Pamplona is the capital of Navarre and is famous for the bull races organized in the first half of July. The traditional Sanfermin fiesta attracts thousands of tourists to the city, but has also been criticized for its cruelty to animals.
The city was founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC and was named after Pompey. Today there are no traces of the ancient period here. On the other hand, many gothic buildings and structures from later periods have survived.
The most important monument of the city is the Renaissance Citadel of Pamplona. It was built at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries on a star plan. Today, there are green areas and walking areas. The city's entertainment and social life revolves around the irregular Castle Square. It is surrounded by tenement houses, mainly from the 18th century. Many of them on the ground floor house restaurants, bars and cafes.
Pamplona's great treasures are its churches. The most important is the 15th century Pamplona Cathedral. Many people who come to the city are surprised when they stand in front of a church expecting the gothic walls. Meanwhile, the façade was added in the 18th century and is in the neoclassical style. Behind it there is a Gothic interior, and the church itself is also known for the Pamplona Occidens Cathedral Museum. It shows the pillars of Western European culture and the clash of various influences on the Pyrenean Peninsula. The church of San Saturnino has a typical Gothic facade and body, with the so-called "little well" in which the first Christians in the city were baptized.
Pamplona is not only interesting monuments, but also beautiful parks. The most famous are the Taconera Gardens, decorated in a romantic style. There are, among others, mini zoo. In turn, in the oriental Yamaguchi Park you can see the Japanese garden and the Pamplona Planetarium.
