if you do, don't forget to take a shot from the nearby Stone Bridge, Puente de Piedra. Sunset, as in the picture above, is also nice). But Zaragoza has lots more to offer. The (hidden) Arabic Palace of Aljafería is worth a visit (free on Sundays and small entry fee the rest of the days. Please note that Thursdays may not be possible to visit it, as it holds the local parlament sessions, and due to security, it is closed to the public. The tower (del Trovador) with the 3 flags is the setting for Verdi's opera Il Trovattore, that tells the story of a prisoner who sings about his beloved but impossible love... It was, some centuries back, the prison for the Spanish Inquisition; and it is also visitable. Don't miss the original graffitti).
But Zaragoza is a very old city. In 1976, Zaragoza celebrated its 2000 anniversary. Remains from all times are still there. The Walls, the Theater, as well as the Baths, the Market Place (Foro), and the River Port, configure the Roman rute. To complete this route, additional remains can be found in the Provincial Museum, that holds an important collection of Roman Mosaics and statues.
Don't forget to do the Renaissance route, that will start in the Basilica. But Zaragoza is not only religion. In the Renaissance, it was a flourishing city, with a lot of wealth. Hence, it is believed that 200 palaces were built during this time by noblemen, all following the same structure. Now, you can see around 20 different palaces in the city, including the Lonja (Corn Exchange), Sastago Palace, Real Maestranza, Dormer... among some.
The bullfighting ring is also a nice visit. Bullfighting is seasonal in Zaragoza, and you get shows in October, when the local festivities around the Virgin of El Pilar are celebrated. It is not a must but foreigners like (in some cases) to visit this.
Of course, Art Deco is also present in several buildings, and there is a route that will show the most important buildings.
If you don't have time, the Tourist Bus, with its two lines, will give you a taste of all this, giving you time to explore those areas that you want to find out more.
How to get to Zaragoza?
Ryanair is flying to Zaragoza from Stansted, Charleroi, Bergamo and Rome Fumicino, as well as Alicante. Iberia, with it subsidiary Air Nostrum is flying from Lisbon, Charles De Gaulle, and Frankfurt straight into the city. The new airport terminal recently open offers a much better image when arriving in Zaragoza. A modern building that has just expanded the existing services offers the visitors all they need. There is a poor bus shuttle service but has been anounced to be improved for the Exhibition, with a twice hourly service to the Delicias (Rail + Bus Station) and city centre.
Rail link with major cities in Spain is assured with the High Speed Train (AVE). Madrid and Barcelona are just over 90 minutes away by train and trains run roughly hourly. Who will then, find an excuse not to come? There isn't. For those looking for transportation within the outskirts, a new commuter rail line is due to open for EXPO2008 that will link the district of Casetas with Utebo, Delicias, Portillo and Miraflores stations. Unfortunately, the line is not that long. However, I am sure it will be developed further in the short term after the event, so that more people of the surroundings of Zaragoza can benefit from this service. The same railway station, holds the Bus Station. Buses from any big city will stop here.
Moving withing Zaragoza is quite easy. The city has a network of 36 lines with flat fare operated by one company, TUZSA. Buses are easily recognisable because they are painted completely in Red. Frequences are good if you compare them to other European cities. Over here, we are likely to complain about the service, because some buses take 30 minutes to arrive. Note that normally, a good frequence is 5 minutes, and most lines don't exceed theoretically 10 minutes frequences. It is better to get the Zaragoza Card that offers you a considerable discount on each trip, with the possibility of transfer to another line within one hour. From the railway station, line 51 will take you to the city centre. Other lines available and modifications will be implemented once the works in the area are finished, that will certainly allow some more services to reach the railway station.
7 Express lines have been devised to help movility within the city. Even an exclusively handicapped line from the centre has been anounced (unofficially). Transport will be a key issue for the smooth running of the exhibition. The council is already asking locals to leave their cars at home when possible and to use public transport. The buses themselves are being renewed, so spacious new buses will link the centre and districts with the Exhibition area.
If you chose to come to the city by car, motorways will bring you straight into the city from Madrid and the South, from Barcelona and the East, from Bilbao, La Rioja and Pamplona from the west, and from Valencia from the south East. Parking in the city centre is a bit complicated, as you will need to pay with a maximum stay of 2 hours (I still don't know how they control this, but make sure you get a ticket from the machine or you will get a fine. Even with the fine, you may not need to pay it, as the fine needs to be issued by the police, and not by the parking controllers... A bit complicated, but this is how it works). But if you can manage to park outside the city centre, you are likely to find a free space. The city itself is not dangerous, but any precaution is always advisable. Lots of people are going to be here, so it is also likely that muggers may come too, as there will be easy targets available.
The problem may be to find a hotel. Apparently, prices have increased for the duration of the event. Try with your travel agent, as they may have some special offers.
Zaragoza is a city to visit, to enjoy. For tapas, don't forget to visit Sta. Marta square, in the old city, near La Seo (or Cathedral) de San Salvador. There are few places to enjoy. The old city has also plenty of night life, with lots of modern and not so modern bars that will allow you to enjoy Zaragoza until way in the night.
Things to take back? The Frutas de Aragón (or chocolate covered fruits) is always advisable. Who doesn't like chocolate? Wine : Cariñena, Campo de Borja, Calatayud, and Somontano are the 4 regional varieties that are good. Don't miss them. There are many other produces available, so it is always a good idea to visit the local shops and find out for yourself. The Mercado Central, Central Market, from 1903, will also give you an insight of what we like over here. Fruit is excellent there.
I am confident that your Zaragoza experience will be good enough to repeat. If you don't believe me, come over and find it for yourself.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario