Navarre

This Northern Spanish province borders France

It was inhabited in the pre-Roman times by the Vasconez tribe. During the Roman rule and beyond, the province of Navarre has managed to keep the Basque language and its tradition. In spite of many attempts, the province was never conquered either by the Visigoths or the Arabs.

Besides Christians;

Romans, Muslims and Jews have also left their mark on the architecture of Navarre. The event that created conditions for the establishment of the kingdom of Navarre was the first crowning of King Pomplave in the early 9th century.

Kingdom of Navarre reached its peak during the reign of Charles the Great. During his reign, the territory of the kingdom of Navarre included Navarre, Basque Country and La Rioja. In addition, it also included parts of Aragon, Castille, Cantabria and León.

After the death of Charles the Great and the division of the kingdom between his sons, this kingdom never recovered its size and powerFrom the beginning of the 10th century and the reign of Charles III, the capital of this region has been Pamplona. Pamplona is also the largest city of Navarre with circa 200,000 inhabitants, which is almost one third of the population of this area.

Otherwise, Pamplona is a tourist attraction thanks to the Festival of San Feruines that is famous for its bull run. This festival is held from 6th to 14th June each year. Bulls are put through the streets while a crazy mass of tourists speeds ahead of them. This scenario is repeated 8 times a day.

Of course, you can watch the entire spectacle from a safe distance like the balcony of a neighboring building and drink a glass of champagne. Tourists are also attracted by folk and carnival attractions in Navarre. Pamplona receives about half a million tourists per year.

Navarre offers ideal conditions for tourism if you prefer a continental active vacation with walking, photography, hiking or fishingLandscape of Navarre extends from the mountains of La Riviera in the south to the Pyrenees in the north. Just as it has colorful landscapes, Navarre is very colorful in its culture.

It has a blend of ancient traditions and influence of the Mediterranean culture and climate that comes from the river Ebro. In the early 13th century, Arabs were expelled by the Christians and in the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th Century, Jews and Muslims were driven out from this region by drastic measures. The rest is only Christianity but all these people and their faiths have left traces which are visible even today.