A big wheel in the Ebro river

A big wheel in the Ebro river

Wanna have a STUNNING VIEW over the city?

Zaragoza major days

In the second week of October Zaragoza has, for 9 days, the major week. There are a lot of activities, concerts, leisures, etc...

Some of them are several leisures rides that are shettled in a resort in a specific location

But... this year we have a great news.

One of those leisure rides, a big wheel, will not be in its resorts but... just located in the Ebro river.

So, we have a 70 metre panoramic wheel besides the river and close to city centre.

Price is 5 euro and will be available (at least) for October 2013

How to arrive there?

By tramway, La Chimenea station is the nearest

If you are in Plaza del Pilar, just 500 metre walking or so.

Some pics

(taken from newspapers mainly)

Ebro vessels. Sailing in the river

Ebro vessels. Sailing in the river

There is a summer service to have a journey over the river. It is a whole new perspective of the city. It worths a lot.

Which is the journey?

This year (2013) a new company has started to manage the service. They will offer to go from Pilar to Expo area.

Pilar dock is just here:

https://maps.google.es/maps?q=zaragoza&hl=es&ie=UTF8&ll=41.65679,-0.877056&spn=0.001074,0.004823&sll=40.396764,-3.713379&sspn=4.484348,19.753418&t=h&hnear=Zaragoza,+Arag%C3%B3n&z=18

(although google maps is not updated, but just after Basilica in the Ebro river and going down. No possibility to get lost)

Expo dock is more or less here

https://maps.google.es/maps?q=zaragoza&hl=es&ie=UTF8&ll=41.667454,-0.895965&spn=0.002148,0.009645&sll=40.396764,-3.713379&sspn=4.484348,19.753418&t=h&hnear=Zaragoza,+Arag%C3%B3n&z=17

(and that part was under construction when the picture so it is not updated... but take a look to the area in a map)

Which are their fares and timetables?

Tuesday to Sunday

Departures from Pilar dock: 12:00, 13:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00 and 21:00

Departures from Expo dock, about half an hour later

Trip would take 25 minutes to go, and 25 more return

You can just go and return or decide to stay for a while in the area

Price is 10 euro for an adult return ticket.

There are reductions for children and senior citizens

The company that manages the vessels is the same that manages the Aquarium . So then, if you buy a return ticket you will have a 30% reduction in the Aquarium

Tickets can be bought in the same vessel and, if you are in the Aquarium, you can buy them also there (it is the same company).

What can I visit if I go to the Expo area?

Aquarium

Bridge Pavilion

and the Water Park Luis Buñuel

Aquarium does not close at noon so you can go in the morning when you want, visit it, have a lunch there or in the Water Park, having a walk in the area and returning in the evening

It really worths

As a detail:

and.... wanna have a lunch or just a beer with something else in the Aquarium terrace?

Look at this

Renaissance walking tour

Renaissance walking tour

Another walking guided tour. This time related to Renaissance in Zaragoza.

What are I'm going to visit?

Walking along the city with a guide you will visit seven monuments:

- Pilar Basilic
- Renaissance Market
- Camon Aznar Musem Palace
- Real Maestranza Palace
- Sastago Palace
- St. Engracia Basilic
- Infanta Courtyard (inside ibercaja bank)

A guide will go with you with explanations of all these monuments

When are these tours available?

Once per month on saturdays at 11:00.
Ask in the tourism office for further information


Cost is 5,50 EUR for adults.

A cityscape view from El Pilar

A cityscape view from El Pilar

Do you want to have a cityscape view?. It is quite easy going to El Pilar and using the lift.

Several cityscapes in Zaragoza

There are not many cityscape views in Zaragoza, indeed. It is a large city but without many skyscrapers so you will not find the typical skyline.
Apart of some high appartment buildings I've raised three ones: El Pilar, which is about we are going to talk about; San Pablo (and no lift... just stairs), and the Business Office.

For the last two ones, ask in tourism for having a scenic view.
In the case of El Pilar, they have their own schedule.

El Pilar towers

El Pilar has been one of the most longest works in Zaragoza. There is a proverb that says "it takes longer than El Pilar works". And they are not wrong. Last tower was built in the second half of 20th century!!.
This tower, the nearest to Puente de Santiago, has a lift and you can reach it to have a scenic view

Timetables and prices

Winter: 10:00 to 13:30 and 16:00 to 17:30
Summer: 9:30 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00

And ask about what is "summer" and what is "winter" (this is, which is the date they will change the timetable).
What it is real is that it doesn't worth to have a scenic while night (and in December at 17:45 is absolutely night).

