Discover Alcañiz: Holiday apartment between culture and nature

The Castillo de los Calatravos in Alcañiz preserves an important ensemble of Gothic murals. A large part of the depictions deals with secular rather than religious themes; the paintings date from the first half of the 14th century and represent a regional or local expression of the Franco-Gothic or Linear Gothic style. The Castillo stands on the Pui Pinos hill. It can be reached via a steep circular path and through a massive entrance arch, arranged at right angles to the wall following the pattern of Islamic fortifications.

Culture and history

The Santuario de la Virgen de los Pueyos is a Baroque building from the 17th century with a single-nave layout. Domes rise above the transept and the main chapel. The former collegiate church of Santa María la Mayor has three naves of equal height, side chapels, a projecting transept and a central dome. Its sacristy contains Gothic and Renaissance panels from the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Torre gótica is the only surviving part of Alcañiz’s former Gothic temple. Its construction began in the 14th century, was interrupted by the plague of 1348 and was not completed until the course of the 15th century. The town’s Oficina de Turismo organizes guided visits; visiting hours vary according to the season and are arranged by telephone. The rooftop terrace offers views over Alcañiz and its surroundings.

The underground passages are accessible from the Oficina de Turismo. On the tour, visitors can see a 15th-century wine cellar and an ice cellar from the late 17th century. The air-raid shelter of Alcañiz forms part of the historic old-town route and is visited and explained as part of the route organized by the Oficina de Turismo.

Holy Week in Alcañiz is characterized by blue tunics and percussion consisting exclusively of drums, without a bass drum. This Alcañiz Holy Week percussion tradition goes back to the initiative of Fray Mateo Pestel; the Pregón procession took place for the first time in 1678. A medieval market is also held in Alcañiz on the weekend before or after the feast of San Jorge.

The Val del Charco del Agua Amarga rock shelter is one of the caves and rock shelters with rock paintings recognized as Bienes de Interés Cultural. Paths leading to these rock paintings start from Alcañiz or Valdealgorfa. In the Molino harinero mayor building, the CIBA (Centro de lo Íberos del Bajo Aragón) displays original Iberian and Roman finds on the ground floor from numerous archaeological sites around Alcañiz. The upper floor houses the offices of the regulatory councils for Calanda peaches and extra virgin olive oil from Bajo Aragón.

Landscape and routes

At the La Estanca reservoir, environmentally friendly water sports such as canoeing, sailing and windsurfing are possible. There are also opportunities for cycling, hiking, horse riding and fishing. In personal planning, the different types of activity can be considered separate focuses alongside the cultural attractions.

Las Saladas is a group of around 30 enclosed salt basins in which salts become concentrated through evaporation. Dry-farming areas and hills covered with shrub vegetation lie between the basins. On the banks of the Guadalope, where the river flows through Alcañiz, a riverside park with paths and pleasant walking opportunities is being created.

The Vuelta a las trincheras route covers around 17 km through the surroundings of Alcañiz and combines experiences in nature with several trenches from the Spanish Civil War. Together with the shorter walks along the Guadalope and the activities at La Estanca, it offers a readily comparable range of different routes and activities.

Experiences with a special character

MotorLand offers guided circuit tours for schools, clubs and other groups. Areas that are normally subject to restricted access, such as the podium, press area, race control room and pits, are visited as part of the tour. MotorLand Aragón comprises an official race circuit, a karting track and several off-road motorsport tracks. The tracks are available to professionals and amateurs and, in addition to official competitions, are used for popular races, professional events and educational activities.

When comparing holiday apartments in Alcañiz, you can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation policies on the respective listing pages. This makes it possible to weigh cultural sites, routes, water activities and motorsport as different focuses of your own travel planning.

More places to discover: Alloza, Castellote, Valjunquera, Cuevas Labradas, La Cuba, Calaceite, Linares De Mora, Albentosa

To the higher-level travel overview: Teruel.