Demonym(s) Alquezrano/a Elevation 660 m Local time Monday 12:41 AM | Judicial district Barbastro Time zone CET (UTC+1) Area 32.36 km² | |
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Weather 4°C, Wind NE at 3 km/h, 83% Humidity Points of interest Avalancha Deportes de Avent, Museo Etnológico Casa Fab, Colegiata de Santa María la | ||
Alqu zar uno de los pueblos mas bonitos de espa a
Alquézar (Alquezra in Aragonese) is a municipality in the province of Huesca, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. As of 2012, its population was 301.
Contents
- Alqu zar uno de los pueblos mas bonitos de espa a
- Map of 22145 AlquC3A9zar Huesca Spain
- Alqu zar huesca villa medieval entre los pueblos mas bellos de espa a
- Overview
- References
Map of 22145 Alqu%C3%A9zar, Huesca, Spain
Alqu zar huesca villa medieval entre los pueblos mas bellos de espa a
Overview
Situated on a limestone outcrop of Eocene age to the west of the canyon of the Rio Vero in the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park, the village grew up around a castle and the Collegiate church of Santa Maria, which was consecrated in 1099.
The name of the village comes from the Arabic القصر al qaçr for "fort" or "castle" (renamed as Alcazar in Spanish). The castle became the main defense point of the nearby city of Barbastro.
Since Alquézar is situated in the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park, there are various campsites in the local area to cater outdoor pursuit enthusiasts. Popular activities include canyoning, walking, rock climbing and abseiling, as well as ornithology (since eagles nest on the steep faces of the Rio Vero canyon).
The surrounding area to the south towards Barbastro, in the direction of the flatter Ebro basin, is part of the Somontano, an area known for its fine wines. There are more than 60 limestone caves with prehistoric cave paintings in the surrounding area, which has led to the region being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. A good example is the cave at Arpán on the A-2205 road heading north towards Bárcabo.