Zaragoza is the capital of Aragon and the fifth-largest city in Spain, sitting in the broad Ebro valley halfway between Madrid and Barcelona. It is emphatically Spanish — not much visited by foreign tourists, which is part of its appeal. The city has a compact historic centre with an exceptional density of monuments: Roman ruins, Moorish palaces, Mudéjar churches, and Baroque basilicas within walking distance of each other.
The heart of the city is the enormous Plaza del Pilar, flanked by the twin cathedrals — the vast Baroque Basílica del Pilar and the architecturally richer Catedral de la Seo. The Aljafería Palace, a 10-minute walk west, is the finest Moorish palace outside Andalucía and is frequently overlooked. Underground, the Roman Theatre and the other excavated sites of Roman Caesaraugusta offer a well-presented window into the city's ancient past.
Zaragoza is also Goya country. The painter was born in a village 44km south, and the Museo Camón Aznar holds his full print series. The Museo de Zaragoza has additional works, and the basilica itself contains two of his ceiling frescoes.
During the Fiesta del Pilar (around 12 October) the city explodes into nine days of parades, folk costumes, and concerts. The rest of the year it is a lively but manageable city with excellent Aragonese food and a genuinely local atmosphere.