Arrés is a small, quiet village that preserves its traditional architecture. It has privileged views of the Berdún channel and the Pyrenees. The tower of Arrés, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, is the remains of a Gothic-style castle fortress dating from the second half of the 15th century, which, together with the tower of Atarés, defended the left bank of the river Aragón. The tower is built of ashlar stones and has arrow slits – holes for shooting with a bow or crossbow – along its more than ten metres in height. The Arrés complex includes the tower and the parish church of Santa Águeda, which are joined by the only remaining stretch of the old wall that surrounded the village.
The rest of the urban area stands out for its curious layout – doorways that give access to streets – and for the presence of monumental, and increasingly rare, truncated cone-shaped chimneys. The history of Arrés is determined by its Jacobean vocation, as the town is at the foot of the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela, on the main route of the Via Tolosana, and has a hostel or hospital run by innkeepers and friends of the Pilgrim’s Way..
