Alquézar is one of the most beautiful towns in Spain, all around the country tourists visit this city. Just 2 hours from Barcelona and Zaragoza this town represents the beauty of the Aragon region.
Parking info: sometimes the town is very crowded so, the parking is located outside the center, you need to walk 10min but the view is worth it.
ALQUÉZAR
The Arabic toponym “Alquézar” (al-Qasr) means fortress and clearly alludes to its military origin. It is a village that arose in the shadow of a castle, populating the foothills of the mountain. It was one of the main fortresses of the Barbitania, protecting access to Barbastro. According to Muslim chroniclers, it first belonged to the Banu Khalaf and was conquered in 893 by Ismail ibn Muza, of the Banu Qasi of Zaragoza, and later taken by al-Tawil. In 938, Abd al-Rahman III named his son Yahia governor of Barbastro and Alquézar.
As the process of the Reconquest advances towards the lowlands (Barbastro, Huesca,…) it loses importance as a strategic military fortress and will become a religious institution and commercial center of the region.
WHAT TO DO
The collegiate church of Alquézar has its origin in an ancient Arab fortress founded in the ninth century by King Khalaf ibn Rasid ibn Asad to stop the advance of Christian troops. Today the towers and walls are preserved, as well as the name of the village, which comes from the Arabic alcazar.
In the 11th century, the king of Aragon Sancho Ramirez conquered the castle and built a Romanesque church of which part of the cloister is preserved with historical capitals from the Old Testament. The walls of the cloister are decorated with fresco paintings from the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries that narrate scenes from the New Testament, this is the only cloister in Aragon that is preserved all painted. Entrance 3€, guided group every hour.
The Alquezar trail, is a semi-equipped mountain route, 3km long and 180 meters of positive slope. We will find areas of irregular path and areas of footbridges located in an idyllic setting where the landscape, cultural and environmental essences of the Natural Park of the Sierra and the Canyons of Guara are summarized.
The trail starts near the Rafael Ayerbe square, (former Plaza Mayor), right next to the Town Hall, under the Collegiate Church. Here we will be able to purchase our entrance ticket to the trail (if we have not previously purchased it through this website).
You will find someone to inform you on how to get your ticket and provide you with information about the route. Closed at 15h check the availability before to go.
GASTRONOMY
D.O. Somontano de Barbastro: The foothills of the Sierra de Guara are full of vineyards that offer us high-quality wine.
Olive oil: In the area, we are surrounded by olive groves, among other fields. The climate of the Sierra and the different varieties that we have to make us have excellent olive oil.
Cheeses: Several companies are in charge of the elaboration of different sheep and goat cheeses. Throughout the Sierra it is easy to find domestic goats, there are also farmers who are responsible for raising sheep.
