Logroño was an old settlement, first of the Romans, under the name of Vareia, a commercial port, and then of the Celts. From the 10th century, possession of Logroño was disputed between the kings of Navarre and those of Castile; the region was finally annexed to Castile. Alfonso VI of Castile granted Logroño in 1095 a charter of rights that served as a model for other Spanish cities. In 1609 and 1610 Logroño was the main seat of the Basque witch trials, part of the Spanish Inquisition.

Puente de Piedra bridge

It is one of the four bridges on the Ebro River in Logroño. It is also called San Juan de Ortega Bridge and the current construction dates from 1884, after the old bridge collapsed in 1871. It is one of the symbols of the city, it appears on its coat of arms and it is the entrance to the city on the Way of Saint James.

Cathedral de Santa María de la Redonda

The Cathedral of Logrono was built over a Romanesque primitive temple from the XII Century. Its name comes from its circular floor. In 1453, it became a collegiate church when it was joined to the San Martín de Albelda Church.

It has three naves and three polygonal apses. In its main façade, there is a great stone altarpiece that is closed by railings that come from the Santo Cristo chapel. This facade appeared framed by slender Corinthian columns. The temple is divided into three naves and seven bays, and it is covered by a semi- dome in which you can see relieves of the four evangelists, four angels and the Everlasting Father. It suffered several reforms during the first third of the XVI Century and the XVIII Century.

Inside, several elements are highlighted. The set of chairs of the choir has been carved by Arnao de Bruselas. The main altarpiece, from the XVII Century, represents the image of the Tree of Jesse where the Virgin appears. The sculpture and painting collection is brilliant, with Gaspar Becerra, Juan de Bazcardo, Navarrete el Mudo and Gil de Siloé´ s works. The Baroque towers of this monument, the “Twins”, were built in the XVIII Century by Martín Berritúa. Moreover, we should not forget the “Calvario” (the Calvary) by Miguel Ángel, the master of the Sistine Chapel painted this board for his friend, Vitoria Colonna.

Viana, perched up on a hill, gazes serenely towards the horizon. It no longer keeps guard; it is resting after a turbulent historical past as a defensive garrison town against Castile and the frequent residence of monarchs.

Its walls now open their gates to give way to numerous fascinating mansion houses, palaces and churches that demonstrate the magnificence of the town between the 16th and 18th centuries.

With its rich gastronomy and refined wines, the town welcomes visitors and bids farewell to the pilgrims who cross through the last town on the Navarrese section of the  Pilgrims’ Way to Santiago.

Viana is the last Navarrese town on the Pilgrim’s Way, on the border with La Rioja just 3.5 kilometres from Logroño. Fields of cereals, vines, almond and olive trees surround this small town of 4,000 inhabitants, distinguished by the  Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela  and the economic and cultural boom it experienced between the 16th and 18th centuries. This era has left us some fascinating examples of civil and religious architecture.

In Viana you will find two major examples of religious art: the churches of  Santa María and San Pedro. The majestic church of Santa Maríais  one of the most striking monuments in the town. It was built between 1250 and 1312 in Gothic style. The tower and the southern doorway were added, in Renaissance style, in the 16th century. At the foot of the church, under the slabs of the atrium, lie the remains of the soldier, prince and cardinal Cesare Borgia, who died close to Viana in 1507.

Although the 13th-century church of San Pedro is in ruins its Baroque facade de dating from the 18th century is still in good condition, with a niche that houses the image of St. Peter, and the old cemetery, which has now been turned into a park. From here you can enjoy a wonderful view of the medieval walls and the nearby lands of La Rioja and Álava.

Other interesting religious buildings in the town and its surroundings include the convent of San Francisco and the chapels of Our Lady of Cuevas, Trinidad de Cuevas, Las Cruces, Calvario and San Martín de Tidón.

On the Pilgrim’s Way, half-way between Los Arcos and Viana, stands Torres del Río. Part of it is high on a hill and the other part in a deep trough.

It is a delightful village with steep and narrow streets containing large Baroque houses with decorative coats of arms. These are protected from on high by the church of San Andrés, a Gothic Renaissance building constructed over an earlier church.

