Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almost a quarter of the total population of the province. The city is one of the smallest provincial capitals in Spain, but you would be surprised how pleasant is life there. Here we will list to you 10 reasons to visit the city of Huesca, who knows, maybe you will be convinced to go there one day or immediately! 😉
10 reasons to visit the city of Huesca
Catedral de Huesca
The Holy Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Huesca, is a Roman Catholic church in Huesca. It is the seat of the Bishop of Huesca. Its architecture is Gothic, and its construction began in the late 13th century. They finished in the early 16th century.
Huesca Museum
Museo de Huesca, or the Museum of Huesca was born as an initiative of the Provincial Commission of Monuments. It was to house the pictorial works gathered as a result of the suppression of several Alto Aragonese convents and other collections of diverse origins. This initiative materialized in 1873 thanks to the participation of Valentín Carderera, who personally assumed the creation of the museum and enriched the institution’s funds with the donation of a large part of his private collection. Likewise, Carderera obtained the deposit of several canvases belonging to the Museo de la Trinidad, now the Prado Museum.
Currently you can visit the Ramón Acín y & Goya exhibition: “Dos artistas más allá de su tiempo“.
Abbey of San Pedro el Viejo
Built-in the twelfth century this is one of the most important examples of Romanesque Aragonese architecture and art. A decoration above its main doorway shows a beautiful “Chrismon”, or monogram of Christ, depicting the Holy Trinity, a typical characteristic of this architectural style. An imposing hexagon tower rises to the side of the building. In this old monastery, to one side in old Romanesque cloisters are the tombs of King Alfonso I – The Warrior, and King Ramiro II – The Monk.
Parque Miguel Servet
This grandiose park is located in the city center. We were so lucky that our hotel was just right next to it. So even in the morning, we could take a walk in the park, as well as in the evening to enjoy a glass of Somontano wine at the open-air bar of the park.
The park has a wide diversity of tree species, among which are yews, magnolias, willows, horse chestnuts, varieties of cypress, mulberry, locust, linden, maple, laurel, cedar Himalayan common and some unique copies of the tree ginkgo biloba, one of a kind.
Basilica de San Lorenzo
Basilica de San Lorenzo is a major Baroque temple built between 1608 and 1703, over an older Gothic church. Due to the lack of financial resources sometimes citizens and workers on the temple donated their wages without asking for any reward. Its Altarpiece, carved in 1678 by Sebastian Ruesta and later decorated by Bartholomew Vicente, is a jewel of Baroque art. The most important sculpture in the basilica is the reliquary bust of San Lorenzo; the patron saint of the city.
The basilica got its name after San Lorenzo, who is the patron saint of cooks. After enduring terrible torture with whipping, hot iron bars, he was sentenced to die in a kind of giant iron grill. According to tradition, after a while of burning on the grill, he told the judge: “I am already roasted on one side. Now let them turn me to the other side to be completely roasted.” The executioner ordered him to be turned over and thus he was completely burned. Therefore we can see in the basilica many giant grills on the floor, at the entrance, on the facade, and as well as on the benches.
Plaza Luis López Allué & its coloUrful houses
This square is the perfect point for a get-together, for an afternoon drink, or even for a coffee in the morning. It is full of nice bars and the views are simply spectacular, wherever you turn you can admire the perfectly symmetric, nicely designed pink houses bordering almost the complete square.
Ultramarinos La Confianza
The oldest store in Spain, Ultramarinos la Conifanza is still open and welcomes visitors and shoppers. More than one hundred years of commercial activity guarantee the success of their business. They owe the idea to a French merchant Hilario Vallier who opened the doors of the establishment for the first time in 1871. At first, the elegant premises were used as haberdashery and silk with the sale of delicate products, including fine lace, porcelain, and beads. In a few years, it expanded with the sale of luxurious imported products, coming from overseas, aromatic coffees and chocolates, French liqueurs, or smoked foods. Nowadays we can still admire the old furniture, packaging, jars, and design elements, and can purchase many delicatessen products. Lovely place!
Ayuntamiento de Huesca
The city hall of Huesca – Ayuntamiento de Huesca is located on the Cathedral square and standing out with its impressive building.
Teatro Olimpia
The Olimpia Theater opened in June 1925. Its main facade is projected as a listed building. It emulates a neoclassical Greek temple with six fluted Ionic columns supporting a decorated pediment. In 2005 the Anselmo Pie Foundation undertook a major renovation project to bring the building up to modern standards and today it hosts all kinds of cultural events related to the performing arts.
Somontano D.O.
All around the city of Huesca we are able to taste better and better Somontano wines. We also had the chance to visit the Bodegas Alodia while we were visiting the neighboring village of Adahuesca.
Somontano is a wine region in Aragon, northern Spain, roughly 100km northeast of the city of Zaragoza. The region, which covers a wide range of terrain south of the Pyrenees, was granted DO status (now DOP) in 1984. We definitely recommend going for wine tasting in the region!
Visit & wine tasting at Bodega Pirineos!
Bodega Pirineos is one of the oldest wineries in the Somontano Designation of Origin. Created in 1964 as a wine growers cooperative, it has been growing without losing its essence. A mixture of tradition and modernity, your visit is an excellent journey through the history of wine in the Somontano. If we add to this the tasting of their wines accompanied by cheese and sausages in the area, it is an excellent way to spend a different day with family or friends.
How to get to the city of Huesca
By train
- From Barcelona, all the trains are going via Zaragoza, where you need to change. For more detailed information click here.
- From Madrid, majority of trains are also via Zaragoza, but some trains are direct. For more information click here.
By car
- From Zaragoza: It is approx. 1 – 1,5 hour drive, depending on the road we choose. E-7 / A-23 roads are the shortest and quickest.
- From Barcelona: It is approx. at least 3 hours drive. The best is to go ahead with A-2 and A-22 roads.
How to move around & in the city
By e-scooter
Recently wherever we go we always carry our e-scooters with us in the car, especially if we are going for a city break. We have faced so far many different regulations for e-scooters, depending on the region, province, comarca, city, or village. There are places in Spain (e.g. Segovia city) where e-scooters are simply prohibited. And of course, we have seen different regulations in case of the usage of the helmet, what kind of roads we can use it, etc.
Huesca from that point of view is heaven for e-scooter riders. You can ride even in the pedestrian streets. We have checked this information with the local police. The truth is that there are very few e-scooter users at the moment. So it might be the reason for the liberation of this vehicle for the time being.
By bike
Also by bike it is very easy to get around in Huesca. If you would like to book a bike, don’t hesitate to check our link below.
Where to stay in Huesca
We were very happy withour hotel, the location and the quality for the price were perfect. For accommodation in the city, take a look here:
Enjoy our discounts in Huesca
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