Saragossa, the city of the Ebro and the Virgin of El Pilar – LaPilarica – offers visitors a major architectural and artistic heritage: the legacy of the many civilisations that founded and shaped the capital of Aragon. Saragossa is one of the most important cities in the world when it comes to worshipping the Virgin, and this can be seen in the devout veneration of La Pilarica at the landmark Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, the city’s most important architectural ensemble and the symbol of the people of Saragossa and the Aragonese. The Roman walls that enclosed the ancient city of Saragossa for many centuries were 3 km long.

The most important remnants are preserved on the Paseo de César Augusto, opposite the Puente de Santiago, and a section on the Avenida de Echegaray. Another of Saragossa’s landmarks is the 15th-centuryPuente de Piedra, or stone bridge. Gothic in style, it is located behind the Basílica del Pilar and La Lonja – the former merchants’ exchange – and spans the mighty River Ebro.

Visitors can also stop and marvel at the 11th-century palace and fortress of the Alfarería in the El Portillo district, which is one of the most important buildings in the Western Islamic style from the era of the Taifas. La Seo, the foremost example of Saragossan Gothic style, is the local name for the Catedral del Salvador, a valuable architectural legacy consisting of a number of styles which have been superimposed throughout history. You can’t talk about Saragossa without mentioning tapas, fine wine and narrow streets… In short, a visit to the Aragonese capital wouldn’t be the same without stopping off at El Tubo, one of the most famous and popular areas in the city’s old quarter.

This maze of narrow streets is crammed with restaurants, bars, bookshops and cake shops. The meeting place for locals, particularly at night, its bars are the city’s temples to the art of the tapa. The Fiestas del Pilar, which have been declared a festival of National Tourist Interest, are Saragossa’s most important celebration. On 12th October, thousands of locals and visitors flock to worship La Pilarica.