{"id":954,"date":"2022-12-04T19:49:21","date_gmt":"2022-12-04T18:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discovernavarra.com\/?p=954"},"modified":"2025-03-24T21:20:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T20:20:57","slug":"olite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/discovernavarra.com\/en\/olite\/","title":{"rendered":"Olite"},"content":{"rendered":"
\r\n\r\nOlite <\/strong>is a small town about 35 minutes drive from Pamplona<\/a>, the capital of Navarre. This is where one of Navarra's most popular tourist attractions is located, the Royal Palace of Olite. But this is not the only interesting thing about Olite. There are also beautiful medieval streets and buildings to visit in this village, as well as delicious restaurants and many wineries.<\/span>\r\n

Royal Palace of Olite<\/h3>\r\nThe Royal Palace of Olite was one of the most luxurious medieval castles in Europe and has served since the 13th century as Royal Palace.<\/strong> In the 15th century a famous king of Navarre decided, Carlos III \u201cthe Noble\u201d<\/em> (Charles III \u201cthe Noble\u201d) filled the palace with luxurious amenities. Inside the palace were beautiful stained glass windows, a lion cage, fountains, baths, exotic hanging gardens, and even a giraffe and buffalo. The oldest part of the castle is today a Parador<\/a>. Paradores are luxurious state hotels situated in beautiful locations and housed in buildings that are part of the Spanish heritage. Paradores are often housed in castles, palaces, monasteries and other monumental buildings.\r\n\r\n
\"Castle
Royal Palace of Olite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nThe Royal Palace of Olite is the perfect place to learn more about Navarre's medieval history. This can be explored from the inside, with access to galleries, rooms and the various towers, among other things. It is possible to visit the palace on your own (also possible with an audio guide) or with a guided tour. For more information, click here<\/a>. Every month there are a few days that are considered heritage days, when admission to visit the castle on your own is free. These days are on this page<\/a> (click on \u201cRates\u201d).\r\n\r\n
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Castle of Olite from the back<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Other places of interest in Olite<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nIn addition to exploring the palace, Olite has more wonderful experiences to offer. Walking through the medieval alleys of the old town or visiting beautiful churches are some examples. One of these churches is the Church of Santa Mar\u00eda, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, and is one of the most important Gothic churches in Navarre. The impressive facade is framed by arches that house sculptures of the apostles.\r\n\r\n
\"Door
Fa\u00e7ade of the Church of Santa Mar\u00eda with arches and with apostles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Things to do in Olite<\/h2>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nOlite is also known as the wine capital<\/strong> from Navarre. The big party, the Fiesta de la Vendimia<\/em> (\u201cWine Harvest Festival\u201d), place. A tradition during this festival is that some young people stomp grapes with their feet to make wine, after which there is the opportunity to taste different types of wines. In addition, Olite is home to the Museo de la Vina y el Vino<\/em> (Vineyard and Wine Museum) of Navarra, housed in an old palace from the 17th century.\r\n\r\n
\"Party
Wine harvest festival in Olite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nDuring the second weekend of August the Medieval Feasts <\/strong>place, where the city goes back in time to the Middle Ages. Numerous activities, musical performances and performances take place, along with a medieval market. In addition, many people dress in all kinds of medieval attire. Similar to these celebrations, a similar event will take place in the nearby village at the end of August Artajona.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn addition, it is recommended for Dutch and Belgians to use the beer brewery<\/a> El Holand\u00e9s Errante\u00a0<\/em>(\u201cDe Vliegende Hollander\u201d), a beer brewery with beer made from Navarrese malt and hops by a Dutchman<\/strong>. This beer brewery was founded in 2019 and, in addition to beer, also offers typical Navarrese products.\r\n
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Wineries<\/h3>\r\nDue to the fact that Olite is the wine capital of Navarra, there are numerous wineries. For wine lovers (or those interested), there is the opportunity to visit and taste different types of wine, also known as wine tourism<\/strong>. Some of the wineries that offer tours in English are:\r\n