Rick Steves Snapshot Basque Country Spain & France by Rick Steves

Author:Rick Steves
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Avalon Travel
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

• You’ve survived the run. Now enjoy the rest of Pamplona’s sights.

Sights in Pamplona

▲Pamplona Cathedral (Catedral de Pamplona)

The Camino de Santiago is lined with great cathedrals, making Pamplona’s feel like an architectural also-ran. However, after an expensive makeover, it looks like new and holds an interesting museum with a thoughtful message for pilgrims and tourists alike.

Cost and Hours: Cathedral and museum-€5, daily 10:30-19:00, until 17:00 in winter, museum closed Sun and during church services, last entry one hour before closing, let ticket office know if you want to do the 11:15 bell tower climb (you will need to take a number), +34 948 212 594, www.catedraldepamplona.com.

Visiting the Cathedral: The cathedral—a Gothic core wrapped in a Neoclassical shell—is shiny and clean from the outside, but the interior is dark and mysterious. Follow signs for entrada at the left side of the main entrance, buy your ticket, and go inside.

The prominent tomb dominating the middle of the nave holds Charles III (the king of Navarre who united the disparate groups of Pamplona) and his wife. The blue fleur-de-lis pattern is a reminder that the kings of Navarre once controlled a large swath of France. Notice that Charles’ face is realistic, indicating that it was sculpted while he was still alive, whereas his wife’s face is idealized—done after she died. Around the base of the tomb, monks from various orders mourn the couple’s death.

In the choir, look for the silver and gold statue nicknamed “Mary of the Adopted Child.” The Baby Jesus was stolen from this statue in the 16th century and replaced with a different version...which looks nothing like his mother. (The mother, dating from the 13th century, is the only treasure surviving from the previous church that stood on this spot.)

The Running of the Bulls: Fiesta de San Fermín

“A San Fermín pedimos, por ser nuestro patrón, nos guíe en el encierro, dándonos su bendición.”

“We ask San Fermín, because he is our Patron, to guide us through the Running of the Bulls, giving us his blessing.”

-Song sung before the run

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