Parador de Olite, Parador Príncipe de Viana, house of kings.

Rest at the Parador de Olite, the former Royal Palace of this historic town.

The Parador de Olite, also known as the Parador Nacional Príncipe de Viana, is one of the most photographed places by travelers during their stay in the wine capital of Navarra (Olite). Its huge stone walls, its colorful banners and its striking halls make us travel back to the Middle Ages to become real kings and queens during our stay. This luxurious hotel is located in part of the Palacio Viejo or Palacio de los Teobaldos, within the Royal Palace complex (Olite Castle), next to the Church of Santa Maria. A luxury location, from which we propose to discover each and every one of the secrets that keeps this historic city of the Middle Zone of Navarra.

This accommodation is undoubtedly the most famous of Olite, and not only for having been declared a National Monument or for belonging to the hotel chain Paradores de Turismo, but for its stained glass windows, rooms and arcades of the Middle Ages, an architecture difficult to see in any other hotel. The Parador de Olite was our home on our last trip to Navarra, a magnificent building, which faithfully represents the civil Gothic of the region. The centuries-old foundations of the parador (15th century) offered us peace and tranquility throughout our stay. But at a somewhat high price, is it worth it? Read on and find out!

Charles III the Noble, King of Navarre, had as one of his most prized residences the Royal Palace of Olite, popularly known as Olite Castle. A building, which was part of the complex in which there was also the old Royal Palace (now the Parador de Olite), the primitive palace, the palace of the Teobaldos, the building that occupies us today. Its environment, formed by narrow streets full of coats of arms, stone houses, palaces and medieval galleries, invites us to get lost among them with the sole purpose of enjoying and learning. Olite is the wine capital of Navarra, a more than plausible argument to know its wineries, its wines and its vineyards, which we did in style by visiting one of the most historic wineries of the place, the Ochoa winery.

The possibility of sleeping where ancient kings and queens did is somewhat remote nowadays, but not impossible, a statement that we reaffirmed after visiting the Parador de Olite. A hotel that was built in the oldest part of what was the palace of the kings of Navarre. This Parador offers 45 rooms inside the old Royal Palace of Olite, a few meters from the current Royal Palace (Olite Castle). A real marvel.

Halls: Although it looks huge on the outside, the reality is quite different. The first floor, where we find most of the common areas (if not all), has 2 lounges, the reception and the cafeteria. The first, the largest, is used as a dining room, the second, located in the right wing of the building, is used as a living room, leisure space. We fell in love with the latter with its lamps and decoration in general. Of course, the most striking is the small txoko that is accessed from the back of this, where the background music and the huge stone walls, offer a space where you can be at peace with yourself. We leave you a small video about this last room, sure you will love it!

Breakfast: Breakfast takes place next to the reception, in one of the two lounges we have mentioned. An epic space, where we enjoy natural, fresh, traditional and high quality products. Although we have no complaints about the service and the products tasted, its price (18€ person/day) and the recommendations of the Olitenses encouraged us to try the breakfast proposal of Casa Vidaurre, a success! We opted for their breakfast menu: Piece of pastries, natural juice and coffee. But be patient, it is usually full to the brim and the waitresses are not enough. High quality artisan products at a good price.

Lunch and dinner: Although among our list of recommendations for lunch and dinner in Olite was also the Parador, we decided to go out a little and taste the dishes of other establishments. That is how we discovered the restaurant Casa Zanito or the rotisserie pizzeria Casa del Preboste, two establishments located in the town center that we recommend you to visit. The first one is a restaurant with dishes made with quality local products from the area. The second, offers a nice range of pizzas cooked in a wood oven, very good. As you can see Olite has a varied gastronomic offer, it all depends on your tastes and budget, now it is up to you to choose!

History: If there is one thing that makes all Paradors stand out, it is the history and uniqueness of their buildings. A characteristic that we see represented to perfection in the Parador Príncipe de Viana. The palace complex of Olite, finds in the Palacio Viejo or Palacio de Los Teobaldos its oldest representative, and the fact is that the building where the current Parador sits is the oldest part of the entire complex.

