322km (200 miles) NE of Madrid, 306km (190 miles) W of Barcelona Zaragoza (pronounced "thah-rah- goh -thah") lies halfway between Madrid and Barcelona. This provincial capital, the seat of the ancient kingdom of Aragón, is a bustling, prosperous, commercial city of wide boulevards and arcades. Zaragoza has not one but two cathedrals and, like Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, was a major pilgrimage center. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to St. James, patron saint of Spain, on the banks of the Ebro River and ordered him to build a church there. Zaragoza is at the center of a rich huerta , or plain. Its history dates from the time of the Romans, who called it Caesar Augusta. Today, Zaragoza is a city of more than 750,000 people, just less than 75% of the entire population of Aragón. The 40,000 students at the University of Zaragoza have livened up this once-staid city. Cafes, theaters, restaurants, music bars, and tascas have boomed in recent years, and more monuments have been restored and opened to the public. Back to Top Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
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