Pyrenees Guide

Anyone can find theit perfect retreat in the Pyrenees a range that encompasses a diversity of landscapes rarely equalled in Europe. Between the balmy beaches of the Mediterranean lie regions of lush meadowland, swathes of dense broadleaf forest, weirdly eroded limestone pinnacles and valleys so sheer and overgrown that scarcely a ray of light penetrates them.
The truth is that this diverse region matches extraordinary natural parks and a rich cultural heritage of Architecture, Monuments, Museums and other places of interest.

Mont Louis, Pyrenees Orientales - The old fortified town of Mont Louis was built under Louis XIV by Vauban, from 1679 to 1681, in the crossroads of the valleys of Segre, the Aude, and the Tet. Mont Louis played a big role in the Treaty of Pyrenees and the French Revolution. Of the tray on which Mont Louis is built, the sight ...

Pyrenees National Park, Midi Pyrenees - Created in 1967, the Pyrenees National Park is made up of two zones: The central zone (45705 hectars) is almost uninhabited and is subject to reinforced protection. It is in this area that the most spectacular landscapes are to be seen and t he peripheral area is a kind of pre-park on the edge of ...

Montsegur Castle, Midi Pyrenees - Montségur is famous for its castle, the Château de Montségur, that was built on the ruins of one of the last strongholds of the Cathars. The present fortress on the site, though described as one of the Cathar castles, is actually of a later period. It has been listed as a ...

Niaux Cave, Midi Pyrenees - The area is one of the cradles of the humanity and Niaux's cave invites you in a moving journey into the past to find the life, the tracks and the paintings of our ancestors of 13000 years ago. Niaux is one of the rare decorated caves still opened to the public. La Grotte de Niaux is an ...

Irati Forest, Navarra Pyrenees - The Irati forest is a natural reserve, since 1986. It’s the biggest wood extension of Europe, and goes through Aezcoa and Salazar Valleys, with the Port de Larrau on the west and Puerto de Ibaneta on the west. Irati has a different beauty, with absolutely virgin areas, refuge of amazing types ...

Baztan Valley, Navarra Pyrenees - Entering to Baztan through the Velate way, near Ziga you will see the impressing 16th century church, from where you can enjoy one of the best panoramic views of the valley. In the near Irurita we recommend visit Dorrea and Gaston Iriarte palaces and the San Salvador church. Arraioz has a ...

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Basque Coast - San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is located near Machichaco cape between Bermeo and Bakio on a small peninsula connected to land only by a steep stone stairway, destroyed by the sea time after time, is the ancient hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. This is the first place that can be spotted when ...

Oma Forest, Kortezubi, Basque Country - Oma Forest is located in the municipality of Kortezubi; this magical forest established a new relationship between nature and art. On painting hundreds of pine trees with colour and life, the artist Agustin Ibarrola has created an enormous canvas which visitors can rearrange at will by playing ...

Sanctuary of Meritxell, Andorra - Sanctuary of Andorra's Patron Saint. The oldest building dates from 1658 and was built on top of the remains of a Romanesque structure. After a fire destroyed the chapel in 1972, the General Council entrusted the project for the new sanctuary to Ricardo Bofill and this was inaugurated in 1976. ...

Barri Antic, Andorra La Vella, Andorra - Visit the Barri Antic (Historic Quarter) which was the heart of Andorra la Vella when it was little more than a small Pyrenees village. The narrow cobblestone streets are still lined with storybookish stone houses. Photo Source: Turisme Andorra la ...

Casa de la Vall, Andorra La Vella, Andorra - In the Barri Antic is the Casa de la Vall (House of the Valley) was constructed in 1580 as the home of a wealthy family and has served as Andorra's parliament builing since 1702. Downstairs is El Tribunal de Corts, the country's only courtroom. The Sala del Consell, upstairs, is one of the ...

