20 Best Sights in The Pyrenees, Spain

This 12th-century cathedral is the finest in the Pyrenees, and the sunlight casting the rich reds and blues of Santa Maria's southeastern rose window into the deep gloom of the transept is a moving sight. The 13th-century cloister is famous for the individually hewn, often whimsical capitals on its 50 columns, crafted by the same Roussillon school of masons who carved the doorway on the church of Santa Maria in Ripoll. Don't miss the haunting 11th-century chapel of Sant Miquel or the Diocesan Museum, which has a collection of striking medieval murals from various Pyrenean churches and a colorfully illuminated 10th-century Mozarabic manuscript of the monk Beatus de Liébana's commentary on the apocalypse.  Be aware of the limited visiting hours: Monday through Friday from 10–1:30 and 4–6, and Saturdays from 10–1 only (changes seasonally).

This basilica on the banks of the Ebro, often shortened to La Pilarica or El Pilar, is Zaragoza's symbol and pride. An immense baroque structure with 11 vivid tile-topped cupolas, La Pilarica is home to the Virgen del Pilar, patron saint of peninsular Spain and the entire Hispanic world. The fiestas honoring this most Spanish of saints, held in mid-October, are ushered in with processions, street concerts, bullfights, and traditional jota dancing. Among the basilica's treasures are two frescoes by Goya—one of them, El Coreto de la Vírgen, painted when he was young, and the other, Regina Martirum, after his studies in Italy. The bombs displayed to the right of the altar of La Pilarica chapel fell through the roof of the church in 1936 and miraculously failed to explode. Behind La Pilarica's altar is the tiny opening where the devout line up to kiss the rough marble pillar where La Pilarica is said to have been discovered.

The origins of this cliffside sanctuary can be traced to the 9th century, when a hermit monk named Juan settled here on the peña (cliff). A monastery was founded on the spot in 920, and in 1071, Sancho Ramírez, son of King Ramiro I, made use of the structure, which was built into the mountain's rock wall, to found this Benedictine monastery. The highlight is the cloister, which is tucked under the cliff and dates to the 12th century. Partially in ruin, it contains intricately carved capitals depicting zoomorphic and biblical scenes of Paradise. The church of the new monastery contains the Kingdom of Aragon Interpretation Centre, where audio guides in English are available. 

At the edge of town, this exquisite three-nave Romanesque church was built in 1123. The six-story belfry has perfect proportions, with Pyrenean stone that changes hues with the light, and a sense of intimacy and balance. In 1922 Barcelona's Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya removed the murals for safekeeping, including the famous Pantocrator, the work of the "Master of Taüll." The murals presently in the church are reproductions.

The octagonal 14th-century bell tower makes this 12th-century church unmistakable. Walk through the 13th-century portico, adorned with 59 figurines, then meander toward the 15th-century Gothic altar. Beside it is one of the most important examples of Romanesque Catalan art, the 12th-century wood carving Crist de Mijaran. Uniquely expressive for its time, this bust of Christ is believed to be the sole remnant of a monumental ensemble depicting the Descent from the Cross that was likely destroyed (or stolen) by the French in the 15th century. The bust, which spent the civil war years stashed away in Switzerland, today sits under glass in a temperature-controlled case.

Zaragoza's main cathedral, at the eastern end of Plaza del Pilar, is the city's bishopric, or diocesan seo (seat). It was built in many architectural styles: Mudejar (brick-and-tile exterior), Gothic (altarpiece), churrigueresque (doorways), and baroque (facade). The Museo de Tapices within contains medieval tapestries. The nearby medieval Casa y Arco del Deán form one of the city's favorite corners.

The Colegiata, originally a 9th-century Moorish alcázar (citadel) for which the town is named, was conquered by the Christians in 1067. An interesting mix of Gothic, Mudejar, and Renaissance details are found in the shaded cloister, and there are biblical murals that date to the Romanesque era. The church, built in the 16th century, contains an almost life-size Romanesque figure of Christ, but restoration has taken away some of the building's charm—its interior brickwork is now only a painted representation. Visits are conducted via guided tour (Spanish only) and usually depart every 30 minutes. 

