Things to do
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San Fermín
Be at the fence or on a balcony by eight in the morning: the bulls and runners are past you in seconds, and the whole run is over in a few minutes.
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Calle Estafeta
Narrow and slightly curved, this street carries the longest stretch of the bull run, and for the rest of the year it is lined with bars and small shops. Come from about eight in the evening, when the counters fill with pintxos, small snacks served on bread.
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Citadel of Pamplona
Five bastions in a star shape enclose a walled park of lawns and trees southwest of the old town. Walk the grass of the dry moats and along the ramparts; the old stone buildings inside now hold exhibitions. Entry is free, and on San Fermín nights the fireworks go up from the park around it.
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Museum of Navarre
Four floors of the region's art, from Roman mosaics to a Goya portrait, fill a former hospital near the walls. Ask for the ivory casket of Leyre, carved in Muslim Córdoba and the star of the collection. Entry is ticketed.
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Pamplona Cathedral
Behind a plain classical front stands a Gothic interior and one of the finest cloisters in Spain. In the nave, look for the alabaster tomb of Charles III of Navarre and his queen. Entry is ticketed, and the visit takes in the cloister.
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Parque de la Taconera
The city's oldest park, with fountains, statues and old trees, on the western edge of the old town. In the dry moat below, deer, peacocks and ducks live in a small open enclosure, a good stop with children. It is free.
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Plaza del Castillo
A large arcaded square of café terraces at the centre of the old town, with a bandstand in the middle and the main old-town streets leading off it. During San Fermín it is packed from morning to night, so come early for a terrace table.
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Walls of Pamplona
Most of the old walls and bastions still ring the old town, and a marked path follows them. Start at the Portal de Francia, the gate that still has its drawbridge, where Camino de Santiago pilgrims enter the city, then walk the ramparts above the Arga river. The path is free to walk.