Laguna de Gallocanta, Zaragoza Province - 20km of Daroca (Zaragoza Province) and a similar distance west of Calamocha (Teruel Province) on the N-234, Laguna de Gallocanta is Spain’s largest natural lake, a about 15 sq km in area (though it can almost dry up in summer). It’s a winter home for some 60,000 cranes and many other ...

Monasterio de Piedra, Zaragoza Province - The Natural Park of the Monasterio de Piedra (Stone Monastery), 20 kilometres away from Calatayud, contains the waterfalls of the river Piedra and it is one of the most beautiful places in Spain. The Cistercian Monastery founded in thr 13th century is a National Monument and it harbours the Museum ...

Rueda Monastery, Zaragoza Province - Rueda Monastery is also of interest to art and architecture. It dates from the 13th Century and the predominating style in the church, cloister and reflectory is that of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. The Gothic Byzantine chapter house is the best room in the monastery. At a short ...

Veruela Monastery, Zaragoza Province - Veruela Monastery is the oldest in the Province of Zaragoza (founded in 1146). It is surrounded by crenelleted walls framed by round towers, which give it the air of a fortress. The original Cistercian architecture is hidden by other styles. The facade has a splayed Romanesque portal with five ...

Basilica del Pilar, Zaragoza City - Rising from the banks of the river Ebro as it passes through Zaragoza is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar, a jewel of Aragonese Baroque art. The Cathedral, visited dialy by thousands of the faithful and pilgrims, houses the image of our lady of the Pilar. According to tradition, the Virgin ...

Camon Aznar Museum, Zaragoza City - Lovers of fine arts must visit the Camon Aznar Museum. It occupies the Renaissance palace of Pardos and includes an extensive artistic sample, the majority of which comes from the legacy of the illustrious academician from Zaragoza, Jose Camon Aznar. Address: c/ Espoz y Mina 23 (Tues-Fri ...

La Lonja, Zaragoza City - Between the Pilar and La Seo, alongside the Ebro, the beautiful Lonja rises up; undoubtedly the most important exponent of civil architecture of Zaragoza. Used for trading transactions –especially those propitiated by the river navigation. The building was started in 1541 and was concluded, ...

Aneto, Aragon Pyrenees - Aneto is the highest mountain in the Pyrenees. It lies in the Aragonese province of Huesca, in the north of Aragon. It forms the southernmost part of the Maladet massif. Its French name, Néthou, is falling out of favor as the mountain lies entirely within Spain. The mountain's ascent ...

Anso, Aragonese Pyrenees - The rough-hewn stone houses repeat the pretty picture of Echo, but on a smaller scale. Anso is an ideal base for exploring the region, especially if you have your own ...

Guara Natural Park, Aragonese Pyrenees - This protected natural space since 1991, contains the Guara mountain range, between the Guatizalema and Alcanadre rivers. In this place you will find great contrasts, because the different elements you will find in conjunction, like Mediterranean forest, narrow cliffs, prehistoric monuments, ...

Ordesa National Park, Aragonese Pyrenees - Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park is the enchanted mother of the Spanish national park system. Set aside in 1918 by royal decree, the park has been progressivly expanded to include more than 16,000 hectares of lush valley forests and meadows, steep limestone slopes and delicate alpine reaches. ...

Puente Colgante, Bilbao, Basque Country - The Vizcaya Bridge (Bizkaiko Zubia in Basque, Puente de Vizcaya in Spanish), commonly named Puente Colgante is a transporter bridge that links the towns of Portugalete and Getxo in the Biscay province of Spain, crossing the mouth of the Nervion River, very near Bilbao. It is the world's oldest ...

Romanesque Churches, Vall de Boi, Catalan Pyrenees - The Vall de Boi is a narrow, steep-sided valley and a small municipality in the Spanish province of Lleida, in the autonomous community of Catalonia (also known in Spanish as Valle de Bohi). It lies in the northeastern corner of the comarca of Alta Ribagorça, on the edges of the Pyrenees. It ...