Nevertheless I would recommend you to go in the morning because the light in order to take some photos.

Price is 3 euro per person in any case.

and... it is opened everyday. Take notice because not all monuments open daily, and you can plan your  visit

Is it the highest point in Zaragoza?

Yes... and no at the same time.

The top, top of that tower pinnacle is the highest point for any building in the city.
Despite it, the Water tower (Torre del Agua) has a heigh very close... and if you had been in the top of it, you would have stayed higher than El Pilar tower.

Anyway, surely it is the highest, highest point in the city centre.


Some pictures?

Yes, of course.

Take a look

Zaragoza: The four cathedrals city

Zaragoza: The four cathedrals city

How many cathedrals does Zaragoza have?. The answer is four.
Yes, it is true. Why so many?. Let's tell the whole story.

Let us count. One, two, three and four

Yes... first Cathedral: Seo de San Salvador (in this blog, every time we will talk about the "Cathedral" we will talk about that one. Otherwise we will indicate the name of it)
Second Cathedral: Basilica del Pilar
Third Cathedral: Basilica de Santa Engracia
Fourth Cathedral: Iglesia de San Pablo

Why so many cathedrals?

It is common for some dioceses to have a main cathedral and a Second-cathedral. And always a church has been considerated and consecrated as cathedral it will keep the range for ever.
After the Middle Age in Zaragoza there were two different dioceses. One at El Salvador (current cathedral) and second one at El Pilar. The diocese of El Pilar had, indeed, two cathedrals: main cathedral at El Pilar, second-cathedral at San Pablo.
And, Huesca diocese had the Santa Engracia church (it was consacrated as basilica just some decades ago) as his second-cathedral. Even if it was 72 km away and between two other diocese, this church was really a cathedral of Huesca. In fact, it was the church that gave more incoming to the Huesca diocese.
Zaragoza dioceses were unified only in one: El Salvador, and obviously with one arch-bishop and one religious structure only. So then El Salvador got the consideration as "Main cathedral" of the city but El Pilar and San Pablo kept their consideration of "second-cathedral".
In the middle SXX, the Second Vatican Council asked every diocese in the world to keep their limits as many near to administrative limits. Obviously you can always think if some village should change of bishop or shouldn't but it was very clear that they were asking to Huesca diocese not to have a second cathedral in a city where another archbishop was ruling all the religious administration.
Santa Engracia changed from Huesca diocese to Zaragoza diocese being another "second-cathedral".
And... you can find one "Main Cathedral" in Zaragoza and three "second-cathedrals". One plus three equal to four.
Four cathedrals in the same city (and really not far away)

What are their real names?

Let's start saying that Cathedral is translated into Spanish as "catedral" (without the "H") but into Aragonese as "Seo". Aragonese is a very little spoken language in the northern Aragon but there are some words that will be very used in Zaragoza. It will be very often to hear about the "Seo" instead of the "Catedral". Whayt it will be considered as a mistake is to talk about "Catedral de la Seo" because it should be translated something as "cathedral of the cathedral" or something like that. Just because "catedral" and "seo" mean the same in different languages. In spite this case... a great deal of guides will remain using that WRONG name.
Main Cathedral, San Salvador, will be used with the same name in English. You can translate it as "St. Saver" for instance... but remember that the city with the same name is not translated (the capital of the country El Salvador).
Second-cathedral, El Pilar, is usually called by the same name and it is one of the city's icon. A correct translation will be "The Pillar" (the Virgin appeared over a pillar, therefore its name) but I have never red that translation
Second-cathedral, San Pablo, could be easily translated as St. Paul (it is the name of the neighbourhood, by the way)
Second-cathedral, Santa Engracia, has no translation into English.

Were can I find more information and how can I visit them?

