Aunque esté lejos, merece la pena ir a esa exposición.

Because esté is the present subjunctive of estar.

After aunque, Spanish can use either the indicative or the subjunctive, depending on the nuance:

• Aunque está lejos = although it is far away
  
  • The speaker presents the distance as a known fact.
• Aunque esté lejos = even if it is far away / although it may be far away
  
  • The speaker treats it more as a possible obstacle, or is not focusing on it as a simple factual statement.

In your sentence, esté gives a slightly more concessive feel: distance doesn’t change the conclusion.

Aunque usually means although, even though, or sometimes even if, depending on context.

In this sentence, it introduces a concession: something that might make you hesitate, but does not change the main point.

So the structure is:

• Aunque esté lejos = despite the fact that it may be far away
• merece la pena ir... = it is still worth going...

It is basically saying: distance is a drawback, but the exhibition is still worth it.

Merecer la pena is a very common expression meaning to be worth it.

Literally:

• merece = it deserves
• la pena = the trouble / effort / hardship

So the idea is: it deserves the effort.

Examples:

• No merece la pena discutir. = It’s not worth arguing.
• Sí merece la pena verlo. = It is worth seeing it.

In Spain, merece la pena is extremely common. In many parts of Latin America, vale la pena is also very common and means the same thing.

Because merecer la pena + infinitive is the natural everyday way to say it’s worth doing something.

Structure:

• merece la pena + infinitive
• merece la pena + noun

Examples:

• Merece la pena ir. = It’s worth going.
• Merece la pena la visita. = The visit is worth it.

Es digno de... exists, but it is much less common in this kind of everyday situation and sounds more formal or literary.

Because after ir meaning to go, Spanish usually uses a before the destination or event.

So:

• ir a Madrid
• ir al museo
• ir a una fiesta
• ir a esa exposición

Here, a esa exposición tells you where you are going: to that exhibition.

Spanish demonstratives distinguish distance from the speaker:

• esta = this (near me)
• esa = that (near you / not near me / already mentioned)
• aquella = that over there (far from both)

So esa exposición means that exhibition.

In many contexts, esa is used simply because the exhibition is already known in the conversation or is being pointed out as that one. It does not always imply literal physical distance.

Because lejos is the normal adverb for far when talking about location or distance.

• Está lejos. = It’s far away.

Lejano / lejana is usually an adjective, and it sounds more descriptive or literary:

• un país lejano = a distant country
• un recuerdo lejano = a distant memory

So for physical distance in a sentence like this, lejos is the natural choice.

Yes, absolutely.

Both are possible, but the nuance changes slightly:

• Aunque está lejos...
  The speaker states the distance as a fact.
• Aunque esté lejos...
  The speaker is more focused on dismissing the obstacle, almost like even if it’s far.

In real usage, both can sound natural. The subjunctive version often feels a bit more nuanced or more concessive.

The subject is not stated explicitly, but it is understood.

In this sentence, what is worth it is the whole action ir a esa exposición.

So you can think of it like:

• [Ir a esa exposición] merece la pena.

Spanish often places the infinitive phrase after merece la pena, even though logically it is what the verb refers to.

English does something similar:

• It’s worth going to that exhibition.

The it in English is a dummy subject; Spanish simply says merece la pena and then adds the action.

Because Spanish usually does not need a dummy subject the way English does.

English says:

• It is worth going...

But Spanish normally just says:

• Merece la pena ir...

Adding a subject pronoun like ello would sound unnatural here. Spanish is much happier leaving the subject implicit when it is clear from the structure.

Yes. In Spain, merecer la pena is one of the most common ways to say to be worth it.

You will also hear:

• vale la pena

That is also correct and very common, especially in Latin America, though it is understood everywhere.

So:

• Merece la pena ir a esa exposición.
• Vale la pena ir a esa exposición.

Both mean the same thing, but the first one is especially typical of Spain Spanish.

Yes. Spanish word order is flexible.

You could also say:

• Merece la pena ir a esa exposición, aunque esté lejos.

This means the same thing. The difference is mainly in emphasis:

• Aunque esté lejos, ... puts the obstacle first.
• Merece la pena..., aunque esté lejos gives the main opinion first and adds the concession afterward.

Both are natural.