Pamplona Citadel

Strolling through Pamplona Citadel today means wandering through a vast green space right in the heart of the city, where people come to walk, read or take in an exhibition. Yet beneath that tranquil appearance lies one of the most remarkable Renaissance fortifications in Spain, built between the 16th and 17th centuries and also known as the New Castle, or Gaztelu Berria in Basque.

Its purpose was strictly military. Pamplona, capital of the former Kingdom of Navarre, held a key position in the defensive strategy of the Spanish Crown during the Ancien Régime, and for that reason it was declared a garrison town. That status endured for centuries and was not lifted until 21 May 1964, a surprisingly recent date that goes a long way towards explaining why the complex has survived so intact to the present day.

Much of the fortress is still standing, and its preservation has been recognised both in Spain and abroad. Since 8 February 1973 it has been listed as a national historic-artistic monument, which makes it a Site of Cultural Interest in the monument category. In 2012 it also received the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award in the Conservation category, together with the Public Choice Award, a detail that speaks volumes about the affection visitors have for it.

Visitors will find a twofold experience here: walking among the walls and bastions that recall the city's martial past, and exploring the buildings inside, which have been converted into venues for cultural activities. It is well worth spending a good while here at a leisurely pace, letting yourself drift between military history and the everyday life of the people of Pamplona, who have made this old castle their own.