Obviously in the Tourism office were they will say the timetables for any cathedral.
El Pilar and San Salvador are included in the guided walks. Entrance to El Pilar is free. Entrance to San Salvador it is not, but not expensive and it worths a lot!!.
Santa Engracia has a very interesting crypt with its timetable. Ask in Tourism office for more detailed information.
San Pablo is not far away from city centre but in a slum neighbourhood that it is changing quickly and being refurbished. It has not a concrete timetable for visits but in the webpage they say that in the mornings they are opened 9:00 to 12:30, they have a morning mass at 9:30 and they ask everyone who wants to visit it to go when the mass has finished, monday to saturday. So you will have 10:00 to 12:30 monday to saturday to visit it.
Take notice that El Pilar and San Pablo are that little list of places that can be visited on mondays, if you are in the city that day.

In further posts we will talk about these cathedrals, one per one.

How can I reach them?

Walking, by public transport or by touristic bus.
San Salvador: Touristic bus in cathedral stop. Tramway in Plaza de España
El Pilar: Touristic bus in El Pilar (Echegaray y Caballero). Tramway in Plaza del Pilar-Murallas
Santa Engracia: Touristic bus in P.Independencia. Tramway in Plaza Aragon
San Pablo: Touristic bus in Conde Aranda. Tramway in Cesar Augusto

And some pictures

Seo de San Salvador (Main Cathedral)

Basilica del Pilar

Basilica de Santa Engracia

Iglesia de San Pablo

A Choir students "concert" at the Basilica del Pilar.

A Choir students "concert" at the Basilica del Pilar.

There is a veeeery ancient choirboys group at the Basilica del Pilar. It is known that its patron saint lived around year 1250!!!!!.
Every day this small group sing in the Basilica for a mass.
You can hear them (obviously free). Just remember that you will be in a Catholic mass and respect and silence is required and expected. At any case... be sure it worths a lot!!.

The "Infanticos" group.

Infanticos is the name given for the 20-ish children who will sing every day in the Basilica. They are aged 6 to 12 and have a very good music training.
Despite its training and being very famous in the city, there aren't many events outside of the Basilica with this group. Every year for Christmas date they make just a concert and, as a school, they participate in several activities around the region or maybe far away, which will include some concerts.
But... for instance, it was in a Christmas TV program in the Aragonese television in December 2012 when they made the first appearance in TV. A lot of centuries of History and never, never in TV until then.

 

 

Not only a choirboys group but a school

It is a really school where children can go from 1st primary school to 6th primary school. They will end their studies there and will continue at any other school (almost all of them in one school that manages almost this education and has its own building with education until 18-years).
Children of 1st and 2nd (aged 6 to 8) will go to first mass in the Basilica and later to class, ending every day at 18:30
Children 3rd to 6th (aged 8 to 12) will stay living in the school because will manage activities while weekend. If they live in Zaragoza they can go home for sleeping but staying in the first event every morning. They usually make shifts to be free one weekend out of two.
They will have all subjects as a normal school, with their marks and so on. But... they will have a very important music training. This will include singing and an instrument. Children (with their parents) are asked to choose the instrument they want to learn: piano, violin, flute, ...
Being in the school with the extra accademic training in music will ratify basic and intermediate level of their instruments (it is not usually for a children so young to have that level, be sure!!!) and will be able to go to the advanced music level for their instrument.
There are some pupils of this school who keeps with music after 18. As music teachers, orchestra directors, etc...

How can I hear them?

Every day, monday to saturday, they will collaborate in the 9:00 mass in the Basilica del Pilar, singing there. You just need to go to mass and hear them.
Sundays will be more special but... at 7:00
And the major, major day is the October 12th (the major Zaragoza day, the Pilar Virgin's day), and they will sing at 4:30 (yes, 4:30 in the morning... or better in the night, not in the afternoon, and they are very punctual).
It really worths to hear them.
Anyway, the Basilica has loudspeakers and a single part of the hymn will be played at 09:00, 12:00 and 20:00, 365 days. It will be very easy to recognise it if you are in the old city but it can be heard from several kilometres away. But you need to pay attention. It takes just half minute.

 

 

Choirboys entering the Basilica

 

Do they make other activities?

Yes. Some (very few) concerts and you will see them along the Basilica.
It is a strong tradition in Zaragoza to take all children and go with them besides the Virgin statue. They will be these choirboys who will manage it. There are several hours while weekend when you can see it.

Guided Tours around Ancient city centre

Guided Tours around Ancient city centre.

