Torres de Berrellén: El Castellar, Trails along the Ebro and Melon Tradition

In Torres de Berrellén, the Iglesia de San Andrés has been classified since 2002 as a Bien Catalogado del Patrimonio Cultural Aragonés and is therefore a protected cultural asset of Aragonese cultural heritage.

Culture and history

In the centre of the main square named after Juan Pablo Bonet stands the Monumento a Juan Pablo Bonet. A tribute to Juan Pablo Bonet is held every year on the first Sunday in February: the Asociación de Sordos de Zaragoza comes to his statue in Torres de Berrellén and lays a bouquet of flowers there.

The local festivals in honour of Santa María Magdalena take place on 22 July and usually last four to five days.

El Castellar is one of the castles of Aragon considered Bienes de Interés Cultural. In El Castellar, the remains of a castle beside the church and cemetery, the remains of former houses on the mountainside and parts of the fortification wall have been preserved. The El Castellar complex is situated on a gypsum outcrop, which was used as the main building material; remains of an entrance gate, masonry, residential buildings, drainage pipes and burials have also been preserved.

The Palacio de los duques de Villahermosa is a 17th-century building in the Aragonese Renaissance style and now serves as the town hall. Its exterior is whitewashed in Aragonese blue and features a large entrance arch, iron balconies and a continuous wooden roof overhang.

Trails and landscape

The Camino Natural del Ebro reaches Torres de Berrellén after crossing the Jalón over a bridge. After leaving Torres de Berrellén, the route passes beneath the cliffs of the Ermita del Castellar and reaches the Soto del Rompedizo.

The Ruta del Jalón follows a path parallel to the Ebro to its mouth, where visitors can enjoy the surrounding area. CicloRed includes an easy cycling route that connects Torres de Berrellén with Sobradiel along the river via the Camino de la Barca. Stage 11 of the Camino Jacobeo del Ebro runs from Zaragoza to Alagón via Monzalbarba, Sobradiel and Torres de Berrellén.

Pilgrimage traditions

Torres de Berrellén has a municipal pilgrims’ hostel on the Camino del Ebro, the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, and on the GR-99, also known as the Ruta del Ebro. The Ermita de la Virgen del Castellar is a 19th-century sanctuary dating from 1853 and is located in the Montes del Castellar. Access to it is restricted because it lies within the grounds of the Spanish Army’s San Gregorio military training area.

The residents of Torres de Berrellén make a pilgrimage every year on 8 May and on the last Sunday in September to the Ermita de la Virgen del Castellar. The Dance de Torres has been documented by initial records since 1851 and is recorded as a performance on 8 and 9 May in honour of the Virgen del Castellar and San Gregorio. Every four to five years, a six-part theatrical performance of Moros y Cristianos is recorded for the Dance de Torres; it is performed only if a group is formed for the year in question.

If you are planning a holiday apartment stay in Torres de Berrellén, compare travel dates, room category and cancellation policies on the respective offer page. Different lengths of stay can thereby be compared clearly. The three fields provide the comparison with a clear, objective structure.

Regional cuisine

The Melón de Torres de Berrellén was included by Slow Food International in the “Arca del Gusto” project, which includes products for the protection of biodiversity as well as agricultural and culinary traditions. It is used fresh and unprocessed, as well as for ice cream, salads, soups, sorbets, jams, pickled preparations and glazes, among other things. As part of “PA´ MELONES LOS DE TORRES”, a staged tasting, a Jota tasting and guided tours designed by professional artists are offered.

Other destinations include: Belchite, Herrera De Los Navarros, Ateca, Castejón De Las Armas, Villarroya de la Sierra, Sobradiel, Mesones De Isuela, Brea De Aragón.

For the higher-level travel overview: Zaragoza.