At the bottom of the village, hidden between the tightly-packed houses, is a Romanesque jewel of the 12th century: the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Its octagonal layout evokes that of the basilica in Jerusalem, and it has always been closely linked to the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago. It contains a singular starred dome of Arabic origin.

Half way between Pamplona and Logroño, in an area between the mountains and the plains, lies Estella, a historic city that came into being when pilgrims were travelling along thePilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela in large number.

In the 15th century it was known as “Estella the elegant” and to the present day it continues to live up to this epithet. It is aromantic city that places great value on its palaces, stately homes, churches, convents, bridges and beautiful buildings, which have earned it the nickname of the “Toledo of the North”.

The city of 13,000 inhabitants will surprise you with its flourishing commercial life and bustling Thursday market, its passion for music and theatre, as well as its impeccable cuisine.

Strolling through the city you will pass pilgrims and visitors eager to explore the old streets of the Franks and the Jews and see proof that the phrase coined by Aymeric Picaud is as true today as it was in the 11th century: “Estella is a city of good bread, excellent wine, much meat and fish and all kinds of pleasures.”

This vibrant and hospitable city sits in the centre of the Merindad (an administrative division similar to a county) of Estella-Lizarra, surrounded by a circle of low hills that shelter it from the wind. It offers visitors history and art, good shopping, excellent gastronomy, a diverse programme of cultural events and colourful traditions.

The influence of the Pilgrim’s Way and the Jewish Quarter -the third most important in Navarre after those of Tudela and Pamplona- permeates the whole city. It was established in 1090 by King Sancho Ramírez and enjoyed its golden age in the 12th and 13th centuries. From this time dates the palace of the Kings of Navarre, one of the few non-religious architectural relics of its era that survives in Spain, and which houses the Gustavo de Maeztu Museum. The palace is located in the Plaza San Martín, where you can drink from the 16th-century water fountain before continuing your visit.

The bridge of San Martín, also known as the ‘Azucarera’ (sugar bowl), and ‘prison’ bridge, the present day courthouse and the medieval gate of Castile are other examples of civil architecture in the city. The main meeting point for locals is the Plaza de los Fueros in the heart of the city. It is enclosed by beautiful buildings, two of which are 18th century palaces. The other major square is Plaza de Santiago, where a busy market takes place every Thursday morning.

To wander quietly through Estella-Lizarra is an exercise to be recommended and will lead you to discover wonderful little palaces and grand houses, such as the Eguía Palace (16th century), the stately mansion of the Ruiz de Alda family (17th), the house of Fray Diego of Estella-Lizarra, a heavily decorated 16th-century noble house, the Governor’s Palace (17th)that today houses the Carlism Museum and old Gothic arches that housed shops and inns for the pilgrims. Do not miss the “calle Mayor” (Main Street), with its emblazoned buildings, and a Baroque palace of the 18th century at number 41, the old railway station building [now the bus station] (1927) and the Luquin Palace (17th century).

Amongst the religious buildings, a visit to the ruins of the medieval Church of San Pedro de Lizarra is a must: see the Roman stone pillar resting against the south wall. The Church of San Pedro de la Rúa, of late Romanesque style, has a 13th century facade and a 12th-century cloister. In the Church of San Miguel (12th-14th century), the beautiful portico stands out in relief.

Stop in front of the wonderful 14th century entrance of the Church of Santo Sepulcro (Holy Sepulchre), the entrance to the Church of San Juan Bautista, the former synagogue and present-day Church of Santa María Jus del Castillo, the Church of Nuestra Señora de Rocamador and the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Puy. Equally interesting are the convents of Recoletas, Santo Domingo, Santa Clara and San Benito, the last-named now converted into a multi-screen cinema complex.

You can also go for long walks in the park of Los Llanos along the banks of the river Ega, and then refresh yourself in the Agua Salada, a natural, saltwater swimming pool with medicinal properties situated on one of the river banks.

On May 25th Estella-Lizarra hosts the festival of its beloved Virgen del Puy. If you visit the city at the end of July, you will find it decked out as in the Middle Ages to celebrate Medieval Week. The Friday before the first Sunday in August sees the beginning of seven lively days of “fiesta” in honour of its patron saint. During the second half of September you can attend theSemana de Música Antigua (Ancient Music Week) and around the 30th of November the cattle fair of San Andrés (St. Andrew) takes place.

