Zaragoza, Spain

October 20, 2025 Lisa Comments 0 Comment

After leaving my car in underground parking by the cathedral, I dropped off my backpack at Hotel Sauce in Old Town. There is an attached cafe/coffee shop that has good breakfast and delicious bakery items.

I started my sightseeing with the Puente de Piedra and Los Leones. I walked across the bridge for great views of Old Town on the opposite side. You can get excellent photos of the Basilica of Our Lady and the Cathedral of Salvador.

I went to see the Arco del Dean, behind the cathedral. It dates back to the 13th c. It’s the only medieval house, not a palace, left in old town. It is now owned by a bank.

I visited the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar or the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. There was a long queue outside and I thought people were buying entry tickets. After waiting in line for a few minutes, I realized it wasn’t tickets, entry is free. The visitors were buying ribbons.

The church is huge and beautiful outside. However, inside there is restoration going on and much is blocked off. I saw the “pillar of Mary”, known as the jasper pillar. It marks the site where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to the Apostle James in 40 BCE, encouraging him in his mission to evangelize Spain. It symbolizes the foundation of the first church dedicated to Mary. The church is a pilgrimage site.

I paid the fee to see the Cathedral of Salvador, or La Seo, next. Magnificent! Fortunately they had an audio guide to explain the many gorgeous and very unique chapels. They had music playing continuously, of chanting monks, during the visit which made it fairly magical.

The ticket also includes their Tapestry Museum on the second floor; 15th c tapestry mostly from Flanders, Belgium. They own 80, there are 23 displayed across 3 large rooms.

I visited all four museums of the Caesar Augusta Route Museums – Museo del Foro, Museo del Puerto, Museo del Teatro de Caesaraugusta, and Museo de las Termas Públicas. They are all open fairly late. There is a combination ticket for €7. I saw the forum, port and public baths the first evening, and the theater the next day after my walking tour.

Roman Baths, Museo de las Termas Públicas

I took a morning walking tour, Indispensable Zaragoza, with Zaragoza Guides. We met at the Monumento a César Augusto, by some old Roman walls. We visited the central market. We saw the Church of Santa Isabel de Portugal on the Plaza del Justicia, only open during Holy Week for their Easter celebrations.

We visited the “El Tubo” area of Zaragoza, their main restaurant or “gastronomic area”. We saw the beautiful facades of Mudejar churches Iglesia Parroquial de San Gil Abad and Church of Santa María Magdalena.

We saw the Monument to Francisco de Goya. We stopped to talk about the Cathedral of Salvador (Le Seo) and its Muslim influence on the facade and the Museo del Foro de Caesaraugusta on the plaza.

We ended at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, hearing quite a bit about the pilgrimages and prayer ribbons that people purchase. They are stamped in Spanish with “The measurement of Our Lady of the Pillar.” They are considered a sign of “protection and blessing” and Edu (our guide) had several around her backpack.

I heard about Muslim fortress, Palacio de la Aljaferia on my walking tour. It is a long walk from old town but there are buses. I walked out because I wanted to see some more of the city. They have specific times for tours (self-guided) so I purchased my ticket for 1500 but had about 40 minutes to waste. There is a restaurant right across the street so I relaxed with a glass of sangria. The palace now houses the Aragon Parliament, and that chamber is open to view at the end of the other open rooms.

I was disappointed that the Goya Museum was closed until 2026 for remodeling but they had a number of Goya’s displayed in the palace. The rooms are quite beautiful, I love the Mudejar art and architecture.