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WHAT LIFE ART, TRAVELLING 1 WAS LIKE IN 2 THROUGH TIME MEDIEVAL CASTLES La Hoya de Huesca introduces visitors to the Located at the foot of the pre-Pyrenean mountain history of art in just a few kilometres. It boasts ranges, atop rocky summits or hilltops, stand some of the most beautiful and precious examples two of the most important fortresses in Aragon: of Romanesque art in the whole of Aragon, such as the Castle of Loarre and the Castle-Abbey the church of Santiago de Agüero, a monumental of Montearagón, in Quicena. Their strategic building, which is still unfinished, that showcases location and history date back to the 11th century, an array of mason’s marks and features unique when they were founded by Aragon monarchs sculptures: the façade displays a capital with a to counter the Muslim border and to assault the sinuous and acrobatic dancer and the tympanum city of Huesca. Despite the range of avatars, both depicts the Adoration of the Magi. Near Ibieca preserve their military and religious framework stands the chapel of San Miguel de Foces, built –walls, towers, watch towers and keep, guards, between the Romanesque and the Gothic periods. courtyards, churches–, and other areas –cistern The construction houses the tombs of the Foces tanks, store rooms, kitchens, stables–, which family, with walls decorated with Gothic paintings, reveal what life was like in medieval castles. a succession of images and scenes –akin to a Furthermore, Loarre is the largest Romanesque comic strip–, with colourful figures. Lastly, Huesca military complex in Europe and, therefore, in the accommodates the Centro de Arte y Naturaleza world. Thus, this construction has often been (Centre for Art and Nature, CDAN)- Fundación used for documentary purposes and featured in Beulas, an extraordinary contemporary art museum, major movies, such as Ridley Scott’s The Kingdom which specialises in art, landscape and nature and of Heaven (2005). regularly offers courses, educational workshops and activities for kids. ROCKS HAVE HOW OUR 3 A LOT TO SAY 4 GRANDPARENTS LIVED Crags, towers, mallets and other rocky outlines create some of the most emblematic and photogenic Most of our grandparents spent the day out on the landscapes in La Hoya de Huesca. The steep and fields, working from sun up to sun down. Machines vigorous forms have been sculpted by unimaginable were not used to work the fields. Their houses were centuries of erosion, which has responded to the not equipped with electricity or running water. different natural elements and resistance of the rocks Some of the interpretation centres in La Hoya de in the area. The hard conglomerates in the mallets Huesca recreate the experience of that reality and and the sandstone on the southern mountain ranges the changes that have been introduced in recent have all been modified by the whims of the water decades. Near Castilsabás, by the Hermitage and the wind. Don’t forget to visit the challenging of El Viñedo and surrounded by olive groves, and incredible mallos de Riglos (Riglos Cliffs), a there is a valuable ethnographic ensemble: an oil world class climbing location; or the appealing Salto mill that reveals how oil was produced in past de Roldán, with two large crags that act as a huge times. The village of Almudévar accommodates gateway that lets river Flumen flow into the plain of many wineries that have been dug out in the hills. La Hoya; or the evocative Peña del Mediodía which “El Bodegón” reveals how wine is produced towers up 25m over the locality of Piracés. There traditionally. Salillas accommodates a snow are many legends that explain these peculiar rocky dome, topped with a dome with spectacular ribs, shapes. Such as the weaving witch of the mallets or which teaches how snow or ice was stored to the legend of the knight of Roldán, who escaped from preserve food, cool drinks and for therapeutic uses. the Moors when his horse jumped over the two huge Lastly, the fountain of Los Moros is a monumental crags. well-fountain located in Albero Alto, a medieval memento of how the population sought for and treated a very precious resource: water. THE MYSTERY OF BIRDS OF PREY 5 MIGRATION 6 AND THEIR WORLD The wetlands, reservoirs and lakes are one of At the foot of the stunning cliffs in Riglos stands the La Hoya’s greatest attractions. These locations Arcaz bird interpretation centre. Furthermore, the create exceptional habitats that preserve the hills of Sierra de Guara in Santa Cilia de Panzano, biodiversity of the area. The most notable is accommodate the Casa de los Buitres (Vulture Alboré, located in Montmesa, a lake that is House). Both venues fall within the “Vultouris” currently part of the La Sotonera reservoir. system, an international bird-watching network which Its location at the foot of the Pyrenees grants it includes the two centres in La