I’ve passed through Zaragoza countless times on my train travels around Spain.
I knew it was the fourth largest city in the nation – but I’d never heard of anybody visiting.
So on our recent trip to Spain, my partner and I decided we would visit Zaragoza – and see if it was worth a stopover!
We were pleasantly surprised. While Zaragoza isn’t brimming with attractions, it has 2,000 years of history, a basilica, a beautiful cathedral with Moorish architecture AND a Moorish palace.
Here are my top reasons to visit Zaragoza, a few things to do and why I think people DON’T visit it so much!
Reasons to visit Zaragoza
1. Rich history everywhere you turn
Zaragoza dates back to Roman times when it was called Caesaraugusta. Beneath its streets lie layers of ancient foundations – Roman, Moorish, Christian – all competing for space.
New excavations frequently reveal ruins: “ every time they start digging somewhere, they find another Roman ruin” I was told on my Zaragoza hiking tour.
There’s even no metro because of how much history is underground.
The other very notable – and sad – part of Zaragoza’s history is its Napoleonic siege. This flattened much of the city in the 1800s, and bullet holes from the battle are still visible today.
Civil War bombs fell here too—two hit the basilica but didn’t explode.
2. It’s not touristy—and that’s the appeal
Despite being Spain’s fourth-largest city, Zaragoza sees very few foreign tourists.
“I don’t know anyone who’s been,” I said to my partner, when we were booking our tickets, and that held true on the ground. “I can’t see much English-language stuff… which is great” he said to me.
It feels like a working Spanish city: people speak Spanish to you, menus are in Spanish, and prices aren’t inflated. It feels like what a lot of the cities would be like if there weren’t tourists.
3. Local food that’s rooted in Aragonese identity
Central Market sells migas (breadcrumbs with grapes, sausage and egg) and borraja, a vegetable you’ll only find in Aragon. “elsewhere in Spain people don’t even know it exists” our waking tour guide told us.
Tapas here often take a more home-style approach. We paid €10 for five croquetas – and we weren’t sure what flavour we’d ordered!
Restaurants serve seasonal dishes at the same prices locals pay – just don’t expect full English menus.
4. Easy connections to the rest of Spain
Zaragoza sits between Barcelona and Madrid, with frequent high-speed trains in both directions. From Zaragoza, we took an easy train down to Malaga.
Indeed, Zaragoza makes a good overnight or two-night stop on a longer Spanish itinerary. While the city itself is compact enough to explore on foot, it also has a tram network (there’s no metro due to the ruins).
5. Fun bar culture, once the sun sets
While mornings feel sleepy, evenings (or from lunchtime at weekends!) are the opposite. El Tubo, the old town’s winding alleyway district, fills with locals hopping between tapas bars and tabernas.
There was a real sense of celebration in the air when we were there!
Tables spill into the streets, waiters serve at your table, and beers come in jaras (big jugs). You can get a litre of beer for €6! Even mid-size bars looked like they’d been busy until 6am.
6. Accommodation is affordable and central
Zaragoza has a wide range of accommodation in walking distance from the main sights – nfrom basic hostales to well-rated boutique hotels.
Because the city isn’t overrun by tourists, you’re not paying inflated rates for location.
You can stay right by the Plaza del Pilar, within minutes of both basilicas and the river, at a lower cost than you’d pay in similarly central areas of Madrid or Barcelona.
Fewer large tour groups also mean it’s easier to find last-minute availability – even on weekends. I use Booking.com to reserve my hotels.
7. Locals claim it has the world’s best beer
Zaragoza is home to Ambar, one of Spain’s oldest continuously running breweries.
Founded in 1900, it still produces beer in the city.
“Last year, Ambar won a prestigious beer challenge award – it got full marks from all the judges.” we were told.
Since then, people here have been calling it the best beer in the world.
You’ll find it on draught across the city, often served in a jarra, a large glass mug.
Things to do in Zaragoza
Other than bars, what’s there to do in Zaragoza? Here are all the attractions we enjoyed during our day there:
1. Walk along the Roman walls
Zaragoza began as Caesaraugusta, a Roman city named after Emperor Augustus. Segments of its original walls still line the city, built with stone brought from over 100 kilometres away.
As you walk near the market and La Seo, you’re tracing the original outline of Roman Zaragoza.
2. Visit the Roman theatre museum
Hidden below street level near Calle Verónica, the Roman theatre could seat over half the city’s population.
No one knows exactly why it was built on such a grand scale, but it’s one of the best-preserved Roman sites in the region.
Today it’s an open-air museum with glass viewing panels and exhibits showing how this part of the city once functioned.
3. Explore Aljafería Palace
Built during Zaragoza’s time under Moorish rule, this 11th-century palace is the northernmost Islamic fortification of its kind in Spain.
