Pamplona

Pamplona is the capital of the Foral Community of Navarra in northern Spain, founded by the Roman general Pompey in the first century BC and capital of the medieval Kingdom of Navarra. The walled old town occupies a commanding position above the Arga river basin, its Renaissance-era fortification system encircling the historic centre.

The Cathedral of Santa María la Real is a late Gothic structure with an exceptionally fine Romanesque cloister, considered one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture in Spain. The city is internationally known for the Fiesta de San Fermín, held each July, whose running of the bulls along the narrow streets of the old town is one of the most famous cultural events in the world.

For pilgrims on the Camino Frances, Pamplona is typically the destination of the first or second stage from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a major urban encounter with full services and significant architectural and cultural interest.