The Organizing Committee is planning different social activities for both delegates and accompanying persons.
City tour (1st September, in the morning, three hours approximately), 23 euros. The price includes: entrance to The Seo Cathedral, entrance to the Aljaferia Palace, service of an English-speaking guide and bus transportation.
More details:
Departure from the hotel or meeting point with the English speaking local guide. Panoramic Tour with the bus going to Primo de Rivera Park, the city largest park where we will take a photo sop at the Belvedere El Batallador. During the sightseeing tour we will see the most remarkable buildings of Zaragoza: The old university building, the Carmen Gate, renaissance palaces, roman walls, and wide and elegant avenues that show the French urbanism of the city.
Afterwards we will visit the Aljafería Palace, an Islamic Palace built during the XI century when Zaragoza was under the Muslim occupation It will be like taking a trip on the time to discover a very special monument that will remind you to the wonderful Alhambra. The palace name comes from Abdu. Yahfar, and the place has a long history. It was used as a residence from the Aragon kings; it was a Jail during the XVI century, It became a Barrack at the XVI and since 1987 the local parliament of Aragon is placed inside.
Finally we will go to Pilar square where we will visit the inside of Our Lady of the Pilar, an impressive Basilica where it is still kept the pillar that the legend said Virgin Mary gave to Saint James when he was going to evangelise the north of Spain. We may take a walk to approach and see the other buildings facing to the Pilar square; The old market, the City Hall, Goya monument, and the Cathedral La Seo with its spectacular Moorish. wall.
Excursion to the natural scenery called Monasterio de Piedra (either 2nd September or 5th September, one day tour), 50 euros. The price includes: Entrance to the Piedra Monastery, service of and English-speaking guide, bus transportation and pic-nic meal.
More details:
Hidden in the high sierras of the “Sistema Ibérico”, the natural park of the Piedra Monastery offers one of the most gratifying visits imaginable. The waters of the river Piedra have shaped the landscape into lakes, grottos and extraordinary waterfalls. Beautiful spots such a “El Lago del Espejo” (mirrow lake), and the impressive 50 m high Cola de Caballo (Horse tail waterfall) will take you to a world of fantasy.
The park is part of the network of protected natural areas of Aragón, and designated since 1945 Natural area of Beauty. Inside the park you will find dense forests in a ecosystem of great biological richness with many different species of animals and a great variety of giant trees.
http://www.monasteriopiedra.com/default.aspx?info=0000D3
Excursion to the Pyrenees area, San Juan de la Peña and Santa Cruz de la Seros (5th September, one day tour), 46 euros. The price includes: Entrance to the Old Monastery and Santa Cruz de la Seros Church, service o fan English-speaking guide, bus transportation and pic-nic meal.
More details:
Placed in an extraordinary spot, carved on the rock, the monastery could be considered like the origin of the Aragon kingdom, as it was chosen by the kings of Aragon as their buried place.
The monastery is located at the south-west of Jaca and it was one of the most important monasteries in Aragon in the Middle Ages. Its two-level church is partially carved in the stone of the great cliff that overhangs the foundation.
The lower church includes some mozarabic architectural surviving elements, although most of the parts of the monastery (including the impressive cloister, under the great rock) are Romanesque. After the fire of 1675, a new monastery was built. The old monastery (built in 920) was declared National Monument in 13 July 1889, and the new monastery in 1923. In the 11th century the monastery became part of the Benedictine Order and was the first monastery in Spain to use the Latin Mass.
The cloister, built ca. 1190, contains a series of capitals with Biblical scenes that originally were arranged in chronological sequence, a design found elsewhere in the region. The monastery is built beneath a huge rock sometimes associated with the legendary "Monte Pano".
Legend said that the chalice of the Last Supper (Holy Grail) was sent to the monastery for protection and prevention from being captured by the Muslim invaders of the Iberian Peninsula.
http://www.monasteriosanjuan.com/monasterio-san-juan-de-la-pena.php?L=en http://www.iberiarural.es/monumentos/huesca/santa-maria-de-santa-cruz-de-la-ser.htm
Deadline: the visit/excursions registration period ends on Tuesday 21 August 2009
The Organization reserves the right to cancel any of the tour/excursions in case the registration does not reach a minimum number of participants.
If the excursion(s) is(are) cancelled by the Organization, the money will be reimbursed to the participants.
No money will be refund in case the participant cancels his participation to the visit/excursion
Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña