Alquezar is a small town in the province of Huesca in the autonomous community of Aragon. ( Aragon is a region in the north of Spain. ) located on the banks of the Vero River and at the foot of the limestone outcrop of Eocene age to the west of the canyon of the Rio Vero in the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park,, which is currently the most visited tourist destination.
Among the local attractions, especially want to highlight the ancient cathedral church of Santa Maria la Mayor, the ethnological museum and the limestone caves located in the vicinity of Alkesar with preserved prehistoric cave paintings. In 1998, these caves were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Today , Alkesar is a popular tourist destination ,Due to its location near the canyon with caves, where ancient people left a lot of rock paintings, it is considered to be an excellent starting point for tracking, canyoning, claiming and other elements of healthy lifestyle.
The town is popular with older tourists and travelers with children. One-day excursions are organized in the city, including a walk along the picturesque streets and familiarization with local attractions.
Access : Coordinates: 42.173889, -0.027222 / The Sierra de Guara is located in the province of Huesca and is a few kilometres from the capital of the same name. More specifically in the region of Somontano de Barbastro.
The easiest way to get there is by car. You must get to Barbastro by motorway and then national, and then take the regional road A-1232 / From Barcelona the best option is to take the A-2 Motorway to Lleida, in Lleida you have to take the Almacelles-Huesca Exit and take the A-22 Motorway that passes through the towns of Binefar and Monzon, take the First exit indicated by Barbastro, Ainsa, Benasque and Alquezar.
Highlights :
- The old town center with its narrow streets is the main attraction of the place for many visitors. Alquezar combines history and legend. The castle that gives its name to the town dates back to the 9th century, when it was built by Muslims to resist against the Christian kingdoms.
- Colegiata Santa Maria la Mayor : The collegiate church (Colegiata de Santa Maria la Mayor), which has an extremely defensive character (fortified church) on the outside, stands on the highest elevation of the place on the site of the former Moorish fortress, in whose premises Christian hermit monks had already taken root in the 11th century joined the Augustinian order in the 13th century. A first church was built, which was converted in the 16th century to the one-aisle church visible today, but with several side chapels. The museum on the top floor of the cloister presents altarpieces and other religious works of art from the late Middle Ages to the Baroque period.
- the parish church of San Miguel, which was built in the years 1681-1708. The three-aisled church shows a simple and strict baroque architecture, both inside and out, which completely dispenses with stone or stucco decorations.
- A well-signposted but difficult trail (Pasarelas del Vero) runs through parts of the Rio Vero gorge, only about 300 meters from Alquezar.
- 17th century museum with medieval, renaissance and baroque works , Casa Fabian Ethnological Museum / Sierra and Canyons de Guara Natural Park.
- Rio Vero Cultural Park : You can visit prehistoric paintings such as the Levantine deer of Chimiachas, along with more than sixty coats and other artistic and ethnological manifestations.
- Its medieval past lives on in its streets, in its houses, in the Gothic gate leading to the square and in its 17th-century museum. You can also find rock art samples in the caves of the Rio Vero Cultural Park.
- the Vero river has been the cause of the erosion of the terrain that has given rise to a steep landscape and ideal for the practice of canyoning and other adventure sports, such as caving and climbing. It also offers several excursions and routes, among which the singular Ruta de las Pasarelas stands out, which runs through the last section of the Vero river canyon.
- the walkways route that you can do is a visit to a winery. From Alquezar to Barbastro there are dozens of wineries that can be visited, since Somontano is a land of wines. Soon in another post I will talk about a winery in the area.
Events : November 8 in honor of Saint Nicostrato./ In January, the pilgrimage to the hermitage of San Antonio / Second Sunday of May, Pilgrimage to the Dulcis hermitage / In January, San Fabian.
Activities : sightseeing / photo opportunities / The town is an ideal place for practicing sports such as canoeing, climbing, climbing, horse riding, cycling.
Go next : Huesca , the capital city of the province by the same name. / Loarre One of the best Romanesque castles in Europe.
