How to Spend 48 Hours in Zaragoza, Spain

Several weekends ago, I escaped to the fifth largest city in Spain. Have you got any guesses as to what that city is? While Sevilla and Valencia are great guesses, they’re wrong. Zaragoza is the answer. Have you heard of Zaragoza? If not, you will soon see why spending 48 hours in Zaragoza is an absolute must.

Zaragoza, Spain is located in the North of Spain in the region of Aragón. It’s just a few hours from Barcelona. If you’re looking for another city to add to your Barcelona trip, look no further. Zaragoza is your answer! With it’s rich history and beautiful architecture, it’s not a city you want to miss!

Several weekends ago, I spent the weekend in the city of Zaragoza with my friend Anjie. We absolutely fell in love with the city.

How to spend 48 hours in Zaragoza

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How to get to Zaragoza

I live in the La Rioja province, so Zaragoza isn’t that far away from me. I was able to easily take a bus from Nájera to Zaragoza. It only made one stop in Logroño. The bus company is called Jimenez, but there are other ways to get there. I would suggest downloading the app GoEuro so you can compare prices.

If you’re in a different part of Spain or Europe, Zaragoza has an airport as well.

Once we arrived, we took the bus to the city center. The bus/train station isn’t in the dead center of the city, but it’s well-connected to public transportation. We checked into the Albergue Zaragoza Hostel and headed out to explore the city.

Touring the churches

Anjie and I got the opportunity to tour both cathedrals in the city center of Zaragoza. Both are a must-see in your 48 hours in Zaragoza! We had a really nice tour guide who took us through both and told us the history. Unfortunately, they don’t allow you to take photos inside either one. They were both absolutely breathtaking … sites that you have to see for yourself!

First, we toured the Basilica del Pilar. It’s the big, long church you see when you are in sort of the main plaza. It was built in the Baroque style. In the year 1515. It replaced the Romanesque-style cathedral that was destroyed in a fire in 1443. It sits on the Ebro River. I captured this photo aboard the bus as it was raining.

The modern-day basilica that we can tour today was constructed in 1681 according to the plans of Felipe Sánchez y Herrera. It is absolutely beautiful inside. In Spain, there are many cathedrals. However this was one of my favorites to visit. There are many different ornate displays inside and you really just have to go see it for yourself.

According to an old tradition, people believe that the Virgin Mary herself traveled to Zaragoza to encourage James the Apostle. Apparently at this time, he could be found on the banks of the river preaching the gospel. Whether or not this is true, it is cool to tour a church with an interesting story.

Inside the church, you can find the flags of the different Latin American countries. Apparently this is because the Virgin of Pilar is believed to be the mother of the Hispanic World. The ceiling of the choir was painted by Francisco de Goya, a famous painter from Aragón (more about him later).

Two bombs were dropped in the basilica in 1936. They never exploded (apparently the number one explanation that people believe is Mary), but you can still see the holes in the ceiling.

Next we toured La Seo. In the photo above, you can see the outside of the La Seo de Salvador Cathedral. This cathedral was initially built during the second half of the twelfth century. The in the 1300’s it was rebuilt in a Gothic style. Over the years, it has undergone many changes. It has recently undergone a big restoration. However they did keep one part in tact and it was rather eerie. It was very dark with little to no light.

You can also go up in the towers of both cathedrals. The tower in La Seo is free, although you have to climb up many steps. The tower in the basilica costs 3€ but it includes an elevator for the majority of the journey up. I opted to pay a little bit to ride the elevator. Once up there, you still have to walk up some steps. It’s crazy windy, but the top is enclosed. I was able to get some amazing shots of the city from up there.

Riding the tourist bus

The one downsides of visiting Zaragoza in October/November is the weather. It’s a rather windy city and while it didn’t rain the entire weekend, it did rain off and on. However we got to see the city from a heated bus. It was awesome.

We rode a hop-on hop-off bus that picks you up right in front of the basilica. It takes you all over the city. They give you headphones and you can listen to an audio guide in several different languages. We of course chose English.

The bus has 16 different stops and your ticket is good for 24 hours. It only costs 8€ a person as well! It’s definitely a great way to plan your day. Hence, we decided to take it out to the palace instead of walking.

Here are a few shots that I captured aboard the tourist bus.

Palacio de Aljafería

One thing that Spain does not lack are palaces. Zaragoza has their own and it is not to be missed when spending 48 hours in Zaragoza. It only costs 5€ to enter. However on Sundays, it’s free. So of course we went to the palace on Sunday!

There was a free, guided tour, but it was only available in Spanish. In the summer, they offer tours in English and French as well. We listened for part of the Spanish tour, but ultimately explored on our own as my friend doesn’t understand a lot of Spanish. Also sometimes it’s just more fun to explore on your own.

The palace reminded me a lot of palaces I have been to in Sevilla and Granada. Both palaces are absolutely amazing. I will say that the Aljafería is a tad smaller, but still definitely worth a visit.

We went just as the sun was setting. It was awesome to see the palace in that lighting.

The museums

One thing that Zaragoza is not lacking in are museums. In fact, it’s basically impossible to visit every single one with only 48 hours in Zaragoza. We visited the Goya Museum and it was amazing. Francisco de Goya was a famous Spanish painter who spent his childhood and apprenticeship in Zaragoza. So naturally, people are very proud of him and his work.

His work is considered to mark the the beginning of the contemporary period. You can find Goya’s artwork all over the city in various museums and even in the basilica.

The Goya Museum sits in the center of the city. Inside this museum, there is one floor full of his sketches with descriptions of each one (in Spanish and English). It could take easily an hour or two to go through all of them. Some of them depict various parts of bull-fighting, a controversial Spanish tradition.

Some other museums you can visit in Zaragoza are:

Where we ate

We stumbled upon one of the best places to eat if you’re on a budget and/or with a group. We went to Puerta Cinegia Mercado Gastronómico for lunch and we ended up back there for dinner as well. It’s full of all different booths with different cuisines. They have tables in the middle and someone who comes around serving you drinks.

If you’re looking for typical Spanish food and good nightlife, El Tubo is the place to go. El Tubo a district that’s full of all sorts of bars where you can eat and drink. We did eat a few pinchos here as well.

There’s also something called a Choco Pass that you can get. Basically, you pay 9€ and you can try five different chocolate specialties. There’s a whole list of places that you can use your choco pass.

Where we stayed

In regards to accommodation, we stayed the the Albergue Zaragoza Hostel. This hostel was right in the city, and maybe only a 5-10 minute walk from the basilica. It even included free breakfast every morning as well. So if you travel on a budget like me, it’s perfect! If not, there are lots of hotels in the city center as well.

A few other notes

As mentioned before, Zaragoza is not in the sunny south of Spain. Unless you’re traveling in the summer, be sure to pack warm clothing that can withstand the rain. Everything in Zaragoza is walkable, so be sure that your shoes are comfortable and can withstand the elements.

Additionally, there are some cool bridges in Zaragoza as well. The Zaragoza Expo area is a cool spot with all sort of modern architecture and amazing bridges. We saw it from the bus, but didn’t have time to really venture out. Perhaps I will have to return in the summer when the weather is warmer to do a photoshoot in that area.

Have you heard of Zaragoza before? Would you like to spend 48 hours in Zaragoza?