Then, if you want to go home feeling good, you can buy Pilgrim’s Way shells, “alpargatas” (puff pastry tarts), ‘rocas del Puy’ (cookies with an almond filling), Santiago cake, “sanchicos” (filled sweets), Idiazabal cheeses and wine from nearby.

The monastery is first attested on a 958 document, and also cited in a donation done by King Sancho I Garces (10th century). The monastery became a landmark as a hospital for pilgrims on route to Santiago in the Way of Saint James. In 1813, the monastery provided medical cares for the anti-Napoleonic parties.

The monastery has been protected as a monument since 1877. In 2007 the buildings, apart from the church, were designated for conversion into a Parador. As a result of the economic crisis, as at 2012 the conversion project was pending. The parador is intended to offer high-quality accommodation to travellers on the Way of St. James.

Next to the monastery, an essential stop is the winery and its fountain with two spouts – water comes from one, and wine from the other.

This village with its medieval layout emerges on a hillock in the middle of  the Jacobean pilgrim’s way  between Puente la Reina and Estella-Lizarra. Large, ashlar-stoned houses with coats of arms featuring the inscription of the owner’s name and the date of construction align both sides of the cobbled radial and concentric streets.

The town spreads out around  the church of San Román, a Gothic building with an ogival door and multi-lobed arches which, despite its numerous transformations, still has the appearance of a fortress. 

If you’re following the Pilgrim’s Road to Santiago, you’ll leave Cirauqui along  the Roman road, of which some sidewalks and paving stones remain, as well as a Roman bridge whose upper part was renovated in 1702.

The Romanesque bridge of Puente la Reina is one of the most interesting examples of civil architecture on the Pilgrims’ Way to Santiago in Navarre. It marks the convergence of the two routes – the ‘Jacobean’ one via Orreaga/Roncesvalles, and the Toulouse-Somport route.

It is a meeting point for pilgrims who, over the centuries, have woven thousands of stories and legends. The waters of the river Arga that flow beneath the stunning arcade of the ancient bridge whisper the most amazing stories to travellers, who let themselves be enchanted by their murmuring. You just need to listen carefully and you’ll be able to hear the colourful legend of the txori.

The Romanesque bridge gave its name to the town of Puente la Reina (Queen’s Bridge), which is the capital of the Ilzarbe or Valdizarbe valley in the Central Zone of Navarre.

This bridge over the river Arga was built in the 11th century, seemingly at the initiative of a queen, who could well have been Doña Mayor de Castilla, the wife of Sancho el Mayor, or perhaps Lady Stephanie, the wife of García Nájera. The aim of its construction was to make it easier for pilgrims on the Road to Santiago to leave the town after going along the Rúa Mayor (main street).

It is one of the most majestic examples of civil Romanesque architecture on the Pilgrim’s Way. Its most notable features are its elegance and sobriety. It has seven semi-circular arches, the most easterly of which is underground, and is 110 metres long. Between the arches are some smaller arched openings that serve as vent holes, which lighten the structure and allow the water to run through when the river rises. The bridge used to have three defensive towers, one at each end and a central one, which housed the Renaissance image of the Virgin del Puy, also known as the Txori.

There is a legend associated with this Virgin that tells that the image used to be visited by a little bird (“txori” in Basque) which looked after it and groomed it, removing cobwebs with its wings and washing its face with water it collected from the river Arga. It is said that whenever the txori appeared, the bells were set ringing and religious festivals were celebrated.

If you visit the bridge today you will no longer find the image of the Virgin Mary, as it was moved to the church of San Pedro, close to the river, in 1843. It is well worth visiting this church, which is notable for its altarpieces, as well as the church of Santiago el Mayor, which has a delightful Romanesque portico of Mozarabic influence, and whose interior houses a valuable Gothic image of the apostle Santiago (St. James).

The peak of the Mount of Forgiveness

A panoramic spot with cast-iron “cut-out” sculptures of pilgrims.