It later became a royal Christian residence, and today houses the regional parliament. Arched ceilings and intricate plasterwork show how Islamic architecture shaped the city – even after Christian reconquest.
4. Admire La Seo Cathedral
Built on top of a Roman forum and later a mosque, La Seo is a textbook of architecture in stone. You’ll find Romanesque foundations, Gothic vaults, Baroque facades, and a mudéjar exterior wall. This was crafted by Muslim builders under Christian rule.
5. Look up at the leaning tower
Just south of the Ebro, this tower tilts due to its riverside foundations. Visitors used to pay to climb it, but the money was redirected to fund its demolition!
Plans to rebuild it never went ahead.
Its original mudéjar construction reflects the period when Muslim artisans were commissioned for major Christian works.
6. Step inside the Church of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
Built in the 17th century, this church sits in the heart of Zaragoza’s old town.
Its design reflects the wealth of the Renaissance and post-Renaissance era.
It’s not often opened as it’s council owned (look for the unusual council emblem on the exterior), but do pop your head inside if it is!
7. Spend time in Plaza del Pilar
The European Union’s largest pedestrianised square stretches from La Seo to the Ebro River.
Lined with fountains, modern art, and cafés, it connects the city’s Roman, Islamic, and Christian histories.
On one side is La Seo; on the other, the monumental Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.
8. Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
This is Zaragoza’s spiritual landmark.
According to tradition, Saint James (Santiago) came here in 7 AD and saw a vision of the Virgin Mary on a pillar, promising to support his mission.
The basilica built on this spot has become a major pilgrimage site. Two bombs hit it during the Civil War—but neither exploded. Both are still displayed inside.
9. Find bullet holes in older buildings
Zaragoza suffered two brutal sieges during the Napoleonic Wars.
When French forces tried to cross Spain to invade Portugal, the city resisted for four months. Up to 30,000 people died.
You can still see damage from musket fire and shelling on buildings near the old city walls and in the central streets.
10. Track down Mussolini’s gift
During World War II, Italy’s dictator Mussolini sent a statue of Ceasar Augosto to Franco, now displayed in the city near the Cenral Market. It’s one of the few visible markers of Zaragoza’s uneasy relationship with 20th-century European politics.
Unlike other Spanish cities, Zaragoza wasn’t a major battlefield during the Civil War, so more pre-war buildings survived.
Why don’t tourists visit Zaragoza?
1. It lacks a big-ticket landmark
Zaragoza doesn’t have a single defining attraction that draws international visitors. The city’s iconic leaning tower was demolished in the 19th century. If there was such a tower here, it might be like the Spanish Pisa.
There have been calls to rebuild it with modern engineering, but the cost was too high. Without a headline monument, Zaragoza struggles to stand out on travel bucket lists.
2. Much of the pre-1800 city was destroyed
The Napoleonic siege levelled large sections of the city. Two-thirds of the people were killed, and the city was basically flattened.
While you can still find bullet holes and a few surviving facades, there’s little in the way of intact medieval or Renaissance districts.
That loss of old-world architecture makes the city feel less visually striking than places like Toledo or Segovia.
3. It’s cold, windy, and not a winter sun destination
In January, Zaragoza is very cold for Spain.
Zaragoza doesn’t benefit from the warm southern climate that draws tourists to Andalucía, nor does it offer the coastal appeal of Valencia or Barcelona.
Add in the biting Cierzo wind—a dry, powerful gust that can reach 100 km/h and is the result of atmospheric pressures between the Bay of Biscay andn the Med —and it’s easy to see why the city isn’t marketed as a winter escape.
4. It’s not on the classic Spain itinerary
Most first-time visitors to Spain stick to the triangle of Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona.
Zaragoza sits between Madrid and Barcelona, but few bother to stop.
Even travellers heading to Bilbao or San Sebastián often skip it.
Despite excellent train links, Zaragoza is largely a pass-through city—more of a transport connection than a destination in itself.
5. There’s very little English signage or support
I loved the fact that there wasn’t much English language in Zaragoza, but for many tourists, it’s a challenge.
Museums, menus and public information boards are almost exclusively in Spanish and I found that locals spoke to me in Spanish, not English.
6. It doesn’t have an obvious identity
Zaragoza isn’t framed by the sea like Barcelona, it’s not a cultural capital like Madrid and it’s not packed with flamenco or Moorish palaces like Seville or Granada.
Zaragoza has food, history, nightlife, and good beer – but not the kind of single-brand identity that sells in tourism brochures.
Despite all that, I do think that Zaragoza is worth visiting. But maybe not in winter (it’s cold!) – take a look at my list of the best Spanish winter destinations instead!
