View of Calatayud
Calatayud It is possibly one of the ** towns in Aragó n ** that has more things to discover. And it is that this small city of little more than twenty thousand inhabitants has always been **eclipsed before the call of the imposing Monasterio de Piedra **, which possibly monopolizes all the touristic interest.
But Calatayud hides a lot of treasures among its streets, an immense string of traces of the past that have turned this icon of rural tourism into the perfect place for a getaway.
From the Arab enclosure you can appreciate (even better) the beauty of Calatayud
BILBILITANOS: THE MOVIE
In Calatayud it is quite cold at this time of year. The first cold air blow As soon as you set foot in the city, you are warned that we are in a place where it has fought against inclement weather for centuries. We start from the Tourist Office, located in the same building as the Town Hall, where they give us the idea of exploring Calatayud from its history , giving in turn an explanation of why the name of Calatayud is " bilbilitan ”.
To some 4 kilometers from Calatayud are found archaeological remains of what was once the Roman city of bilbilis , currently declared Well of Cultural Interest. There is evidence that there was a great deal of activity in the first century, at the time of Julius Caesar Augustus.
Along the way you can still see the remains of a thermal enclosure, a theater and a forum , although without a doubt the best way to unravel this moment of splendor that the city experienced in Roman times is by visiting the Archaeological Museum of Calatayud . Furthermore, we found that the past of Calatayud has a strong celtiberian imprint, still visible in another of the archaeological sites that can be visited, such as the Valdeherrera hill.
But they explain to us that the name of Calatayud may have come from the Arabs . In fact, the muslim footprint is quite the protagonist, being the fortified Arab enclosure a tour that is necessary to do to admire the beauty of Calatayud . We meet the oldest Arab fortification in Spain, dating from the 9th century and uniting up to five castles, some completely in a state of ruin.
Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor
FOUR PLACES YOU SHOULD NOT MISS
- The Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor. It would be Alfonso I El Batallador who, after the reconquest, would build this collegiate church on top of the old Calatayud mosque back in 1120. The impressive plateresque doorway made of alabaster leaves everyone speechless. It is World Heritage since 2001 and inside it houses a spectacular Mudejar art cloister.
- Inn of the Dolores. You cannot go to Calatayud without knowing the history of Maria de los Dolores Hairdresser Narvión, "La Dolores" , the woman who inspired that couplet that preached “If you go to Calatayud, ask for Dolores, because a couplet killed her with shame and disappointments”. The Mesón de la Dolores stands on a 15th century building and houses a hostel, a small museum and an interesting shop where to buy regional wines.
- The Jewish quarter. A very interesting walk through Calatayud can be done by going through the streets that made up what was once the Jewish quarter. The Jewish quarter was located near the Dona Martina's castle , the oldest in the Arab area, and is defined by narrow stone alleys that are a bit gloomy at night. The Church of the Virgen de la Consolación was built on the old Major Synagogue and can be visited.
Royal Collegiate Church of the Holy Sepulcher
- Royal Collegiate Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Built in 1156, it was razed to the ground and rebuilt in the early 17th century. It is a replica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and inside it hides incredible treasures such as a grandiose marble canopy and a original Mudejar cloister which has been preserved very well to this day.
EAT AND DRINK UNTIL YOU BREAK
Choosing Calatayud for a weekend getaway is a perfect idea for lovers of wine and gastronomy. Calatayud is the territory of the Garnacha Tinta, very present in its wines with denomination of origin and that have their own wine route. This Wine Route allows the traveler to get a little closer to the wineries and the nature of the region.
Furthermore, in places like the Inn of Dolores , different experiences related to wine are offered, placing Calatayud in one of the perfect destinations for lovers of wine tourism.
The Mesón de la Dolores restaurant, with typical Aragon decoration and the best service and hospitality!
We are in a region where there are very good orchards, which is why the city's restaurants have a real product defined by their pippin apple, their borage with potatoes, their high-altitude cherries and their peaches. **The borage at Casa Escartín ** _(Nicolás de Francia, 19) _ is made with clams, a delicacy in this restaurant that makes seasonal produce its father of the day.
In addition, Calatayud is very carnivorous, with roasted lamb being one of the hallmarks of its cuisine. There is no self-respecting restaurant that does not have lamb, conger eel or Calatayud ham, in many cases crowning some broken eggs. As a good city of pinchos, there is no shortage of tapas places like the traditional Antonio's Brewery _(San Inigo, 2) _ or Tapas Mess _(Cortes de Aragón, 12) _, more sophisticated. Well, and the experience of eating the ternasco in La Dolores is to tell about it to our children.
PLUS...
- A must in Calatayud is to stay at one of the spas that are near the city. And there is a small thermal circuit for those who want to include a high dose of relaxation in their getaway.
- As we know that you are going to visit the stone monastery , we will tell you as a curiosity that it is said that the first hot chocolate to be made in Europe was made there. In fact, there is a dependency in the Monastery that houses an exhibition on this fact. Not to be missed
- If you like sausages and have the opportunity to try the “ fardeles” , do not hesitate.
Calatayud without stepping on the Monasterio de Piedra... Yes, it is possible!