ZARAGOZA in northern Spain has received the seal of approval by The Times newspaper as a city to visit in October.
The paper said Zaragoza’s ‘attractiveness is indisputable’.
The strong recommendation comes from an article by Irish journalist, Stephen Phelan, who moved to Spain decades ago- following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
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“The more I live here, the better I learn that there are many Spains, with historical, cultural and geological differences between them,” he wrote.
“A few days can be enough to understand the essentials, and get out of the summer and sunny season.”
Phelan recommends the Aragon capital as the perfect location to check out in October.
“The colder months favour native Aragonese cuisine, with its meat stews or roast lamb, as served in El Real.”
The writer recommends recommends the Fantoba pastry shop, founded in 1856, which, together with its original recipe book, retains its mid-nineteenth-century decoration.
There’s also a big thumbs up for El Tubo- a network of mythical streets for tapas.
“It forms a warm group of tapas bars squeezed between Mudejar courtyards, Renaissance houses and remains of the Roman wall.”
“Its appeal is indisputable.”
Zaragoza’s mayor, Natalia Chueca, has been active in promoting the artistic and monumental heritage of the city.
On a recent trip to Madrid, Chueca said: “Although the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is the main tourist attraction, few know that the Aragonese capital boasts of having two cathedrals, which are located next to each other, in the largest pedestrian square in Europe.”
The Cathedral of San Salvador La Seo is built on the remains of the ancient Roman Forum.
It houses Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque chapels, and a main altarpiece, which is one of the masterpieces of European Gothic art.
Its outer wall stands out, and became UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
Chueca also praised the Mudejar style of the Aljafería Palace and the Roman city of Caesar Augusta, where you can discover the Roman Forum, the River Port, the Public Baths or the Roman Theatre that had a capacity for more than 6,000 people.
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