Navarre Travel Guide

The ancient land of Navarre (Navarra in Spanish, Nafarroa in Basque) shares a 130km (81-mile) frontier with France, with nine crossing points. This province with a strong Basque tradition is an important link between Iberia and the rest of the Continent. As a border region, Navarre has seen its share of conflict, and to this day the remains of lonely castles and fortified walled towns bear witness to that. But somehow this kingdom, one of the most ancient on the peninsula, has managed to preserve its own government and identity. Romans, Christians, Muslims, and Jews have all left their stamp on Navarre, and its architecture is as diverse as its landscape. It is also a province rich in folklore. Pagan rites were blended with Christian traditions to form a mythology that lives on today in Navarre's many festivals. Dancers and singers wear the famous red berets, the jota is the province's most celebrated folk dance, and its best-known sport is pelota -- sometimes called jai alai in other parts of the world. Navarre is also rich in natural attractions, but most foreign visitors miss them when they come in July to see the Fiesta de San Fermín and the running of the bulls through the streets of Pamplona, Navarre's capital and major city. Even if you do visit for the festival, try to explore some of the panoramic Pyrenean landscape.