Zaragoza information
Calatayud: Surroundings and cuisine
Around Calatayud are various places with Mudejar-style monuments, like Ateca, Morata de Jiloca, Embid, Maluenda, Tobed and Torralba de Ribota.
Other places of interest are Daroca, a walled town with Arab remains; Ariza, which preserves its Jewish quarter; La Almunia de Doña Godina, the outstanding fruit and horticulture centre of Aragonand Fuendetodos, where the house where Francisco de Goya was born and the Engraving Museum can be found.
There are also various spas in the area. At Alhama de Aragón, Paracuellos de Jiloca or Jaraba you can enjoy waters offering all kinds of therapeutic treatments.
Another option is to go to Zaragoza. In the Aragonese capital you will find very beautiful monuments like the Basilica of the Pilar, the Cathedral and the Aljafería Palace. On 12 October the city dresses itself up to celebrate the Festival of the Pilar, declared of Tourist Interest.
The routes around Calatayud enable you to discover very diverse landscape. The Monasterio de Piedra (Stone Monastery) is a natural area with waterfalls and underground galleries running through exuberant vegetation. The park is within the boundaries of an old 16th-17th century monastery.
Gallocanta lake, one of the largest steppe lakes in the country, is a wetland where thousands of migratory birds find sanctuary. Between the towns of Bello and Tornos there is an interpretation centre for visiting this unusual ecosystem.
Calatayud's cuisine is largely supplied with products coming from the fields beside the Rivers Jalón and Jiloca. However, it shares some dishes with the rest of the province. Borage, typical of the Ebro Valley, is the main feature of many dishes, as are sweet onions.
Roast lamb can be very well accompanied with breadcrumbs stewed with grapes. Neither should you forget cold meats and cheeses, always accompanied by elaborate wines with their own Denomination of Origin.
Source: Web server of Instituto de Turismo de España, TURESPAÑA.