How to visit the Royal Palace of Olite, the Gothic jewel of Navarra
The Royal Palace of Olite is, without a doubt, the great jewel of this medieval town and also the most visited monument in Navarra. And of course, he deserves it. Located about 40km from Pamplona, visiting Olite is almost a must if you find yourself in this community and its Royal Palace, an essential visit.
This amazing building was one of the headquarters of the Court of the Kingdom of Navarre, built between the 13th and 14th centuries when Carlos III the Noble decided to expand the old palace that served as the residence of the Kings of Navarre when they traveled to Olite. During the War of Independence it suffered a fire, caused by Espoz y Mina to prevent it from falling into the hands of the French, for which it had to be rebuilt in the 20th century.
If you want to visit the Royal Palace of Olite, here we are going to tell you the best things to see in it and what to discover in the Gothic jewel of Navarra.
Visit the Royal Palace of the Kings of Navarra
The interior rooms of the Royal Palace
The towers of the Royal Palace of Olite can already be seen as soon as you approach this medieval town, which makes your desire to visit it increase, something you can do through a guided tour or freely, which with the brochure they give you at the entrance it will not be difficult for you to do.
In the palace you can admire different halls and rooms that will leave you speechless and where you won’t stop taking photos, such as the Sala de los Arcos, also known as the bat cave, or the Salas de la Reina and del Rey, where you can admire their Gothic windows and their chimneys. There is no furniture or decoration, but you can get an idea of the immensity of the place during the time of the Kings of Navarre.
From there, through narrow corridors and nooks and crannies, you arrive at the King’s Gallery. and the Queen’s Gallery. Do not miss either the Sala de los Yesos, in the Mudejar style. And you can imagine the Navarrese kings walking there before climbing the towers that crown the building. You can climb almost all of them, and each one has its charm and great views.
The towers and patios of the Royal Palace of Olite
Going up the spiral staircase we can go up to the Torre del Homenaje, the highest in the palace, or the Torre de la Atalaya, where only one person fits, or the Torre de las Tres Coronas, perhaps the most beautiful and from where you can see the Ice Well, where the ice was kept using a medieval technique throughout the year. Very curious, no doubt.
And to complete the visit to the Royal Palace of Olite, its patios. such as the Patio de la Morera, where there is a mulberry tree that has been bearing blackberries for no less than 300 years, or the Patio de la Pajarera, where the birds of the palace lived.
In this way, you will have visited one of the most spectacular palaces in Spain. A must visit in Olite and that we recommend.
If you want to find more information you can visit the official page of the Royal Palace of Olite.
