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Zaragoza is a unique destination to take part in a Spanish course. Situated between Barcelona and Madrid, Zaragoza is a historic city which is brought to life by its active university atmosphere. In Zaragoza, CloseTeachers has an excellent Spanish school which offers you quality courses at excellent prices. Choose from general Spanish courses, Business Spanish, preparation for the DELE exam and Intensive Spanish courses. The University's prominence within the city means that Zaragoza has plenty of bars and restaurants and excellent night-life. After classes, students are invited to take part leisure activities which will allow you to familiarise yourself with the city and the surrounding area.
Zaragoza, also known as Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former Kingdom of Aragon, Spain. It is situated near the centre of the region, in a valley with a variety of landscapes, ranging from desert to thick forest, meadows and mountains.
Zaragoza is the fifth largest city in Spain, so you can be sure to find plenty to occupy you if you choose to visit. Near the basilica on the banks of the Ebro are located the city hall, the Lonja, La Seo or Cathedral of San Salvador, a magnificent church built over the main mosque with Romanesque features dating from the 12th century.
Some distance from the centre of the old city is an extensive Moorish castle or palace called the Aljafería, the most important Moorish buildings in northern Spain and the setting for Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore. The Aragonese parliament currently sits in the building.
The churches of San Pablo, Santa María Magdalena and San Gil were built in 14th century, but the towers may be old minarets dating from the 11th century; San Miguel (14th century); Santiago and the Fecetas monastery are Baroque with Mudéjar ceilings of the 17th century. All the churches are Mudéjar monuments, making the old city a World Heritage Site.
Other important sights are the stately homes and magnificent palaces in the city, mainly dating from the 16th century: palaces of the count of Morata or Luna, Deán, Torrero (colegio de Arquitectos), Don Lope or Real Maestranza, count of Sástago, count of Argillo, are a few examples.
The most important Zaragoza museums are the Museo de Bellas Artes, with paintings by early Aragonese artists starting from the 15th century, and by El Greco, Ribera and Goya, and the Camon Aznar Museum, with paintings by such artists as Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Velazquez and Goya to Renoir, Manet and Sorolla.
Zaragoza is linked by legend to the origins of Christianity in Spain. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared miraculously to Saint James the Great in the first century, standing on a pillar. This legend is commemorated by a famous Catholic basilica called Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
For festivals, Zaragoza is also a good port of call. The event, called "Las Fiestas del Pilar", is celebrated on 12 October, which is a major festival day in Zaragoza. Since it coincided in 1492 with the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, that day is also celebrated as El Día de la Hispanidad (Columbus Day, literally Hispanic Day) by Spanish-speaking people worldwide.
"El Pilar" lasts for nine days, with all kinds of acts: from the massively attended Pregon (opening speech) to the final fireworks display over the Ebro, there are bands, dances, procession of gigantes y cabezudos (carnival figures made of papier mache), concerts, exhibitions, the famous "vaquillas" bulls and the bull festival. Some of the most important features are the Ofrenda de Flores to the virgin on the 12th, when an enormous cloak is made of the flowers.
Our school organises cultural activities that you can combine with your Spanish course. Zaragoza has a rich cultural life and the School offers Combined Courses with Salsa, Flamenco, wine-tasting and cookery. Nearby to Zaragoza are some of the most important wine regions in Spain; Cariñena and Campo de Borja. The School organises trips to vineyards and wine cellars so that you can lear about the art of wine-tasting.
By Car- The city is connected by motorway with Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and Toulouse - all of which are located about 300 kilometres from Zaragoza.
By Train- Zaragoza is also connected to the Spanish High Speed railway (Renfe's AVE), by the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed rail line. Madrid is reachable in 1 hour 15 minutes, and Barcelona in approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. The central station is "Intermodal Zaragoza Delicias Station" where they operate railway lines and buses. In addition to long distance railway lines or high speed railway, Zaragoza has a network of nearby links.
By Bus- You can get a bus to Zaragoza from Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia, Barcelona, Paris and Narbonne to name a few destinations. Please contact www.alsa.es for further information.
By Plane- You can fly to Zaragoza from Rome, Frankfurt, Madrid and Lanzarote to name a few destinations. Please contact www.aena.es for further information.