An octagonal complex of 32 houses around a central square, and a former railway line now developed as a Vía Verde for hiking and mountain biking: Tarazona combines architectural history with opportunities for outdoor activities.
Architectural history in Tarazona
Plaza de Toros Vieja consists of 32 houses surrounding a central square in an octagonal layout. Since 2001, it has been classified as a Bien de Interés Cultural. The site can be viewed as an ensemble: its distinctive layout includes not only the square, but also the arrangement of the houses around it. Iglesia de Santa María Magdalena is the oldest surviving religious building in Tarazona.
The Palacio Episcopal contains the Salón de los Obispos, with a medieval chamber in the north tower dating from 1441 and a Mudéjar coffered ceiling. The Palacio Episcopal complex stands on the site of a former Muslim zuda, which at times served as a residence for the kings of Aragon. Here, a specifically designed interior and the site’s former function stand side by side.
The houses on Calle del Conde also tell of the relationship between buildings and fortifications: they were built using the defensive walkway of the fortifications in the Cinto district. Their rear façades extend over Calle Judería. This example clearly illustrates the architectural connection between the two streets and the fortifications.
Culture, theatre and guided nature visits
During Cipotegato, a veiled figure resembling a harlequin leaves Tarazona’s town hall at 12 noon. It makes its way through the crowd and runs through several streets as people throw tomatoes. Tarazona’s Semana Santa was recognised as a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Regional in 2005.
The theatre building was completed in 1921 to a design by architect Miguel Ángel Navarro and follows the classic layout of an Italian theatre. The building houses a permanent exhibition about actor Paco Martínez Soria, who was born in Tarazona, spread across two rooms, as well as a museum room about artist Raquel Meller. Its architectural history and exhibition themes offer different points of interest for a cultural stay.
The Kiborion experience includes a 30-minute tour through vaults and terraces, as well as a climb to the tambour; it offers views of Tarazona and Moncayo. Interpretive guided nature visits are also organised in Tarazona, including by the town council’s environmental department.
Vía Verde and PR-Z 1 hiking trail
The Vía Verde del Tarazonica starts in Tarazona and runs towards Tudela, parallel to the course of the Río Queiles. It follows a former railway line dating from 1885 that linked Tarazona with Tudela, and is developed for hiking and mountain biking (BTT). The route thus focuses both on the former railway connection and on two ways of getting around.
The PR-Z 1 hiking trail passes through Tarazona and the towns of Santa Cruz de Moncayo, Grisel, Los Fayos and Torrellas. Its first slightly more than two kilometres from Tarazona run through the municipality. The first section passes through a rural cultural landscape typical of the Moncayo area, with a mosaic of cereal fields and olive and almond groves. In contrast to the Vía Verde, this hiking trail takes in several towns and a landscape shaped by agriculture.
Decide which of these interests you want to shape your days, and tailor your search for accommodation at your destination accordingly.
Discover more destinations: Sástago, Carenas, Villarroya de la Sierra, La Almunia De Doña Godina, Novallas, Murillo De Gállego, Talamantes, Nuévalos
For the overview of the wider region: Zaragoza.
