DAY TWO RIVERS & RHYTHMS

Morning

Head for the Aljafería, the 11thcentury fortress built by the Muslim Banu Had dynasty, which later became the seat of the

Kings of Aragón after the city was reconquered by Christians. Today, it stands restored as an imposing paragon of Hispano-Islamic art and architecture, decorated with impossibly intricate plasterwork, porticoes and original pictorial fragments. It’s still in use today: the regional government holds parliamentary sessions in a modern annexe that seems prosaic alongside the structural poetry of the Golden Hall; the horseshoeshaped Muslim oratory; the

Throne Room and the so-called Troubadour Tower, all of which are well worth a morning’s exploring. cortesaragon.es

Afternoon

The palace grounds lead you through to the right bank of the Ebro. Stick around for lunch outdoors at the riverside beach Playa Los Angeles Terraza, then spend the afternoon strolling the waterfront, which was renewed as part of the city’s Expo 2008 preparations. Some 12 miles of paths now line both sides, passing through woodlands at Macanaz and Cantalobos. The Balcón de

San Lázaro, on the left bank, has the most dramatic views over the central skyline. Its domes, spires and bridges look even better from below: book a twilight kayak tour with Ebronautas and glide under Puente de la Piedra’s stone crossing — just as its lampposts cast their evening glow into the water. ebronautas.net

Evening

The maños’s love of music is most evident in the jota, a costumed fertility dance of heel-toe steps and jaunty leaps accompanied by guitar and lute. It was introduced to the region by exiled poet Aben Jot and public performances are common, especially during October’s Pilar Fiestas. A related folksong tradition feeds into the live music scene, and you’ll hear it in many bands who play in venues across La Magdalena district

(try El Garito de Gareta or Bar Entalto). If your ears are more attuned to riffs then check out the Rock & Blues Cafe’s live sets, while Ragtime is a pub so devoted to jazz that you can almost see the blue notes floating out of the door. entalto.es rockandbluescafe.com facebook.com/ragtimezaragoza

Patio of Saint Isabel, Aljafería Palace