Discover Brea de Aragón: shoe culture, festivals and trails

Brea de Aragón brings together the history of shoemaking, Mudéjar heritage, annual festivals and trails along the Río Aranda. When planning your stay, you can choose from different points of interest: the museum and local history, a festival during the year, or time on walking and cycling routes.

Shoemaking and Mudéjar heritage

The Museo del Calzado explores the culture, history and traditions of Brea de Aragón and the Comarca del Aranda through shoemaking and the footwear industry. The purpose-built building has two floors and covers 600 square metres. The visit includes audiovisual and multimedia systems, interactive areas, machines, virtual images and machinery activated by visitors’ presence. The visit lasts almost an hour. Check the current visiting arrangements before your visit, as they may change.

The Iglesia de Santa Ana also offers an insight into the town’s Mudéjar heritage. Its Mudéjar remains are listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest in Aragón’s cultural heritage. This designation was made by an order dated 5 December 2002, published on 8 January 2003. In 1676 and 1677, the church was given barrel vaults with lunettes. The work was entrusted to the architect Juan de Marca; stucco work in the Mudéjar tradition and interlacing patterns decorate the vaults.

The annual focus on footwear and trade is also reflected in Expo Calzado, Brea de Aragón’s footwear and trade fair. The 2024 edition was the eighth. Dates and programme vary from one edition to another; if you want to plan your trip around the fair, check the dates for the edition in question.

Festivals throughout the year

On 3 February, Brea de Aragón celebrates San Blas with a procession to the hermitage. Santa Ana is celebrated on 26 July. The main festivities in honour of the Virgen del Rosario last a week and begin on the first Sunday in October. These recurring dates offer different reasons to visit throughout the year; the programme may vary. If you are planning a trip for a particular festival, check the dates for that year’s edition.

Walking to the Río Aranda and along the trails

The Fuente del Gollizno is a river gorge through which the Río Aranda flows. The walking route from Brea de Aragón is about 3.5 kilometres long and takes approximately 45 minutes; it is suitable for all ages. There is a picnic area and a shelter at the Fuente del Gollizno. Check the facilities on site before planning your visit.

For a longer hike, take the PR-Z 16 between Brea de Aragón and Mesones de Isuela. The trail starts at Brea’s educational centre, goes to the Collado de Valdepozos and then descends through orchards towards Mesones. The route is listed as 14.076 kilometres long and takes 4 hours and 25 minutes.

The PR-Z 74 leads from Brea de Aragón to Pico La Lezna. The return route is 6.814 kilometres in total, with the one-way distance measuring 3.407 kilometres. It also involves 365 metres of elevation gain and has a stated duration of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Based on the listed durations, the PR-Z 74 is the shorter route, while the PR-Z 16 describes a longer hike between two towns. Trail conditions and signage on both routes may change.

Travelling by bicycle or motorhome

The Ruta del Calzado is a 50.94-kilometre circular route with 668 metres of elevation gain, starting and ending in Brea de Aragón. Its circular layout and start and finish in town set it apart from the walking trails, each of which follows its own route.

For motorhome travellers, the Brea de Aragón motorhome stop is on the A1503 road at kilometre 17.300. It is free to use and has ten marked spaces and 20 unmarked spaces. As local service details may change, check the conditions before you arrive.

Discover more destinations: Luesia, San Juan De Mozarrifar, Purujosa, Bardena Del Caudillo, Nuez de Ebro, Cabañas De Ebro, Borja, Lumpiaque.

For the main travel overview: Zaragoza.