"The Corona de Aragon" Aragon by jorgejuansanchez

You will be delighted when discovering Aragon. Its history is amazing, and there was a time when the Corona de Aragon (Aragon Crown) dominated the whole Mediterranean Sea and many territories in France and Italy, apart from the today's spanish autonomies of Valencia, Catalonia and Balearic islands. The aragonese people even have a local language, called aragonese, mostly spoken in the north, around the beautiful town of Jaca.
The Pirineos (Pyrenees in french) mountains in Aragon are the most beautiful and spectacular in Spain, with its highest peak (3404 meters), called Aneto in Spain and Nethou in France. Other spanish autonomies, such as Navarra, Catalonia and Basque country, also share these mountains.
Aragon has three provinces: Huesca in the north, with its natural beauty, Zaragoza in the center, and Teruel in the south.
Huesca has many ski resorts, while Zaragoza province is very rich in historical buildings. Teruel is famous for its MUDEJAR style, an unique and impressive architecture in the world, which is a mixture of mauritanian and spanish styles combined.
Aragon does not have good roads or railway communications with France; they are still fighting to get a train conexion with Toulouse, which was interrupted several decades ago. That is bad for their economy, and the reason why the few tourists who visit this autonomy will be more than welcome.
One of the Camino de Santiago starts in Somport, north of Huesca province, and pass near the cradle of the Kingdom of Aragon: the startling monastery of San Juan de la Pena (rock in english), which is a must for every pilgrim and tourist alike, and according to the legend, it contained in the past the Holy Grial, which is now in Valencia Cathedral.
While in Zaragoza (the lovely capital of Aragon situated in the banks of the river Ebro, the longest in Spain), you should visit one of the holiest places in Spain: the Basilica del Pilar, a place for pilgrims, like Fatima in Portugal or Lourdes in France. Inside you will see two frescoes painted by famous aragonese artist Francisco de Goya.
Another interesting highlight in Zaragoza is the Palacio de la Aljaferia, which was a muslim fortress in the XI century (see picture) and today represents the seat of the Aragon Government.
While in Zaragoza capital you should buy Aragon Fruits, or delicious dried fruits with chocolate, just for 3 or 4 euros a 300 grams bag, and try the good Carinena wine together with a good dish of aragonese ternasco.

• Pros:Aragon people are very friendly
• Cons:none
• In a nutshell:Birthplace of the genius Francisco de Goya