Pamplona, Iruña in Basque, with about 209,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the chartered community of Navarre. It is world-famous for the San Fermín festival, but it is also a calm, orderly and very green city, with parks, historic walls and excellent food. It is the first big Spanish city on the French Way.
History
Founded by the Roman general Pompey in 75 BC as Pompaelo, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre in the Middle Ages. In 1512 it was annexed by Castile. In the 16th century Philip II built the star-shaped Citadel and the walls, among the best preserved in Spain.
San Fermín
The San Fermín festival begins at noon on 6 July with the chupinazo, a rocket fired from the town hall balcony, and ends at midnight on 14 July with the song Pobre de mí. Every morning at eight the encierro is run: six bulls and the steers accompanying them cover about 850 metres from the pens to the bullring, chased by mozos dressed in white with red scarves. There are also processions, giants and big-heads, concerts and partying day and night. Ernest Hemingway made the festival famous with his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. Running the encierro is very dangerous: anyone without experience should watch from a balcony or on TV. See also Spanish festivals.
What to see
- The cathedral of Santa María la Real, Gothic with a neoclassical façade, with one of Europe's finest cloisters and the tomb of Charles III the Noble.
- Plaza del Castillo, the heart of the city, with Café Iruña, Hemingway's haunt.
- The Baroque town hall and Calle Estafeta, the most famous stretch of the bull run.
- The walls and the Citadel, now a park.
- The church of San Saturnino and the Museum of Navarre.
- The Taconera and Media Luna parks.
Pintxos and food
The old town is full of pintxo bars, especially on Calle San Nicolás and Estafeta. Navarrese specialities: white asparagus, Lodosa piquillo peppers, menestra, chistorra, Roncal and Idiazábal cheeses, pacharán, a sloe liqueur, and Navarre's rosé and red wines.
Getting there
Pamplona airport is about 6 km away. The city has trains to Madrid, Zaragoza and Barcelona. During San Fermín accommodation prices soar and you need to book months ahead.