You can have a guided tour in several languages organised by tourism office. Walking around main monuments in city centre and knowing some secrets of old streets that maybe they will not appear in some guide.
It is just a tour with an official guide. It is not visiting inside a monument but walking around several of them. You will enter in some of them and explanations could be given inside some monuments or just... in any Ancient street

What's Guided tours?

Tourist office will prepare several guided visits for main monuments. Some of them are available only in Spanish but there is one available in English, French, German and Italian.
Guide will make explanations in these three languages and you will be free to ask him any question being sure he/she will answer you with no problem.

Which are their timetables and fares?

It is a 2 hours walking tour around city centre. It runs on saturday afternoon (spring, autumn and winter 16:00, summer 18:00) and will require a 10 people minimum. You can book your visit one day in advance buying your ticket at Tourist office (you will assure at the same time that you have your ticket as well as it is not cancelled because no minimum).
Fare for year 2013 is 5,50 EUR but it doesn't include entrance to the Cathedral (it will include the entrance for any other monument in the visit).
If you bought the Zaragoza Card, this visit will be free for you.

What's the itinerary we will do?

Visit will start at 16:00 or 18:00 depending the season in front of Basilica del Pilar. There is a Touristic Bus Stop just behind it (and the main stop, in front of the Cathedral is only 300m ahead).
You will enter inside the Basilic and the Cathedral (entrance not included in the price) with explanations in English, French, German and Italian for all of them. You will make the following tour around the city.

Other visits can be modified according to the day or timetable but in anyway, the streets to run across the itinerary are the best ones for making a tour in the Ancient city.
You will know about the "Lonja" (Modern era market, only for trade, not purchasing), about the cathedral environment, Roman city (be sure no time to enter in any of these museums... they will require at least half a day but you will know about it and be able to ask anything to prepare your visit if you want).
You will know about some of the Mudejar towers. It is an architectural style that can be found in central-south Aragon and four towers remains in Zaragoza (In Teruel city, Unesco stated Mudejar buildings as Human Heritage). But also something about Renacentist palaces in city centre and finishing in the central market, Roman walls and Zuda tower.
This is a really very short description. Walking around the city with the guide you will know more.

Are there other guided tours?

Yes, they are not in English but enough interesting to make them.
Ask for timetables and schedules at any tourist office.
There is another guided tour around the city centre (daily in summer, and on weekends and special dates the rest of the year) that could help if you are not able to go to the English guided tour on Saturday afternoon.
There are gastronomic tours inside city centre. Despite explanations are only in Spanish... do not hesitate to take this tour as well as fare includes a visit to several shops, bars or bakeries and tasting products.
For instance, saturday morning there is a "Chocolate tour". You will start at 11:00 and will visit four different sites (be sure they are some of the best known in the city) were tasting sweet and chocolate products... and finishing before lunch time.

We are sorry but a local product tasting tour is also at 11:00 on saturday mornings so, except if you are going to be for more than one week... you will have to choose. With this visit you will enter in a very selective shops or markets with some goods ready to be tasted.

Price for both of them is 13 EUR. Little discount for children.
Not included in Zaragoza card.
Even if visit is only in Spanish, touristic guides in Zaragoza speak English so any question could be answered by them.
Wanna visit Zaragoza by bike?. If you have your bike (Zaragoza bike 3 days pass is accepted), you can walk with your guide and he will make some stops somewhere to make explanations.

And... in Spanish there are many other visits (daily in summer). Just ask for them because, despite you will not understand the language, the chance to enter or visiting easily somewhere is there and questions will be answered in English.

Something else to visit?

Yes, of course.
They are really too many visits within Zaragoza.
Several days you will find special visits for disabled people. These will be so specific and adapted one day to deaf people, other day for blind people. Two visits more for physic disable people (absolutely ready for wheel chairs) and for intellectual disables.

They will run some of main Zaragoza documents for only 2,50 EUR.
Visits will be every saturday at 12:00 but take schedule of each one of them (one saturday for deaf people, next for blind, etc...)
And, of course, a Tour for children.
Just ask for any of them at Zaragoza Tourist offices.
There are other visits to some monuments. This is, one guide that with its timetable daily will make at several hours some guides to any visitor.
Many of these visits are included in the Zaragoza card

Finally... in English there is only one visit on Saturday afternoon... but if you are going to stay for longer in Zaragoza you can try with some of them in Spanish. Just ask!.