Jaca
Jaca is a city in Aragon. More of a stopping point than a destination, Jaca sees its fair share of travellers headed for the Pyrenees - summer or winter. With a constant flow of tourists passing through, the town has more than its fair share of restaurants, cafes, and hotels, and it is a comfortable place for a halt in Northern Spain.
Understand
Jaca is an ancient fort on the Aragón River, situated at the crossing of two great early medieval routes, one from Pau to Zaragoza. Jaca was the city out of which the County and Kingdom of Aragon developed. It was the capital of Aragon until 1097 and also the capital of Jacetania.
Jaca is also an important garrison town for the Spanish Army.
See
- 🌍 Catedral de San Pedro Apóstol, Plaza de la Catedral. It was the first Romanesque cathedral built in Aragon (1070s - early 12th century) and one of the oldest in the Iberian peninsula. Its current appearance is the result of later additions and modifications introduced especially in the early modern period (from the late 15th to late 18th century).
- 🌍 Castle of San Pedro, Av. del Primer Viernes de Mayo. 16th-century castle.
- The Diocesan Museum of Jaca (Museum of Medieval Sacred Art) protects Romanesque and Gothic frescoes, some of which were found in the most remote locations in the Jaca district.
Do
Jaca is a tourist destination in the region for summer holidays and winter sports. There are two major winter resorts (Valle de Astun and Candanchu) within a 30 km drive of the city. The city bid unsuccessfully for the 1998, 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics.
Eat
- 🌍 Mountain House, Av. de Francia, 34, ☏ +34 974 36 36 13. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options
- 🌍 Casa del Arco, Calle San Nicolás, 4, ☏ +34 974 36 44 48. Vegetarian restaurant close to the Cathedral
Sleep
- 🌍 Hotel Lacasa Faus Hutte, Carretera de Francia, km 658.5, ☏ +34974378136. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Lacasa Faus-Hutte is 1000 meters above the heart of the west side of Pirineos Mountain, 12 minutes from the ski stations of Astún & Candanchú. Jaca city is 12 far from Lacasa Faus-Hutte. There is easy access to the valleys of Ansó, Hecho, Ordesa, El Roncal and Valle de Tena. €42-96.