Start Driving in ZaragozaZaragoza, Spain’s historic inland city on the Ebro River in the Aragon region, sprawls as a regional capital of roughly 700,000 residents whose baroque plazas, Roman‑ruined riverbanks, and Mudéjar‑style towers glow under 27°C warm summers and 3°C crisp winters, shaped by Roman‑era Cesaraugusta, Muslim‑ruled Saraqusta, and Habsburg‑centred prosperity since the 1st‑century‑BC Roman colony rose on this crossroads of the Iberian peninsula. Must‑sees include the grand Plaza del Pilar anchored by the towering Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar with its famed Marian shrine and Goya‑decorated frescoes, the adjacent La Seo Cathedral blending Romanesque, Gothic, and Mudéjar layers, the Aljafería Palace echoing Islamic‑style halls and octagonal towers, the ancient Roman River Port walls and the nearby Augusta‑style ruins, the lively El Tubo tapas district thrumming with bars and small plates, and the expansive Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta offering green spaces along the Ebro. Culture blends Aragonese‑style folklore with Roman‑&‑Moorish‑infused art, visible in the massive Fiestas del Pilar with parades of giant‑headed figures and fireworks, traditional Aragonese dances and music, university‑led festivals, and the city’s role as a lesser‑known but deeply traditional alternative to Madrid or Barcelona. Cuisine delights with rich ternasco de Aragón lamb dishes, hearty stews of beans and vegetables such as zaragozano‑style caldo or migas, grilled meats and tortilla‑laden tapas, and sweet pastries like botifarrón or mazapán, often washed down with crisp local wines or ice‑cold beer in the bustling bars and riverside cafés lining the Ebro promenade.