Sant Joan de les Abadesses Monastery, Catalan Pyrenees - The visit to the town of Sant Joan de les Abadesses starts with the observation of the perfect line of the streets of the Vila Vella. They were planned and built in the 13th century with names according to the guilds that occupied them (Carrer dels Tints and Carrer dels Canonaires, for example). ...

Besalu, Catalan Pyrenees - Besalu is an attractive small town about 20 km west of Figueres. Besalu was designated as Spain's historical national property in 1966. The most striking feature is the Roman bridge (12th century) across the Fluvia which was constructed on existing rocks in the riverbed and has an unusual angular ...

Garrotxa Natural Park, Catalan Pyrenees - The Natural Park of the Volcanic Area of the Garrotxa is the finest example of volcanic scenery in Spain and one of the most important in Europe. The park extends over an area of 12,000 hectares, within which there are more than 40 volcanic cones and 20 lava flows and places with their own unique ...

Cartuja de Aula Dei, Zaragoza City - On the walls of the church of the Carthusian monastery of the Aula Dei (12km north of Zaragoza City), Goya painted a cycle of scenes in oils of the Life of the Virgin Mary. It is the most extensive of his works, although of the eleven passages, only seven remain and some of those with partial ...

Sierras of Aralar and Urbasa, Navarra Pyrenees - Aralar, Urbasa and Andia stand among the most important mountain ranges of the region. Located in Western Navarre, they share their borders with the provinces of Alava and Gipuzkoa, except for Aralar, which stretches over Western Navarre and Eastern Alava, and which has the status of Natural ...

Plazaola Train Green Route, Navarra and Basque Country - The Plazaola Green Route gives visitors the opportunity to get to know the beautiful countryside of the Larraun and Leitzaran valleys. Inaugurated in 2000, it connects the town of Mugiro in Navarre with Andoain in Guipúzcoa, following the now disappeared Plazaola railway line. The total ...

La Seo Cathedral, Zaragoza City - La Seo del Salvador reflects the history and the art of Aragon. First of all, it was the High Mosque of Sarakosta (Zaragoza in Moslem ages). The construction of the Romanesque Cathedral was begun during the second half of the 12th century. The rebuilding of the Cathedral in Gothic style took place ...

Santa Engracia Church, Zaragoza City - The extraordinarily beautiful facade, carved in 1512 by Gil Morlanes the elder, and finished by his son is the only part of the previous enormous monastery which remains; during the Peninsula War the rest of it was destroyed. The facade is Plateresque in style with figures such as the Catholic ...

San Gil Church, Zaragoza City - Archetype of 14th Century Aragonese mudejar, reorientated and redecorated during the baroque period. The tower, on a square base and with a rectangular body is a singular expression of the art of brickwork as developed by the mudejar, replete with rhombi and intertwined. Address: D. Jaime I, ...

Church of San Pablo, Zaragoza City - The church of San Pablo was raised to replace the old Romanesque hermitage of San Blas, which had become too small due to the growth of the district. The current temple is the result of a series of additions, which gradually increased the original 14th century nucleus, the most valuable testimony ...

Church of the Magdalena, Zaragoza City - It was erected at the start of the 14th century to replace a previous Romanesque temple. Its typology corresponds to the model of a single-nave church, with chapels between the buttresses and polygonal sanctuary. The temple changes its orientation during the 18th century reform, the new access door ...

Santa Isabel de Portugal, Zaragoza City - In 1678 the Council of the Kingdom of Aragon decides to erect a temple in honour of Santa Isabel de Portugal. After reaching and agreement with the Teatine fathers (of Cayetanos, thus its other name), in 1681 the work begins on the plot of land, which the latter have reserved for their convent. ...

San Carlos Borromeo, Zaragoza City - The School and Church of the Inmaculada, belonging to he Company of jesus were raised on the plot of land previously occupied by the Higher Synagogue of the Jewry of Zaragoza. In the 18th century the whole interior ornamentation of the church is renewed – designed by brother Lacarre-, making ...

