Pamplona airport PNA
 
NH Iruña Park
Arcadio Maria Larraona 1, Pamplona 31008
This hotel is just a few minutes from the historic town centre. The near vicinity offers the university clinic, the university campus and public transport links. Guest will also find a good selection of bars, restaurants and shopping venues.
Hire a vehicle in pamplona
Mirasierra
De Pamplona 19, Pamplona 31010
This appealing apartment hotel occupies a modern building and is directly overlooked by the university clinic. The hotel offers the ideal starting point for excursions in the area and lies just 2.5 km from the centre. Links to the public transport network also lie about 2.5 m away. Those wishing to undertake a longer excursion are able to depart for a number of destinations from the train station (2 km away).
Rent-a-car in pamplona |
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Turism | Gastronomy | Monuments | Nature areas
Pamplona -- Turism
A visit to the capital of the Navarre province begins with the Pamplona of the hamlets, a series of districts of medieval origin which were the source of the current urban centre. In the central plaza Consistorial stands the stately baroque façade of the City Hall. The building, erected in 1752, commemorates the union of the hamlets of San Cernín, San Nicolás and Navarrería.
Next door to the City Hall, you can admire the Gothic church of San Saturnino or San Cernín, built in the 13th century. Its two towers, previously crowned with crenellations, give us a glimpse of its former defensive function. Meanwhile, over the old cloister is its baroque chapel of the Virgen del Camino, joint patron of the city.
The neighbouring Cámara de Comptos (13th century), the oldest building in the city, was the site of the former Court of Auditors of Navarre between the 14th and 19th centuries. Leaving along calle Mayor you reach the church of San Lorenzo (19th century), which houses the baroque chapel of the city's patron saint, San Fermín, and, lastly, the baroque basilica of the Agustinas Recoletas, which preserves a beautiful churrigueresque reredos inside.
On the hill of Santo Domingo you can see other buildings of the former Iruña. The plateresque façade of the interesting Museum of Navarre, which houses a major collection of archaeological pieces and works of art, and the Gothic church of Santo Domingo, from the 16th century and which boasts a fine baroque façade from the 17th century.
The Castle square, with trees and surrounded by beautiful 18th-century buildings, has become the very heart of the city. The Palace of Navarre, site of Navarre's government, was built in the mid-19th century and preserves its Neoclassic façade. Outstanding inside are the Throne Room, in the baroque style, and the reredos of the Chapel, as well as a portrait of Felipe VII painted by Goya.
Going down one of the adjacent streets, you arrive at the neighbourhood of la Navarrería, in the centre of which stands the Cathedral of Santa María la Real. The cathedral complex was begun in the mid-13th century, on the site of the former Romanesque cathedral, although work on it was not completed until the 16th century. This magnificent building has three naves in the Gothic style, as well as several Neoclassic additions. The central nave houses the mausoleum of King Carlos III the Noble and his wife (15th century), worked from alabaster and considered to be one of the most important series of sculptures in Navarre. The high altar is dominated by the image of the Virgen del Sagrario, before which the monarchs of Navarre swore oaths during their coronation ceremonies.
Equally outstanding is the Gothic cloister (13th-15th centuries), with its Puerta del Amparo, the Barbazana chapel and the Puerta Preciosa. The Diocesan Museum contains an interesting collection of works of sacred art, outstanding among which is a group of medieval sculptures of the Virgin and several pieces of French medieval precious metalwork.
Next to the cathedral premises are some noblemen's houses, such as Itúrbide, from the 17th century and which preserves the family coat of arms, and the palace of Goyeneche, built a century later. The city's newer districts have extensive green areas: the Ciudadela park, la Taconera park and the gardens of la Media Luna are fine examples of a city which has enjoyed model urban growth. In order to understand Pamplona and its inhabitants at festival time, the visit to the city must be made during the Sanfermines (6-14 July), declared to be of International Tourist Interest. One of the greatest attractions of these festivals in honour of the city's patron saint is the running of the bulls (a tradition which involves running in front of bulls).
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