Alto del Perdon is a sculpture dedicated to the pilgrims who walk the path of the Camino Del Santiago. The great metal sculpture representing pilgrims on foot and on horse reveal the eternal nature of the walk. There is an inscription on it in Spanish “donde se cruza el camino del viento con el de las estrellas” which in English means “where the path of the wind crosses that of the stars”.

At twilight, or taking advantage of the subtle colours of dawn is the best time to discover one of the loveliest and most evocative churches on the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela: the church of Our Lady of Eunate (1170), a simple, unique and mysterious building. It stands in solitude just before you reach Puente la Reina in the middle of a flat, open landscape which takes on the colour of sunflowers in summer. Its octagonal layout and the cloister that surrounds it differentiate it from any other Romanesque church.
The continuing mystery about its origin and its unsettling interior have aroused great interest in this church, which has been a pilgrims’ hospital, a funeral chapel, a beacon and guide for walkers, a place of Christian worship and a telluric sanctuary for those seeking esoteric powers. Come and be fascinated by its enigmatic geometry and breathtaking interior, and try to guess the meaning of its name in Basque: “one hundred doors”.
Built in 1170, its origin is unclear. Some historians have suggested the possibility that it was the work of the Knights Templars and a hospital of the Order of St. John, while popular tradition attributes its construction to a queen or noble lady whose tomb lies beneath the stones, in order to serve as her funeral chapel. The discovery of graves between the columns of the cloister and the remains of a tomb at the foot of the entrance door, amongst which a pilgrim’s shell was found, confirms that the church was a cemetery for pilgrims. Its octagonal layout, like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and two other buildings on the Pilgrim’s Way, is encircled by a beautiful gallery of 33 arches with decorative capitals. The harmony of the octagonal layout is broken by the pentagonal apse and a small square walled tower on the side of the epistle. Openwork and blind windows alternate along the exterior walls, and there are two access doors; the north one, very highly decorated, facing the road to Santiago, and another simpler door facing west.
Take a stroll around the gallery before going into the inner temple, which is simple with certain elements of Muslim influence. Let your eyes adapt gradually to the dim light and feel the sense of spirituality and devotion that envelop the church. You can see two heights on the masonry walls and at each angle two columns are superimposed. The sobriety of the interior is only ostensible, as the columns have 26 decorated capitals. The octagonal vault is held up by eight ribs with different angles, which shows that the eight sides of the church are all different. In the semicircular apse, of tremendous architectural richness, the oldest sculptural elements of the church can be found.
Very close to this medieval church, in Olcoz, is the church of San Miguel (St. Michael), which has an identical door to the church at Eunate, but in reverse. Legend tells that a master stonemason who had been commissioned to build the door at Eunate was annoyed because while he was absent a giant with supernatural powers beat him to it and completed the work. The abbot challenged the stonemason to build a similar church in the same space of time, three days, a feat he achieved with the assistance of witches, serpents and magic spells. Although the result was an identical doorway, it was inverted. On seeing the doorway, the giant flew into a rage and hit it with such force that it was sent flying to Olcoz.

Founded by the Romans and located on the  Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago,  Pamplona  is now a modern and welcoming city with a wide range of activities that include walking around century-old walls and cobbled streets; resting in parks and terraces; trying its delicious tapas (or pinchos as they’re known locally); visiting historical monuments.

From  Pamplona’s  beautiful Magdalena Bridge  over the river Arga, the route crosses two consecutive roads and goes up a pedestrianised walled path to the Portal de Francia, a historical access gate to the fortified city.

The five-kilometre walls around the city create an unusual and evocative stroll around its history. The city walls of  Pamplona  areone of the most interesting and best preserved military structures in Spain  and hold the status of National Monument. As a medieval city, Pamplona surrounded itself with walls to defend itself against invaders, although it was not until the incorporation of the Kingdom of Navarre into the Crown of Castile in 1515 that its strategic location turned it into an advanced post of the Spanish crown against France. 

The development of the great and formidable fortress began at that time and has its high point in the  Citadel. Bastions gates, half-moons, ravelins, forts… all give the  walled enclosure the sobriety and sophistication  of this kind of defensive system.