Roman Public Baths Museum, Zaragoza City - The Roman Public Baths Museum is, together with the Roman theatre, the river port and the Foro museums, one of the four museums in Zaragoza where you can visit the archeological remains of the ancient Roman colony of Caesaraugusta. The exhibition includes the remains of the latrine-room and the ...

Roman Port Museum, Zaragoza City - This museum, together with the Roman Public Baths Museum, the Roman Theatre and the Foro Museums, is one of the three sites in Zaragoza where the visitor can view the archaeological remains of the ancient Roman colony of Caesar Augusta. It is possible to actually see the remains of the harbour that ...

Forum of Caesaraugusta Museum, Zaragoza City - This archaeological area of the Forum of Caesaraugusta Museum offers us a vision of the daily life in the city during the period of its foundation by the Romans (between 19 and 14 B.C). These archaeological remains pertain to a market of the period of Emperor Augustus and the town forum, built in ...

Roman Theatre Museum, Zaragoza City - The Roman Theatre was discovered by chance in 1972 when the construction of a new building in Veronica street began. The theatre, built in the 1st century, within the town fabric, stood out from the rest of the buildings as a point of reference in an essentially flat landscape. As time passed, the ...

Patio de la Infanta, Zaragoza City - The Patio de la Infanta is the best Aragonese Renaissance patio and was part of a sixteenth-century palace which collapsed after three fires. In 1903 the patio was sold to a French antiquarian who took it to his shop in Paris. In 1957, local Savings Bank Ibercaja bought it and stored it until 1980, ...

Pablo Gargallo Museum, Zaragoza City - The beautiful 17th-century late Renaissance Argillo Palace in the heart of the old town houses this museum of Pablo Gargallo's sculpture. The famous Aragonese artist was one of the most important figures in the early 20th-century European avant-garde movement and he was heavily influenced by Rodin ...

Pablo Serrano Museum, Zaragoza City - The Pablo Serrano Museum is dedicated to the work of the famous Aragonese sculptor (1908-1985). The former workshops of the provincial orphanage have been restored and remodelled to house the collection belonging to the Pablo Serrano Foundation; a collection which covers an area of over 1000m2. ...

Morlanes House, Zaragoza City - This house belonged to the Morlans family which in addition to being of noble lineage and enjoying considerable wealth, were the most important sculptors of the 16th century. Of the original building only the brick façade remains. The balconies are flanked by tapering columns (estiptes) and ...

Arch of the Dean, Zaragoza City - This is one of the most emblematic corners of our city. It originates in the 13th century, when a construction was planned, which would connect the cathedral to the new house of the dean, head of the chapter after the prelate. The current arch, well restored, responds to the reform carried out in ...

Caesar Augustus statue, Zaragoza City - This statue was given by Mussolini's Italian government to Zaragoza in 1940 and is a bronze copy, forged in Naples of the original Augustus Prima Porta which is in the Vatican. It shows the emperor dressed as a general and haranguing his troops, and on his breastplate you can see symbols of some of ...

Imperial Channel of Aragon, Zaragoza City - At the end of the 18th Century, the Spanish king Charles III gave Ramon Pignatelli the enormous task of creating a great navegable waterway which would link Cantabria and the Mediterranean. Only 150km were built, from Bocal, near Tudela, Navarra to El Burgo de Ebro, near Zaragoza. It currently ...

Plaza de los Sitios, Zaragoza City - The Spanish-French Exhibition was held in Zaragoza in 1908, in memory of the Peninsula War and to unite both countries. For this event with more than 5,000 exhibitors, a site was prepared between Avenida Independencia and Huerva River. This is now Plaza de los Sitios, which contains striking ...

Roman Walls, Zaragoza City - Caesaraugusta was surrounded by a wall with numerous towers, perhaps as many as 120. The walls were extremely thick, up to 7 metres in places, whit alabaster and limestone block exteriors and an extraordinarily hard mortar interior (opus caementicium). Its towers were semicircular or ...

Stone Bridge, Zaragoza City - The oldest bridge over the Ebro. 15th Century gothic style, it has been restored on numerous occasions after flooding of the Ebro. Of note are the bronze lions by Francisco Rallo. Address: Paseo Echegaray y ...

Veruela Monastery, Zaragoza Province - Veruela Monastery is the oldest in the Province of Zaragoza (founded in 1146). It is surrounded by crenelleted walls framed by round towers, which give it the air of a fortress. The original Cistercian architecture is hidden by other styles. The facade has a splayed Romanesque portal with ...

Casa Retuerta, Zaragoza City - The Casa Retuerta was built in 1904 in one of the best planned sectors within the urban expansion area of the city. The situation of the house, in the angle of two important streets allowed the architect Juan Francisco Gomez Pulido to concentrate his attentiont in the corner, which was solved ...

Casino Mercantil, Zaragoza City - The Casino Mercantil was built in the plot of land, which the palace of Don Juan de Coloma, secretary of Fernando el Catolico, the Catholic King, previously occupied. The facade was made in 1912 by Francisco Albiñana, and is one of the most impressive modernism buildings in Zaragoza. It is ...

Casa Molins, Zaragoza City - This work by Fernando de Yarzo is one of the best examples of modernist aesthetics in our city and of the integration of the new style within the historical quarter. The two-street facade is solved with the typical cant, decorated with wavy, rhythmic shapes inspired by Nature. It has a ground ...

Don Pedro de Luna Palace, Zaragoza City - Zaragoza blossomed in the 16th century. This striking palace is an example of the power of the nobility. It is also called Condes de Morata Palace and was built on the Roman wall. The front entrance, with its rounded arch and beautiful decorations is of especial interest, flanked by two figures of ...

Former Capitania General, Zaragoza City - Built by order of the Army Engineers in 1893 in Neo-classic style, the former Capitania General has an irregular ground plan due to the elliptic shape of the old Glorieta de Pignatelli present-day Plaza de Aragon. Inside, the great staircase presided over by the bronze statue of General Palafox ...

The Mercado Central (Central Market), Zaragoza City - The Central Market is erected in the same place that the city market has occupied since the 13th century. The building, inaugurated in 1903, was not designed as an isolated building, but it formed part of a town planning action aimed at transforming the surroundings of the square, this remodelling, ...

Former Faculty of Medicine & Sciences, Zaragoza City - This is one of the most successful works by the architect Ricardo Magdalena; a building which responds to the historical tendency of the time, where the models of the Aragonese Renaissance Palaces are reintroduced. Following this tradition, it is made of brick, with application of polychrome tiles ...

Principal Theatre, Zaragoza City - Since its inauguration in 1798, this theatre has been subjected to numerous reformations. Its present interior is the work of Ricardo Magdalena (1896) who also designed the rear façade in an eclectic neo-classical style. The front of the building was remodelled by the brothers Borobio in ...

Fortea Tower, Zaragoza City - Built to a square plan, the lower part is of stone and the rest is of brich. It is the most important example in the city of mudejar civil architecture of the 15th Century. Acquired by the Town Council, it has been restored and is presently occupied by the Department responsible for the Areas of ...

La Zuda Tower, Zaragoza City - The seat of the Moslem governors, it was built on one of the turrets of the Roman wall. After the reconquest it became the residential palace of the kings of Aragon, from Alfonso I el Batallador (The Warrior) to Jaime I. Its present aspect dates and the characteristics of palatial architecture of ...

Aljaferia Castle, Zaragoza City - The most important monument of the Moslem time is, undoubtedly, the palace of La Aljaferia, the headquarters of the Government of Aragon today. This palace was built in a period of urbanistic and cultural splendour of the city, at the same time as the prestige of philosophers and doctors, Arab and ...