A Weekend in Zaragoza
As Madrid is right in the middle of Spain, it makes for a great location to travel from as nothing is too far away for a weekend trip. At the beginning of March, I took advantage of this and spent the weekend exploring the city of Zaragoza in the Aragón region of Spain, about 300km north-east of Madrid.
I arrived in Zaragoza at 12pm after leaving Madrid on the 9am bus. It was a really comfortable journey and the bus is so cheap! If you can't decide between getting the AVE or the bus from Madrid to Zaragoza, I would 100% recommend taking the bus if you're not pushed for time. There are some super pretty views to enjoy on the way (well, what I saw when I wasn't napping anyway...)
So without further ado, here was what I got up to during my weekend in Zaragoza and what I would recommend if you find yourself there...
Walk around the Plaza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
I made my way to the Plaza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, which is the main square of the city and there you can find the tourist office, and many tourist attractions, such as the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar and the Goya statue, as well as lots of cute cafés and restaurants with outdoor seating. It's a huge square and totally pedestrianised. I think I read somewhere that it's one of the largest pedestrianised squares in Europe which is pretty cool!
Peek inside the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
I think the Pilar Basilica is one of the biggest cathedrals I've ever been in! It's a bit of an optical illusion in my opinion because although it does look big from the outside, you honestly wouldn't expect it to be as big as it is inside. It has so much pretty artwork inside (some of which was done by Goya) and it's free to enter so definitely cannot be missed.
I arrived in Zaragoza at 12pm after leaving Madrid on the 9am bus. It was a really comfortable journey and the bus is so cheap! If you can't decide between getting the AVE or the bus from Madrid to Zaragoza, I would 100% recommend taking the bus if you're not pushed for time. There are some super pretty views to enjoy on the way (well, what I saw when I wasn't napping anyway...)
So without further ado, here was what I got up to during my weekend in Zaragoza and what I would recommend if you find yourself there...
Walk around the Plaza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
I made my way to the Plaza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, which is the main square of the city and there you can find the tourist office, and many tourist attractions, such as the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar and the Goya statue, as well as lots of cute cafés and restaurants with outdoor seating. It's a huge square and totally pedestrianised. I think I read somewhere that it's one of the largest pedestrianised squares in Europe which is pretty cool!
Peek inside the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
I think the Pilar Basilica is one of the biggest cathedrals I've ever been in! It's a bit of an optical illusion in my opinion because although it does look big from the outside, you honestly wouldn't expect it to be as big as it is inside. It has so much pretty artwork inside (some of which was done by Goya) and it's free to enter so definitely cannot be missed.
Wander around the Museo de Goya
Now I'm not usually one for art museums I have to admit but I really enjoyed the Goya museum! I recommend watching the introductory video on the very bottom floor before starting in order to understand a bit more about Goya's life and the story behind his artwork. In my art ignorance I didn't know much about Goya at all, other than that he was a Spanish painter but he had a pretty interesting life, and it got pretty complicated towards the end of his life when he got sick and went a bit mad which led to the famous collection of 'Black Paintings' which are actually on display in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
They also have temporary exhibitions in the museum, which sometimes have to do with Goya and sometimes don't. Whenever I was there they had a really cool contemporary exhibition called "The Victory of Silence".
Go (window) shopping on Calle de Alfonso I and Paseo de la Independencia
These are the two main shopping streets in Zaragoza. I didn't buy anything as I only had a small bag with me but I did a bit of window shopping and then sat in a café and people-watched, which was a very interesting way to spend an hour on a Saturday evening. I do feel like observing the locals tells you a lot about a place!
Travel back in time in the Palacio de la Aljafería
I went to the palace on Sunday morning as it has free entry on Sundays. It's a fortified medieval Islamic palace that was built in the 11th century. To be honest it doesn't look like much from the outside but the inside is beautiful! When you first enter there's a really pretty courtyard and super pretty architecture. The actual rooms inside are so pretty too, the ceilings in particular caught my attention in a lot of rooms.
Stroll along the riverside
It's really pretty by the river and when I was there it was pretty warm so I took advantage of the sunshine and sat and read my book for a bit, which was a really nice way to spend an hour or so. (I would have stayed longer but my lack of any form of SPF on my very Irish skin worried me a bit...)
And that was about everything I got up to! Zaragoza is a very laid-back city so definitely one for if you want to see somewhere new for the weekend but don't want to do lots of sightseeing. (However, on the same note, one thing to keep in mind is that a lot of things close on a Sunday early afternoon and then reopen later so whenever I was there it was pretty dead from about 2pm and still was when I left at 5pm, but I imagine it comes alive again a bit later. Just something to factor in to any planning!)
It also has so many good cafés and restaurants so if you are big a foodie, you'll be spoilt for choice!
If anyone wants any more information on getting to Zaragoza, things to do there or accommodation, just send me a message and I'd be happy to help with what I can!
- C x
Now I'm not usually one for art museums I have to admit but I really enjoyed the Goya museum! I recommend watching the introductory video on the very bottom floor before starting in order to understand a bit more about Goya's life and the story behind his artwork. In my art ignorance I didn't know much about Goya at all, other than that he was a Spanish painter but he had a pretty interesting life, and it got pretty complicated towards the end of his life when he got sick and went a bit mad which led to the famous collection of 'Black Paintings' which are actually on display in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
They also have temporary exhibitions in the museum, which sometimes have to do with Goya and sometimes don't. Whenever I was there they had a really cool contemporary exhibition called "The Victory of Silence".
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| (I didn't take any pictures inside the museum but I did take one of the statue of Goya in the plaza so it fits here!) |
Go (window) shopping on Calle de Alfonso I and Paseo de la Independencia
These are the two main shopping streets in Zaragoza. I didn't buy anything as I only had a small bag with me but I did a bit of window shopping and then sat in a café and people-watched, which was a very interesting way to spend an hour on a Saturday evening. I do feel like observing the locals tells you a lot about a place!
Travel back in time in the Palacio de la Aljafería
I went to the palace on Sunday morning as it has free entry on Sundays. It's a fortified medieval Islamic palace that was built in the 11th century. To be honest it doesn't look like much from the outside but the inside is beautiful! When you first enter there's a really pretty courtyard and super pretty architecture. The actual rooms inside are so pretty too, the ceilings in particular caught my attention in a lot of rooms.
It's really pretty by the river and when I was there it was pretty warm so I took advantage of the sunshine and sat and read my book for a bit, which was a really nice way to spend an hour or so. (I would have stayed longer but my lack of any form of SPF on my very Irish skin worried me a bit...)
And that was about everything I got up to! Zaragoza is a very laid-back city so definitely one for if you want to see somewhere new for the weekend but don't want to do lots of sightseeing. (However, on the same note, one thing to keep in mind is that a lot of things close on a Sunday early afternoon and then reopen later so whenever I was there it was pretty dead from about 2pm and still was when I left at 5pm, but I imagine it comes alive again a bit later. Just something to factor in to any planning!)
It also has so many good cafés and restaurants so if you are big a foodie, you'll be spoilt for choice!
If anyone wants any more information on getting to Zaragoza, things to do there or accommodation, just send me a message and I'd be happy to help with what I can!
- C x
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