An intricately carved gallery tops the eroded facade of Huesca's 13th-century Gothic cathedral. Damián Forment, a protégé of the 15th-century Italian master sculptor Donatello, created the alabaster altarpiece, which dates to 1533 and has scenes from the Crucifixion.

After the basilica and La Seo, this church, with intricate Mudejar brickwork, is considered by Zaragozanos to be the "third cathedral."

This 12th-century Romanesque church, with its quadruple-vaulted door and 13th-century cloister, is in the corner of the attractive, porticoed Plaza Mayor.

An important stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Jaca's 11th-century Catedral de San Pedro has lovely carved capitals and was the first French-Romanesque cathedral in Spain, paving the way for later Spanish Romanesque architecture. Inside the cathedral and near the cloisters, the Museo Diocesano has excellent Romanesque and Gothic frescoes and artifacts collected from nearby churches.

At the upper edge of town, this fortified church has wonderful acoustics.

The area's most important monument, the 9th-century retreat of Monasterio de San Pedro de Siresa presides over the village of Siresa, 2 km (1 mile) north of Hecho. Only the 11th-century church remains, but it is a marvelous example of Romanesque architecture. Cheso, a medieval Aragonese dialect descended from the Latin spoken by the Siresa monks, is thought to be the closest to Latin of all Romance languages and dialects. It has been kept alive in the Hecho Valley, especially in the works of local poet Veremundo Méndez Coarasa.

In the 12th-century Romanesque church of Sant Joan, the altarpiece—a 13th-century polychrome wood sculpture of the Descent from the Cross—is one of the most expressive and human of that epoch. Wilfred the Hairy gifted this church to his daughter, Emma, and did the same for his son Radulfo with the Monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll.  See Ripoll sights.

Decorated with a pageant of biblical figures, the 12th-century doorway to the church is one of Catalonia's great works of Romanesque art. It was crafted as a triumphal arch by stonemasons and sculptors of the Roussillon school, which was centered on French Catalonia and the Pyrenees. You can pick up a guide to the figures surrounding the portal in the nearby Centro de Interpretación del Monasterio, in Plaça de l'Abat Oliva. The center has an exhibition space (Catalan only) that explains the historical, cultural, and religious relevance of this so-called cradle of Catalonia. It also provides information about guided tours.

Built on the orders of King Sancho VII el Fuerte (the Strong), the Collegiate Church houses the king's tomb, which measures more than 7 feet long.

This Benedictine abbey has an 11th-century cloister. Ramiro II and his father, Alfonso I, the only Aragonese kings not entombed at San Juan de la Peña, rest in a side chapel.

The 12th-century Romanesque church of Sant Cristòfol (St. Christopher) has a diminutive bell tower and a rare six-foot Majestat—a polychrome wood carving of the risen Christ in head-to-foot robes that dates to the 12th century. If the church is closed (there are no regular hours, though visitors report having luck on weekday mornings and weekend afternoons), ask in the bar-restaurant behind the church, or in El Forn de Beget, and someone may direct you to the keeper of the key. 

Partly in ruins, this 11th-century chapel used to be an important way station on the route into the Vall d'Aran from France. The beveled hexagonal bell tower and the rounded stones, which look as if they came from a brook bottom, give the structure a curious stippled texture. The Romería de Nuestra Señora de Montgarri (Feast of Our Lady of Montgarri), on July 2, is a country fair with food, games, music, and dance. The sanctuary can be reached by following the C142 road until Beret and then walking 6 km (4 miles) along a dirt track that can also be accessed by off-road vehicles. It is difficult to get there during the winter snow season.

The legend of this Marian religious retreat is based on the story of Sant Gil of Nîmes, who did penance in the Núria Valley during the 7th century. The saint left behind a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, a bell he used to summon shepherds to prayer, and a cooking pot; 300 years later, a pilgrim found these treasures in this sanctuary. The bell and the pot came to have special importance to infertile women, who, according to local lore, would be blessed with as many children as they wished after placing their heads in the pot and ringing the bell.