Jaca is a small town of about 14000 inhabitants located in the Huesca province, in the Spanish region of Aragon, right in the heart of the Pyrenees. It is situated at about 900 m above sea level where two great commercial routes meet, and it’s the city from which the Aragon kingdom developed (indeed, Jaca was its capital until 1097).

Jaca is nowadays an important tourist resort famous among winter sports fans, but it has also preserved an interesting artistic and cultural heritage, which is the witness of its more than two thousands years of history. Indeed, here you can find the first Romanesque cathedral of Spain: it was built in the XI century to consolidate the importance of Jaca as strategic point along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Jaca has always been a border town and this has of course influenced its development (indeed, you can visit the Ciudadela, a pentagonal fortress built in the XVI century).

Apart from the town hall, with an interesting plateresque façade, Jaca boasts many other religious and civil buildings, among which we recommend the Carmen Church (first half of the XVII century); the Santiago Church (it was originally built in Romanesque style but then renovated in the XVI century), and the Clock Tower, that overlooks the Marqués de la Cadena Square and that was a jail until the XIX century.

Jaca is famous for its squares, for the atmosphere of its narrow streets and for the many parks and green areas that stress its welcoming nature. Indeed, in the first half of the XIX century nobles and aristocrats from Zaragoza, attracted by the natural heritage of Jaca and its beauty, chose this town as their preferred tourist resort. As a consequence, they promoted the realisation of parks and gardens where the inhabitants of Jaca could spend their free time (the Parque de la Constitución and Paseo de la Cantera are probably two of the most important green areas in the town).

How to get to Jaca

The nearest airport is Zaragoza, from where there are regular bus services to Jaca (for more information about prices and timetable, visit www.alosa.es). Jaca has also a train station (www.renfe.es). If you prefer, the school can book for you the transfer service to and from the airport (it will charge a supplement for this).

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