Zaragoza
Hotels
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The Zaragoza province of Spain lies at the heart of Aragon, a former Kingdom and now antonymous Spanish community. An area of Northern Spain which borders France, Aragon has a long and colorful history with many popular visitor sites detailing the rich cultural history of the region. The city of Zaragoza is the capital of the province and community and forms the perfect base from which to experience all the cultural dimensions and attractions of this popular part of Spain. In Zaragoza, Spain, hotels are among the best in the country. One of the beauties of Zaragoza is the diversity in the natural environment. Mountains and lush meadows vie with dense forests and even desert for the attentions of visitors and the importance of the natural Zaragoza environment was recognized in hosting the Expo Zaragoza 2008, a World's Fair on water and sustainable development. As part of the Expo a whole range of infrastructure development and Expo related facilities were established giving Zaragoza a fresh impetus and ongoing leisure provision and development. Part of the Expo facilities includes the largest freshwater aquarium in Europe, set to be a major attraction within the city in the years to come. Other attractions are to be transformed into a series of leisure facilities and complexes which include a business park, science park and many restaurants, entertainment and shopping areas. In modern Zaragoza, Spain, hotels form a key part of the city's development and the standard of hospitality and services to be found in the hotels is exceptional. The modern attractions of Zaragoza have imbued the city with a cosmopolitan feel in keeping with its status as a major European city. The shopping, bars, clubs, and restaurants all depict Zaragoza as a perfect city break and longer holiday destination but it is the deep cultural history of the city and region which most defines this most appealing part of Spain. The history of Zaragoza is intimately linked with Spain's religious and cultural past. At one point a major moor city, Zaragoza's strategic importance resulted in attacks from the Basques in the north and the Aragonese from the south. Eventually becoming the centre of the kingdom of Aragon, Zaragoza is recognized as the birthplace of Christianity within Spain, after the Virgin Mary appeared, standing on a pillar, to saint James the Great in the first century. The famous Catholic basilica, Our Lady of the Pillar, is a notable city attraction and the event is commemorated each year on October 12th, coinciding with Columbus' discovery of the Americas. El Pilar is a nine day festival celebrated with great fervor and with a myriad of cultural attractions which include music and dance, concerts, exhibitions, bull fights, and firework displays. The Lady of the Pillar basicila is not the only cathedral in the city. Another, the Cathedral of San Salvador, or simply La Seo, is equally popular as a must-see city attraction. Constructed over the main mosque, an original Moorish wall remains while the baroque influences dominate. Additional city sights include many 16th century stately homes and palaces, the city hall and the Roman ruins and city wall. One of the most stunning architectural sights away from the old city centre is the Aljaferia, a remarkable Moorish castle, the most important of its kind in Northern Spain and the setting for Verdi's opera 'The Troubador'. All the churches within Zaragoza are Mudejar monuments which benefit from World Heritage Site status. As befits a city with such noble history and culture there are many fine museums and art galleries too, most notably the Museum of Fine Arts which houses works by early Aragonese artists and also El Greco and Goya, and the Camon Aznar Museum, with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, Velazquez, Renoir and Manet. In the city centre Zaragoza, Spain, hotels are well placed to take full advantage of the sights and attractions on offer and all will have the necessary visitor information for guests, however they choose to spend their time in the city. The hotels in Zaragoza are as diverse as the city itself, from the grand and elegant architecture of some classic buildings to the ultra -modern aspects of the business districts. Modern hotels will generally incorporate a series of business facilities and services which may include business centers, business-oriented concierge services and often executive floors, rooms or suites which will have additional features to conduct business in the city, such as work desks, high speed internet access and dual line telephones. Other hotels in Zaragoza fit seamlessly into the boutique hotel philosophy whereby wonderful immediate environments form a major part of the appeal and the levels of personal service are second to none. In addition there are hotels which offer the best in five star luxury, where every requirement is catered for and others which are family-run small hotels perfect as a comfortable base from which to explore the city and the wider area. Most Zaragoza Spain hotels will have a dining facility in which guests can enjoy the best of local and Spanish cuisine as well as continental and world food options. Dining is very much a social experience in Spain and Zaragoza is no exception. A particular favorite is Tapas, concentrated in an area called El Tubo in the city. Tapas is an excellent prelude to a night's clubbing in the nightclub districts of El Casco Viejo, La Zona, El Rollo and el ambiente, the gay scene. |
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