Pamplona, beyond San Fermin

Monumento al Encierro

I have been traveling a lot lately, gathering new material for this blog. This post is about Pamplona, the capital of Navarra, Spain. This small town is well known worldwide due to the festivities of San Fermin. For those of you who have never heard of San Fermin I am including this link.

Tourists visit the city  during the festivities (6 to 14 of July), most of them get so drunk that probably don't even remember that they were in Pamplona. It is well known fact that many locals leave the city in July to avoid the crowds. I have been in Pamplona three times but never during San Fermin, so I do not know how crazy it could be. Nevertheless, I can assure you that Pamplona is a pleasant small city to visit outside the touristic season.

Navarra is part of the basque region that includes the Basque country in Spain and part of France (Bayonne, Biarritz and other towns). You could hear people speaking Euskera although less frequent than in Donostia (San Sebastian). Euskera is a very difficult language that does not come from Latin or any Germanic language.  Apparently it is a native language of the Iberian peninsula. Navarra was an independent country for many years and in one period of history the Kings of France were also crowned Kings of Navarra. This is probably one of the reasons that explain why the people of Navarra and the Basque country have a different status (Fueros) within the Spanish autonomic system. Pamplona in Euskera is Iruña.

Most of the city's medieval walls are still in place today. In my opinion it is one of its most important attractions. You can walk along the walls and admire these military structures and the parks that are next to them. Pamplona has several churches that are worth visiting. Of course the principal is Pamplona's Cathedral. In my opinion, I found the interior much more interesting than the exterior.The interior is Gothic while the exterior seems Neoclassic, they do not match at all. The main square, la Plaza del Castillo, is the best place to sit, relax, grab a coffee and eat pintxos while you watch the world go by  (I enjoyed Cafe Iruña, despite some of the bad reviews in Tripadvisor, apparently Hemingway also liked this place).

Plaza del Castillo

Tomb of the King of Navarra Charles III and his Wife inside Pamplona's Cathedral

Pamplona has a small and eclectic Art museum. Most or the Art correspond to the Romanesque and Gothic styles (there is also a  beautiful Goya inside). As you can imagine, in medieval times, artists were focused in expressing religious sentiments, sometimes with  very sadistic overtones, consider yourself warned. Pamplona has a close connection with the Catholic church. For example, Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of the Opus Dei movement, was also the founder of the Universidad de Navarra, one of the best private universities in Spain.

Another important venue that deserves a visit is the Gayarre Theater.  If you know Spanish (or Euskera) it is a good place to watch a play or an spectacle. Finally, I have always eaten very well in Pamplona (A good restaurant is Otano). The pinxos (tapas) are as delicious as in San Sebastian but cheaper. You could always  find good wine that marry well with the food, probably due to the proximity of La Rioja. My recommendation is to visit Pamplona for maximum two nights. You could easily spend in the area four to five nights, if you visit other cities. For instance, the bus between San Sebastian and Pamplona takes one hour and San Sebastian is a great choice. One final suggestion: avoid talking about politics, it is better to remain neutral.