Why you should visit Zaragoza instead of Barcelona in Spain

This summer, Barcelona locals protested visitors, marching with signs, blocking hotel entrances with duct tape and spraying tourists with water guns to send the message that travelers are not welcome.

Those planning trips to Europe may find this a disappointment, or perhaps they’ve decided they don’t want to contribute to mass tourism.

But another city in Spain can be just as enriching without the crowds.

Take it from Claire Sturzaker, a full-time solo traveler who has explored more than 40 countries and has two blogs about solo backpacking and visiting Spain.

Sturzaker traveled all over Spain by train and shared with Business Insider a hidden gem as an alternative destination to Barcelona – Zaragoza.

Swap Barcelona for Zaragoza

Sturzaker spent four nights in Zaragoza during a train trip across Spain in May. She recommends spending at least one weekend in the city as part of a longer trip to northern Spain.

The city in Spain’s Aragon region has existed for more than 2,000 years and has a rich and diverse cultural history, she said. It started as a Roman colony, was under Muslim rule for several centuries, and then the Christians with the Crown of Aragon took over in 1118.

Walking through the historic old town, Sturzaker saw architecture and culture from all these periods. She wandered around Roman ruins such as the public baths and the Roman Theatre. She saw Mudéjar Islamic architecture, such as the Aljafería Palace.

She wrote on her blog that she recommends booking a hotel in Plaza del Pilar, a square full of historic buildings from Christian rule.

For example, she said that La Seo Cathedral combines several architectural styles – Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Mudéjar and Baroque. And this is not the only noteworthy cathedral in the area.

“There is a very beautiful cathedral by the river – the Basilica del Pilar,” she told BI. “It has a bell tower that you can climb for nice views of the city as a whole.”

Near the Basilica del Pilar, she recommends visiting the Stone Bridge for sunset views.

For delicious local fare, Sturzaker recommends a food and bar crawl through El Tubo.

“The El Tubo neighborhood is full of tapas bars where you can try a wide range of Basque-style tapas and pintxos,” she said.

She wrote that some of her favorite places there are La Gerencia del Tubo, La Tasca del Tubo, El Meli del Tubo, and Bula del Tubo.

After seeing Zaragoza for the first time earlier this year, Sturzaker thought, “Why haven’t I been here before?”

And maybe you will too.