Pamplona is a city in northern Spain, and it is one of the largest cities in the Basque cultural area. The city’s history goes back to 74-75 BC, when the Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus camped here. He is considered to have founded Pompaelo, which in Spanish has become Pamplona. Throughout the first thousand years, there were different rulers in the city, which developed from the 11th century, from when it has been on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. New districts were developed during this time as small towns, but tension arose between the neighboring district that Carlos III merged them into one city in 1423, and in the 16th century, large new fortifications were constructed. In recent years, Pamplona has become famous for the annual San Fermín festival, where bulls run through the streets.

Today you can enjoy the atmosphere in Pamplona’s old town with its many narrow streets and cozy squares. You can, for example, start a walk in the small square, Plaza Consistorial, where Pamplona’s fine town hall is located. The first town hall on the site was built in 1423, when Pamplona gained city status, and the current one dates from 1755. Next to the town hall, you can visit the city’s market hall, Mercado de Santo Domingo. Close to this you can see the Gothic church Iglesia de San Saturnino Eliza, which was erected in the 13th century. In the area, there is also an interesting historical museum, the Museo de Navarra, which is open in the former Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia hospital. The museum’s exhibition shows archaeological finds from Navarre and various art like a painting by Francisco de Goya.

In Pamplona there are several churches, with the city’s cathedral as the most important. The current cathedral was built in the Gothic style from the year 1394, and it replaced a Romanesque church on the site. In 1783, the facade was rebuilt to the classicism of the time. The cathedral played an important role in the Kingdom of Navarre, which was a kingdom in the period 824-1620 with Pamplona as its capital. Navarre’s kings were crowned in the city’s cathedral, and some were also buried here. In connection with the cathedral, there is a monastery from the 13th century with a beautiful courtyard, and there is also a museum with various religious art from Pamplona and other places in Navarre. Incidentally, the cathedral is located on the site where the Roman Pompaelo was founded, and archaeological excavations have uncovered streets and buildings from this time.

During a visit to the city, you must also include a walk to the Plaza del Castillo, which is the largest and finest square in central Pamplona. Navarre’s royal castle was built here at the beginning of the 14th century, and the castle was later incorporated into the city’s fortifications. With the city’s history as a fortress city, you can also see many of the historical military installations in the city. Thus, large parts of Pamplona’s former fortress walls that surrounded the city have been preserved, and you can see the large citadel that lies southwest of the city as well. The citadel was built as a five-tiered Renaissance fortress from 1571 and is Spain’s most impressive of this type from its time. The citadel was used by the military until 1964, and today the area with bastions, walls and green surroundings is laid out as a large park.