Hoya, three centres major strategic value, especially in the fascinating in Navarra (Lumbier, Ochagavía and Roncal) and and enigmatic context of bird migrations. The one in France, Aste-Béon (Valle d’Ossau). The main shallow waters and the shores, bordered with purpose of these centres is to protect and disseminate tamarix, accommodate hosts of species, and in information on the scavenger birds that inhabit the the winter flocks of ducks and other aquatic birds Pyrenees. These centres accommodate exhibitions on make this their temporary home. It is easy to see the lammergeier, the Egyptian vulture and the griffon the hen harrier and the Western marsh-harrier. vulture, with stunning populations in Riglos and Santa However, the best season for bird-watching Cilia. Binoculars in hand, visitors will be sure to catch falls within the pre-nuptial migration, in late sight of the birds. It is also possible to see vulture winter –in February and March–, when dozens of nests thanks to video cameras set up in the mallets, or thousands cranes rest in La Sotonera and Alboré feeding times in the Santa Cilia dump. Close ups and before flying over the mountain range on their exceptional sequences provide information on the way to the north of Europe. biology of these majestic birds. WHAT DESKS THE SECRETS OF 7 CAN TEACH US 8 MIGUEL SERVET ABOUT SCHOOL PARK Museo Pedagógico de Aragón (Aragon Museum of This park, called Parque de Huesca, was Education). inaugurated in 1930 and is named after Miguel Servet, At each moment in history, school has always an illustrious theologist and thinker from Aragon, reflected the values of society. It is part of our who was born in Villanueva de Sigena. As well as lives, of the lives of contemporary children and the perfect setting for a relaxing stroll, the park is an of the lives of children who studied in the past. In extraordinary botanical garden: it hosts almost 80 this sense, the Museo Pedagógico de Aragón, species of trees and shrubs including platanaceae, in Huesca, is a must for anyone wanting to horse chestnuts, plum trees, cypresses, Aleppo Pine, learn about the history of school and education magnolias, willow, holly trees, lime trees, black poplar, in Aragon. Furthermore, the “La escuela de thujas, among others. There are unique specimens ayer” Interpretation Centre can be found in that make the park an exceptional location: a cork oak the locality of Linás de Marcuello, in Loarre. specimen, a peculiar crape myrtle, a very rare Ginkgo This old school, and teacher’s house, showcases a biloba, which Buddhists consider a sacred plant that is collection that transports visitors to rural schools related to longevity and is thought to be a living fossil from the late 19th century and early 20th century. –270-million year old fossil ginkgo leaves have been The schools where our parents and grandparents found. The park features monuments such as Las studied reflect the conditions in which they learnt Pajaritas (Little Birds) –made by Ramón Acín in 1929 and the material they used: satchels, abacus, as an avant-garde recreation of origami– which are posters, desks, school encyclopaedia, prayer books, a genuine symbol of the city; or Snow White’s house, maps, ink wells, quills and pencil cases, sewing a reproduction of the house that the seven dwarves instruments… A host of mementos that we can lived in which accommodates a toy library. compare with contemporary times. FLUVIAL ADVENTURE THE BEST 9 IN RIVERS AND 10 VIEWPOINTS AND RAVINES PATHS The region offers multiple leisure options for North-East of La Hoya de Huesca we find the Parque kids: hiking, tree watching, water activities... For Natural de Sierra y Cañones de Guara (Sierra family-friendly activities, head to the La Sotonera and Guara Canyons Nature Park), a protected reservoir –calm waters– and river Gállego – nature area that is home to important natural white water–, where several companies offer rafting and cultural resources and stunning landscapes, down the section between Murillo de Gállego inhabited by valuable flora and fauna. The park has and the Santa Eulalia bridge on a pneumatic raft. two interpretation centres: the Pascual Garrido Children must be over 8 years old to participate. centre in Arguis and the Altos de Guara centre in An aquatic-pedestrian outing in the heart of the Santa Cilia de Panzano. Both venues provide Parque Natural de Sierra y Cañones de Guara visitors with the specific facts about the park, and (Sierra and Guara Canyons Nature Park) is information on environmental education activities, also highly recommended. Departing from a pretty workshops and thematic visits. There are two easy little village called Nocito, the track sign-posted paths that are suited to kids and, also, offer some as S-8 leads the young adventurers into the La of the best views of the mountain range.

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