Pamplona – A City which speaks for History

Pamplona is very well connected with nearby cities Zaragoza and San Sebastian through highways. It also has a small airport and fast train network. If you like archaeological and historical sites, you will have a great time in the city of Pamplona.

Churches

The largest building is the Gothic cathedral from the 14th century with a beautiful monastery and a façade in neoclassic style. There are also two largest Gothic churches of the old city: Saint-Sernin and Saint Nicolas. Both of them were built in the 13th century. Two other Gothic churches were built in the 16th century: St. Dominic and St. Augustine. In the 17th and 19th centuries there were also built vaults such as the Baroque Saint Fermin, the Saint Lawrence River and the Virgin of the road (Virgen del Camino), the Saint-Sernin, the Augustinian monasteries of nuns and church Recolect Brothers of Caramel and St. Ignatius of Loyola, where he was wounded in battle and decided to become a priest.

Other historical sites

Due to its large military past, Pamplona preserved four side walls and a little changed fortress. All medieval structures were renovated and improved from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century to withstand siege artillery. Today these locations are converted into parks. The oldest civil building today is a house of the fourteenth century, which served as Camara de Comptos from the 16th till 19th century.

There are also several bridges such as Magdalena, Miluce, Santa Engracia and San Pedro. They date from the medieval period.

Then there is the castle of Saint Peter from the medieval period. Today this building is reconstructed and it serves as The Archive of Navarre.

In Pamplona you will find many nice Baroque buildings such as city hall, palace for episcopes, etc… One of these outstanding buildings was converted to the hotel Guenduláin’s.

Parks of Pamplona

Pamplona is rich in greenery. Therefore if you like walking, you will enjoy the amazing parks of Pamplona. Taconera is a park that dates from the 17th century. It is a perfect place for romantic walks due to its amazing sidewalk, flowerbeds and sculptures.

In the north part of the city, you will find the Media Luna Park. This park provides excellent places to relax. After demilitarization, the fortress and its surroundings were displaced in this area by the park with large meadows and contemporary sculptures.

Then there are Yamaguchi, Iturrama and Ermitagaña parks. The Ermitagaña park has a part of a small Japanese park. Other great places with outstanding greenery are the campus of Navarre University, the Parque del Mundo and the park named after the river Arga.