12 Best Sights in Zaragoza, The Pyrenees

This basilica on the banks of the Ebro, often shortened to La Pilarica or El Pilar, is Zaragoza's symbol and pride. An immense baroque structure with 11 vivid tile-topped cupolas, La Pilarica is home to the Virgen del Pilar, patron saint of peninsular Spain and the entire Hispanic world. The fiestas honoring this most Spanish of saints, held in mid-October, are ushered in with processions, street concerts, bullfights, and traditional jota dancing. Among the basilica's treasures are two frescoes by Goya—one of them, El Coreto de la Vírgen, painted when he was young, and the other, Regina Martirum, after his studies in Italy. The bombs displayed to the right of the altar of La Pilarica chapel fell through the roof of the church in 1936 and miraculously failed to explode. Behind La Pilarica's altar is the tiny opening where the devout line up to kiss the rough marble pillar where La Pilarica is said to have been discovered.

This is one of Zaragoza's sightseeing treasures, both for the palace in which it is housed and for its collection: Gargallo, born near Zaragoza in 1881, was one of Spain's greatest modern sculptors.

Portraits of archbishops (one by Goya), Flemish tapestries, Renaissance and medieval paintings, and the remains of the Romanesque door of Zaragoza's church of Santiago form parts of this museum's collection.

Zaragoza's main cathedral, at the eastern end of Plaza del Pilar, is the city's bishopric, or diocesan seo (seat). It was built in many architectural styles: Mudejar (brick-and-tile exterior), Gothic (altarpiece), churrigueresque (doorways), and baroque (facade). The Museo de Tapices within contains medieval tapestries. The nearby medieval Casa y Arco del Deán form one of the city's favorite corners.

Within Zaragoza's Centro de Historias, EMOZ houses one of the finest collections of origami in the world. These eye-popping exhibitions change themes seasonally and reveal the surprising story of Zaragoza's historical connection to the art of paper-folding.

A collection of works by 20th-century sculptor Pablo Serrano (1908–85) and his wife, Juana Francés, are on display in this museum.

After the basilica and La Seo, this church, with intricate Mudejar brickwork, is considered by Zaragozanos to be the "third cathedral."

This museum contains a treasure trove of works by Zaragoza's emblematic painter, Goya, including his portraits of Fernando VII and his best graphic works: Desastres de la Guerra, Caprichos, and La Tauromaquia.

Remains of the Roman forum and elaborate sewage system can be seen here. Two more Roman sites, the thermal baths at Calle de San Juan y San Pedro and the river port at Plaza San Bruno, are also open to the public. You can organize in advance to see the presentation videos in English through the Museo del Teatro Romano ( 976/726075). English-language audio guides are also available.

In addition to the restored Roman amphitheater, built in the 1st century AD, you can see objects recovered in the excavation including theatrical masks, platters, and even hairpins.

A small but mighty collection of Goya's works, particularly engravings, are on view here. QR codes are convenient stand-ins for English-language placards.

This is one of Spain's three best-preserved Moorish palaces. If Córdoba's Mezquita shows the energy of the 10th-century Caliphate and Granada's Alhambra is the crowning 14th-century glory of al-Andalus (the 789-year Moorish empire on the Iberian Peninsula), then the late-11th-century Aljafería is the middle child. Originally a fortress and royal residence, and later a seat of the Spanish Inquisition, the Aljafería is now the home of the Cortes (Parliament) de Aragón. The 9th-century Torre del Trovador (Tower of the Troubadour) appears in Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore.  Visits by online reservation only.