Plaza del Pilar is one of the largest pedestrian squares in Europe, stretching for over 400 metres along the south bank of the Ebro. Three monumental buildings frame its north side: the Basílica del Pilar at the west end, the Catedral de la Seo at the east, and La Lonja (the Renaissance exchange) in the middle. The square itself is largely open pavement — nothing like the enclosed Italian piazzas — which gives it an expansive, slightly windswept character that works best in summer evenings when the whole city seems to be out walking.
The Fountain of Hispanidad (Fuente de la Hispanidad), in the form of a map of Latin America, sits in the centre of the square. On 12 October — Fiesta del Pilar, the city's major annual festival — the square fills with enormous flower offerings to the Virgin, folk costumes, and outdoor concerts. The rest of the year it functions as the social and commercial heart of the city.