Aragon! bitter earth with stone overtones. We go there for its wild sierras, its villages, its fantastic landscapes where canyons of gray limestone or red pudding carve the cliffs under the whirling of griffon vultures. But also, for its cool altitude in summer, its hiking, signposted and sporting trails. Without forgetting the costilladas of lamb, Teruel ham and the heady local red wines.

Between Navarre and Catalonia, south of the Pyrenees, Aragon stretches around Huesca, Zaragoza and Teruel, covering almost 50,000 km 2. Crossed by the Ebro, this ancient kingdom, which has become an autonomous mainly agricultural community, remains a discreet and unspoiled region, which makes it all its charm.

The rural exodus and the pastoral civilization marked the sierras where the shepherds still lead the flocks of sheep with their dogs. And maybe, at nightfall, you will hear the melody of an Aragonese jota.

Here, we live like out of time. In Haut-Aragon, smoke comes out from the slate cones of the “Saracen” chimneys, the house’s central hearth. The openings in the facade, sometimes covered with a coat of arms, are painted with blue lime.

The summer sun dazzles the vision of immense panoramas, sometimes dotted with a few wind turbines. But don’t they make you think of the Quijotte mills? Thyme, rosemary, savory, century-old junipers perfume the trays with lean green oaks.

The superb roads lead to the smallest hermitages, ideal for picnics. The trails marked white red, still offer solitary discoveries.

Huesca Province
Between the Pyrenees and the Ebro, the tormented reliefs multiply around the plain of Huesca.

Sierras inescapable

– To the north, the Ordesa and Mont Perdu national park (3,355 m) aligns its terraced walls on the Pardina and Niscle sides. Further south, the Pena Montañesa and the Turbon are magical places for walks in the mountains.

– The Jacetania opens onto the formidable Mallos de Riglos (photo), the eighth wonder of the world of geographers. Red towers of pudding which raise their portico of 300 m facing the gray Mallos of Agüero.

– East of Huesca, the Sierra de Guara, already explored by the French Lucien Briet in the early 20 th century is a bit overgrown in summer by a craze publicized. The canyons of Mascun sous Rodellar (761 m) and the Rio Vero around Alquezar deserve another season…

– To the east of Zaragoza, the discreet hills of the Monegros invite you to enter the Mozarabic past of its cob castles.

The most beautiful walks

– The Mirador de los Buitres track, vulture belvedere, from Ayerbe, for a superb view of the Mallos de Riglos and a visit to the neighboring castle of Loarre.

. – Otin, abandoned village, descending on foot through the Costera de Rodellar to climb up among the erosions of the Mascun (one day return).

Favorites

– La Cartuja de los Monegros from Lanaja, open on Sunday morning. Frescoes by Manuel Bayeu, Goya’s brother-in-law, and site of the Charterhouse.

– Roda de Isabeña, for the Romanesque paintings of his church contrasting with a bare and lunar environment.

Province of Zaragoza
The smallest of the Aragonese provinces is not the least, with one of its highest peaks, the Moncayo, a great painter, Francisco Goya, and the capital of Aragon, Zaragoza.

Sierras inescapable

Pointing north to Sos del Rey Catolico, “cradle of the Catholic king” Ferdinand in 1452, the Sierra de Cinco Villas is little known. Arid, its castles and ruins deserve before arriving at the Aragonese, wooded and agricultural Bardenas.

West of Zaragoza, the isolated Moncayo massif (2,314 m) is a real water tower for spas. Long frequented by witches, the Moncayo is forgiven at the Cistercian monastery of Veruela.

The most beautiful walks

– The Cinco Villas route leads from the stronghold of Sos del Rey catolico to Ejea de los Cabalerros by Uncastillo. A succession of niches and proud castles in Spain.

– The Goya circuit revolves around Zaragoza, with the works of the Cartuja by Aula Dei to the north, the engravings of the Aznar museum in Zaragoza, the parish church of Calatayud, his native village in Fuendetodos and the hermitage of Fuente in the south .

Favorites

– The ruins of Belchite, a martyr village, can only impress. They bear witness to the atrocities of the civil war in 1937.

– Daroca is a fine example of a Spanish fortified city. Historical past, ramparts, countless churches with recognized miracles, local market, atmosphere and good products, Buen provecho! Enjoy your meal.

Teruel Province
Teruel and Sierras are the lands of Mudejar art, mixing Arabic and Christian style dating from the Reconquista (8th-15ths).

Sierras inescapable

The southern province of Teruel is divided between the Universal Mountains (1,920 m) with prehistoric shelters around the superb fortified red houses of Albarracin and the Maestrazgo with the hilltop village of Villarluengo (1,119 m).

This last mountain range with curious reliefs such as Los Organos de Montoro, and fortified houses, or masas, plunges onto the Matarraña, country of bories and dry stone. A region with hidden corners still well hidden and turned towards the Mediterranean.

The most beautiful walks

– The sources of Pitarque are the subject of a half-day hike. Passing through the huertas, vegetable gardens, the path leads to a beautiful resurgence consecrated by the layout of a pilgrimage on the rocks of this captivating site.

. – The route of rock shelters, from Albarracin, leads to the shelters of Callejon del Plou and Prado del Navazo (Bezas, 4 km), with white paintings on an ocher background.

Favorites

– The Gallocanta lagoon, north of Teruel, is the meeting place for the cranes during their winter migration. A saltwater nature reserve which shelters more than 200 species of birds in its wild reed beds. Observation posts.

– El Nacimiento del Tajo, the sources of the Tagus at Frias del Abarracin, wooded and wild plateau, are indicated by gigantic statues. They watch over this tiny little stream which will become big.

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