The Taconera Gardens are the oldest and most beautiful and emblematic park in Pamplona. Its 90,000 square meters are located near the old city walls very close to the Old Quarter of the city, and the park has a marked romantic and Versaillesque character. It combines trees and flowers with a wide range of sculptures to offer the visitor a series of different itineraries. If anything characterises this delightful place it is the mini-zoo in the moat of the walls that contains deer, ducks, pheasants, swans, peacocks… in a state of semi-freedom.

The Plaza del Castillo is the nerve centre of the city. It is a slightly irregular quadrilateral covering 14,000 square metres and has been and still is the stage for the main events conforming the idea of Pamplona: bullfights until 1844, battles, tournaments, markets, military parades, political and popular demonstrations, etc.

Many of the narrow lanes of Pamplona’s Historical Quarter stem off from this square. It is enveloped by houses mainly dating from the XVIII century with balconies, towers, penthouses and picture windows.

Plaza de Toros de Pamplona is a bullring in Pamplona, Spain. It is currently used for bull fighting. The stadium holds 19,529 people. It was built in 1922. It is the ending point of the famous Running of the bulls during the festival of San Fermín.

Pamplona City Hall

The City Hall is in the heart of the Old Quarter of the city, and its site is not a coincidence. In 1423 King Carlos III (“el Noble”) of Navarre enacted a law called “El Privilegio de la Unión” (Privilege of the Union) to put an end to centuries of bickering and confrontations between the three boroughs and located the building on the spot where the three boroughs that existed at the time (Navarrería, San Saturnino and San Nicolás) came together.

Every July 6th at 12 noon millions of people all over the world are watching the façade of the City Hall of Pamplona on TV. The media are there to record the spectacular “chupinazo”, the moment when a ceremonial rocket is launched from the building to start the fiesta of San Fermín.

Pamplona Cathedral

Situated on the edge of the Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) of Pamplona, in the same site that the old Roman city of  Pompaeloonce stood, is  Pamplona Cathedral, a fine example of the Gothic period (14th and 15th centuries). This symbolic monument houses the largest number of historic and artistic relics in the city. Kings were crowned and Parliaments convened in the cathedral; indeed, it was the seat of the royal court for three centuries.

The sobriety of its neoclassical façade, a work by Ventura Rodríguez, contrasts with the  Gothic  interior, where the 28-metre-high central nave is home to the fine  tomb of Carlos III of Navarre and his wife, Eleanor of Castile. However, the real jewel of this cathedral is its  cloister, considered among the most beautiful in the Gothic world, a must-see on every visitor’s itinerary.

Since the foundation of  Pamplona  in Roman times, the site of the cathedral has always been chosen as the location for the main Christian church in the city. It was on this very spot thatCarlos III ‘el Noble’  ordered the construction of the present building in the purest Gothic style, inspired by other wonderful Gothic  cathedrals such as that of Bayonne, in France. Its location, on the route taken by pilgrims on their way to Santiago, dictated that its apse would be polygonal in shape, with an ambulatory, characteristic of churches on the Pilgrim’s Way.

Pamplona Cathedral was restored between 1992 and 1994. The restoration work uncovered part of the rich polychrome that originally covered its walls, pillars and ceilings, and which concealed a 1773 repainting that simulated the colour of stone and increased the luminosity of the church, with silver-covered lamps forged in the workshops of Granada. The restoration work confirmed the existence of previous churches from the 6th and 10th centuries, as well as bringing to light aRomanesque crypt  under the apse on the left side of the building.

The San Fermín

From July 6th to 14th every year the word fiesta is written in capital letters in Pamplona. The San Fermín have arrived. When the chupinazo (ceremonial rocket) is fired the city explodes into life. Thousands of people from all over the world descend on the city, which dresses up in red and white. For nine days the streets turn into a feast of friendship, joy, music and non-stop partying, to the rhythm of the charangas and the peñas.

The Encierro (Bull Run) is the only moment of the day when the party stops, and great tension descends on the route just a few minutes before the bulls start their ‘race’ behind the mozos (young men). The surge of emotions culminates in the bullring at the end of the run. The fiesta continues with caldico (clear broth) chocolate with churros (long doughnuts), the Gigantes (ceremonial giants) and Cabezudos (carnival figures with big heads), the aperitif, the bullfight in the evening, or the fireworks at night. These then give way to all-night partying.