Pamplona Cathedral

Pamplona Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Pamplona Cathedral, the Cathedral of Santa María la Real, stands in the old town of Pamplona, Navarre, northern Spain, and a ticket is required for the cathedral, cloister and the Occidens museum, which tells the story of Western civilisation through the cathedral's history; the bell tower can be visited on guided tours. Pamplona is on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago, and pilgrims pass the cathedral.

Pamplona is famous for the San Fermín festival in July, with the running of the bulls, described by Ernest Hemingway. Walking tours of Pamplona combine the cathedral with the Plaza del Castillo, the city walls, the Citadel, the Town Hall and the route of the bull run through the Calle Estafeta. The cathedral is active, and visiting pauses during services. The tower holds María, one of the largest bells in Spain still rung. The walk from the Plaza del Castillo to the cathedral takes about five minutes.

Visiting Pamplona Cathedral: what to see

A Romanesque cathedral was built here in the twelfth century, and after part of it collapsed, the present Gothic cathedral was built between 1394 and 1501, while the facade was rebuilt in the late eighteenth century in a neoclassical style by Ventura Rodríguez, which contrasts with the Gothic interior. Inside, the cathedral holds the alabaster tomb of King Charles III the Noble of Navarre and his wife Eleanor of Castile, carved by the Flemish sculptor Johan Lome in the fifteenth century, with mourning figures around the base. The Gothic cloister, from the fourteenth century, is one of the finest in Europe, with delicate tracery and carved doorways, including the Puerta Preciosa. The cathedral's kitchen, with a huge chimney, and the refectory, with medieval murals, are part of the museum. The bell tower holds María, cast in 1584, weighing about eleven tonnes.

The nave's Gothic vaults are high and simple, and the side chapels hold altarpieces and statues. The choir stalls, carved in wood in the sixteenth century, depict saints and figures. The high altar holds the statue of the Virgin of the Sagrario, a Romanesque image covered in silver, venerated as the patron of the cathedral. The cloister's Barbazana Chapel has a star vault. The Occidens museum uses the cathedral's rooms, including the refectory and kitchen, to explain the history of Western culture. The Puerta Preciosa's tympanum is carved with scenes of the life of the Virgin. The facade's towers can be climbed on the tour, and the view over the old town is excellent. The cathedral's square is quiet compared with the busy streets nearby. The walls behind the cathedral offer views over the Arga river valley.

Pamplona Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open from Monday to Saturday, with shorter hours in winter, and closed to tourist visits on Sundays. Pamplona is extremely busy during the San Fermín festival, from 6 to 14 July, when hotels are booked long in advance and the old town is crowded day and night. Spring and autumn are pleasant. Pilgrims pass through Pamplona mainly from spring to autumn. Allow about an hour for the cathedral, cloister and museum, and walk along the city walls to the Citadel. Guided tower tours run at set times and should be booked in advance.