Pamplona's green belt on the western and southern edge of the old town — the romantic 1830s Taconera gardens with deer in the old moat, and the Renaissance star-fort of the Ciudadela, now a vast public park and the city's outdoor sculpture gallery. Where Pamplona goes to breathe.
Daytime
(3)A morning walk through Parque de la Taconera to see the deer and swans in the fortress moat, then across to the Ciudadela's ramparts and sculpture. Lunch with a Pyrenees view from Mesón del Caballo Blanco on the Redín bastion.
Ciudadela de Pamplona
A Renaissance pentagonal star-fort built across the 16th and 17th centuries and reckoned one of the finest examples of Spanish military architecture, the Ciudadela was handed to the city in 1964 and is now a 280,000-square-metre public park — Pamplona's green lung. Its old powder houses stage exhibitions and its lawns hold outdoor sculpture by Oteiza, Aizkorbe and Sada. Fortress and park in one, free to all.
Stamped$
Order: A slow loop of the ramparts and the star-fort bastions, taking in the outdoor sculpture and whatever's showing in the old powder houses. Bring time, not a checklist.Best: Daytime, especially a bright afternoon for the sculpture and the walk. It flows naturally into the adjoining Taconera and Vuelta del Castillo green spaces.
Parque de la Taconera
Pamplona's oldest park, laid out in 1830 in a romantic French style that recalls Versailles in miniature — ornamental gardens, fountains, and the monumental Portal de San Nicolás gate. Its great charm is the menagerie living in the old fortress moat: deer, ducks, swans, peacocks and pheasants, fed by generations of local children. It adjoins the belle-époque Café Vienés, making it a perfect morning stroll.
Stamped$
Order: A wander to the moat to see the deer and swans, then out through the Portal de San Nicolás. Coffee at the adjoining Café Vienés rounds it off.Best: Morning, for the light on the gardens and the animals at their liveliest. A calm counterpoint to the old-town bar streets.
Mesón del Caballo Blanco
Set in a centuries-old building atop the ramparts by the Redín bastion, just behind the cathedral, the Caballo Blanco has one of Pamplona's finest terraces — a medieval-feeling perch that looks out toward the Pyrenees. Rebuilt in 1958 on the site of a demolished palace, it trades on that view and a grill-focused menu, and its weekend set menu keeps it accessible despite the extraordinary setting.
Inked$$
Order: Something off the grill, taken on the terrace with the Pyrenees view. The weekend set menu (around €23) is the value way in.Best: Lunch or early evening in good weather, for the terrace and the light over the walls. The view is the whole reason to climb up here.