Pamplona is the city Hemingway made famous. Every July, the San Fermin Festival sends bulls charging through its narrow streets while thousands run ahead of them, and the rest of the world watches in disbelief. But Pamplona is far more than one wild week in summer.
The city sits on a plateau about 50 kilometers south of the Pyrenees, capital of the old kingdom of Navarre. Its medieval old quarter is compact and walkable, ringed by well-preserved walls and bastions that now serve as parks and viewpoints over the river Arga. The Basque name is Irunea, and you will hear Euskara spoken alongside Spanish.
Pamplona is also one of the great stops on the Camino de Santiago. Pilgrims have been passing through for a thousand years, entering through the city gates and crossing the old quarter on their way west. The infrastructure of hospitality runs deep here.
Beyond the festivals and the pilgrims, this is a city with seriously good food. Navarre is known for its vegetables, its red wines, and its pintxos bars. The old quarter around Plaza del Castillo fills up every evening with locals hopping from bar to bar. If you are in the region, eat well and drink the local reds.