Cafes line the downtown streets of Zaragoza (Lori Erickson photo)Zaragoza is located in northeastern Spain, midway between Madrid and Barcelona. International visitors can fly into Madrid and reach Zaragoza either by a short airplane flight or by taking a 90-minute ride on the AVE, Spain’s high-speed rail network. The most popular times to visit Zaragoza are April through June and September and October.
A variety of accommodations are available. In the downtown, the five-star Hotel Palafox offers convenient access to the historic district. In the riverfront development associated with the World’s Fair, the five-star Hotel Hiberus offers guest rooms overlooking the Ebro River. For information on both properties, see www.palafoxhoteles.com.
You may wish to time your visit to Zaragoza to coincide with the Festival of Our Lady of Pilar. Each fall, Our Lady of Pilar is celebrated with a joyous festival that coincides with her feast day of October 12. More than 400,000 people flock to Zaragoza for the nine-day fiesta, which includes folk dancing, theater performances, concerts, parades, and a procession with papier mache giants called Gigantes y Cabezudos (giants and bigheads). In the plaza outside the basilica, the statue of the Virgin is surrounded by a huge array of flowers.
For information from the Tourist Office of Spain, see www.spain.info.
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