Key Notes
- Zaragoza has won the European Green Capital title for 2028 and will receive €600,000 for further environmental action.
- The city’s green infrastructure strategy connects the Ebro and surrounding waterways with biodiversity and climate resilience.
- Visitors can combine the historic centre and Aljafería palace with riverside walks and the 120-hectare Luis Buñuel Water Park.
Zaragoza has been named European Green Capital for 2028, putting the Spanish city’s river corridors, green spaces and response to a warming climate in the spotlight. For travellers, the recognition offers a reason to look beyond Spain’s beach resorts and build a city break around the Ebro, historic streets and urban parks.
The European Commission announced the award on October 8 at a ceremony in Guimarães, Portugal. Zaragoza will receive €600,000 to support further environmental action. The title applies to 2028; Guimarães holds it in 2026, with Germany’s Heilbronn taking over in 2027.
Why Zaragoza Won the Green Capital Title
The European Commission recognised Zaragoza’s long-term environmental planning and its attention to local communities. Benidorm and Portugal’s Estarreja share the European Green Leaf title for 2028, receiving €200,000 each.
Zaragoza plans to link nature across the city through its green corridors, including routes associated with the Ebro and surrounding waterways. The strategy aims to improve biodiversity, access to green space and resilience to climate pressures.
That work has a particular context. The city lies in a semi-arid region exposed to drought, extreme heat and flooding. Its approach also includes water conservation, renewable energy and sustainable mobility, building on its experience hosting the water-focused Expo 2008.
The Ebro riverbanks and public parks offer a way to combine time outdoors with the city’s major monuments.
A City Break Between the Old Town and the Ebro
Spain’s official two-day guide starts around Plaza del Pilar, where the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and La Seo cathedral anchor the historic centre. The compact concentration of sights makes walking a useful starting point for a visit.
Build the first day around the square, the Roman remains of Caesaraugusta and a tapas stop in El Tubo. Another part of the trip can take in the Aljafería palace and the riverside, giving the itinerary a different pace from a succession of indoor attractions.
The city tourism office’s riverside route connects landmarks including the Volunteer Footbridge, Water Tower and Balcón de San Lázaro. Crossing the Puente de Piedra also opens up a view back towards the basilica from the opposite bank.
Make Time for the Water Park
The Luis Buñuel park, beside the former Expo site on the Ranillas meander, covers approximately 120 hectares. Botanical and aquatic gardens, running circuits and waterways offer space for a slower afternoon between sightseeing stops.
Opening hours and the distances between sights will shape a short visit, with time for a park walk alongside the palace and old town.
Other European cities are also reshaping public space. London recently opened a traffic-free stretch of Oxford Street ahead of Christmas.
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