Good culinary traditions should never be lost. While Zaragoza embraces street food, fusion cuisine and fine dining, some restaurants continue to champion the flavors of the past.
The DPZ Chair on Depopulation and Creativity of the Zaragoza Provincial Council and the University of Zaragoza presented the prizes on Wednesday for the eighth edition of the “How Beautiful Life Is...in My Village” story and video competition. The awards were presented at an event held in the former plenary hall of the Zaragoza Provincial Council, attended by more than 150 people, including winners, relatives and provincial deputies.
It is no surprise that Aragon, shaped by centuries of historical events, boasts such a rich monumental heritage. Yet the passage of time has also brought difficulties and deterioration to several monuments across the region, threatening their survival in recent years. One of them spent more than 15 years on Hispania Nostra’s Red List of Heritage because of the risk of disappearance it faced. Now, the fortification has been brought back to life following conservation work that has moved it onto the Green List.
Rent payments, food and school expenses for young children have once again placed emergency aid at the center of Zaragoza’s political debate. Zaragoza en Común denounced on Wednesday that the City Council had allocated €6,002,233 by June 30 to cover basic needs, compared with €7,706,422 during the same period in 2023. Zaragoza City Council, for its part, argues that some families’ difficulties in accessing this aid are linked to “the Spanish Government’s inability to approve the General State Budgets since 2023.”
Municipal aid for businesses affected by construction works in Zaragoza will be expanded to reflect the actual impact of the projects. Zaragoza City Council will inspect the streets included in the call for applications to determine whether the works have extended beyond the initially planned limits and, where applicable, will allow businesses affected by the disruption to be added even if they were not shown on the maps. Inclusion may also be granted retroactively, ensuring that establishments do not lose the aid to which they are entitled.
Zaragoza’s GranCasa shopping center is preparing for the arrival of a new all-you-can-eat restaurant. Ocean Wok will occupy the space previously associated with Muerde La Pasta on the top floor of the shopping center, offering Asian cuisine under an “eat without limits” concept.
The 129 grapevines planted in Zaragoza’s Macanaz Park are once again at the center of political debate. Vox councilor David Flores has questioned their condition and called on the city government to provide details on the results achieved a year and a half after their planting, a project initially funded with €42,000. In response, Culture Councillor Sara Fernández has defended the initiative, stressing that the Garnacha Garden was not created as a wine-producing operation but as a renaturalization project and a tourism, landscape and educational resource.
The mobile roof of La Misericordia Bullring will not be usable during the upcoming Pilar Festival after being removed due to its condition. Maricarmen Lázaro, spokesperson for the Popular Party group in the Zaragoza Provincial Council, has demanded explanations from the institution's president, Juan Antonio Sánchez Quero.
The future of the former Alumalsa site in the San José neighborhood has sparked a new political confrontation between the PSOE and Zaragoza City Council. Socialists have accused Mayor Natalia Chueca of breaking her promise to use the land for public and affordable housing, as well as parking and green spaces, while Zaragoza City Council maintains that the site retains the same residential zoning established by previous left-wing administrations and argues that its sale will generate funds to promote public housing elsewhere in the city.
A second chance for young people who, for one reason or another, have been left outside the education system. The Casco Viejo Social and Employment Training Center has opened new facilities on Calle Monreal, with 1,000 square meters of classrooms and workshops, new machinery and furniture, and a training program designed to bring students closer to the job market. Managed by the San Valero Group, the project is also celebrating 25 years of history, during which more than 4,400 young people facing difficulties with social and employment integration have passed through its classrooms.
Zaragoza’s fountains will turn yellow on Wednesday night as part of an awareness initiative focused on sarcoma, a type of cancer affecting the bones or soft tissues. Zaragoza City Council is joining events organized this week by Hospital Clínico Universitario and Hospital Miguel Servet to raise awareness of the disease.
Alfonso I Street, one of the busiest roads in the historic center of the Aragonese capital, has been left with several planters without their plants after, according to Zaragoza City Council, someone removed them. The city council shared a video on social media showing the empty spaces left in the containers and reproached the person responsible: “An uncivilized citizen has decided to steal the plants from the planters on Zaragoza’s Alfonso Street. Plants that belong to all Zaragoza residents.”
For many, one of the best areas for tapas in Zaragoza is La Magdalena, where a walk along Calle Heroísmo reveals some of the city’s most distinctive bars. Taverns, small restaurants and characterful establishments line a street that retains much of the neighborhood’s hospitality heritage. However, one of these venues is closing its doors and is now looking for a new operator.
Miniso will open a new store this Friday, September 25, in one of Zaragoza’s major shopping centers. The opening, held as part of the lifestyle, gifts and entertainment brand’s expansion, will begin at 5 p.m. and include several surprises for those who visit during the first few hours.
Applying for Zaragoza’s Family Check has become easier and, above all, faster. The figures confirm this: of the 2,375 applications submitted in this round, 1,420 can be included in the first payment without needing corrections. According to Education Councillor Paloma Espinosa, that is more than double last year’s figure, when 656 families qualified for the first resolution.
Anyone who has crossed Plaza de los Sitios in recent months will have found its central monument surrounded by scaffolding, as the eagle crowning it was at risk of coming loose. The city council has announced that the scaffolding will begin to be removed this week, meaning the monument will be fully visible before the Pilar festivities begin.
Parque Goya is expanding its retail offering with the opening of a new store. It is a Dia store located at 3 Paseo Rafael Esteve, bringing residents a complete, convenient and affordable shopping option as part of the company’s commitment to its proximity model in Aragón.
FCC Medio Ambiente has once again defended its position amid the threat of a strike in Zaragoza’s cleaning and waste collection service during the Pilar festivities and said it remains committed to reaching an agreement with workers’ representatives. The company says its priority is to guarantee service provision and notes that current working conditions are set out in the contractual framework and agreements reached with union representatives.
After several years on hold due to the pandemic, Zaragoza is bringing back the San Miguel festivities this year. This beloved area, located between a neighborhood and the city center, has scheduled a series of events to restore excitement to the streets and offer the best lead-up to the 2026 Pilar festivities.
Aragonese cuisine has one of its greatest attractions in grilled meats, with ternasco among its most emblematic products. In Zaragoza, many restaurants and grills keep this tradition alive, offering dishes where quality ingredients and traditional cooking take center stage.