Although many believe that the origin of this structure is in the Middle Ages, the origin dates back to Roman times. However, the beauty and grandeur of the present complex is due to the reforms that Carlos III the Noble carried out around those Roman constructions, enlarging the Old Palace and building the New Palace next to it. From 1512 the palaces of Olite began to enter into clear decline, although its greatest disaster did not occur until the War of Independence, where the great fire that ravaged the entire complex took place. From the time of the fire until 1914, the year in which the Diputación Foral de Navarra acquired the building, the Royal Palace was used by many as a warehouse where they found everything they needed for the construction of their houses, a fact that is argued by the fact that stones with signatures of stonemasons and other writings have been found in common houses of the time. After completing the renovation, the parador had only 14 rooms, insufficient to accommodate its guests, so it was decided to make an extension while maintaining the same architectural style of the palace.

Parking: Although it is possible to access with our vehicle up to practically the door of the Parador de Olite to unload our luggage, it is forbidden to park it continuously in the surroundings of the Plaza de los Teobaldos.

Municipal regulations require us to remove the car and park it outside the town center, a couple of minutes walk from the Parador. There are many free parking areas around the Parador de Olite, but the most advisable is the one next to the Tafalla gate (at the north entrance of Olite/Erriberri).

Although throughout the day this area may have a large influx of traffic, during the evening and during the early hours of the morning there is usually no parking problem. In this area, in addition to finding parking for our vehicle, we also discovered a great option for breakfast, snacks or just a drink between meals: the artisan bakery Casa Vidaurre, an establishment that we have told you about before and that we recommend 100%. Do not forget to buy their famous Txantxigorri cakes.

Attention: The attention was perfect from start to finish, nothing to reproach. On our arrival they advised us about all kinds of places and on our departure they offered us a 15% discount to spend it in another Parador back home, a policy that all the hotels of the Paradores de Turismo chain employ nowadays. In addition, they offered us the card friends of the Paradores, a card that allows us to take advantage of offers that this hotel chain eventually brings to the market. An option that allows us to enjoy this type of accommodation at a much lower price at certain times of the year.

Room: In our case, it was a superior double room located on the second floor, next to the main facade. A room, somewhat larger than usual, in which there was a small hallway that served as an entrance hall, a large bathroom and a room in which perhaps a couple of pieces of furniture were left over. To get to the rooms we can do it from the stairs that we find on both sides of the first floor or by elevator, to suit your taste. In our case, as we were staying on the second floor, we opted for the stairs most of the time. It is not every day that you walk through corridors guarded by medieval armor, gigantic chandeliers and windows covered with stained glass windows. What is clear is that the rooms at the Parador de Olite are different from the rest of the rooms we have found all over the Basque Country. We leave you a small video about our room so you can see with your own eyes what we explain in these lines:

Touring the Parador: Normally, the first hours of our stay in hotels, hostels or any other type of accommodation we usually dedicate to inspect every corner of the building in which we stay, and the Parador de Olite was no exception. So, taking advantage of its whimsical architecture, we went through every step and every corridor that connects the floors of this hotel, stairs up and stairs down, so we discovered several amazing nooks and crannies within the building itself, spaces, where relaxing overlooking the current Royal Palace is possible. Middle Ages with capital letters. The cafeteria of the Parador, as well as several of the rooms next to it, are the result of an annex to the main building, a space that we found much less impressive than the rest of the Parador.

Price: In our case, the price for a weekend on a room-only basis was a staggering 375€. We must take into account that our stay coincided with the Pilar long weekend, a time when the rates of all hotels tend to rise. Although like all accommodation the price of the Parador de Olite fluctuates every day, after making dozens of search simulations at different times of the year and search engines, we have found a pattern that is practically fulfilled 90% of the time: the Parador Príncipe de Viana is usually the most expensive accommodation in Olite. No one said that sleeping in a palace was cheap. The other service we enjoyed during our stay was breakfast (18€ per person/day), so it is logical to think that a luxury accommodation has luxury prices, right? The history surrounding the former Royal Palace of Olite, its location, its decoration and its rooms make this a unique accommodation, a special experience, but is it worth paying these prices for the services offered? We see a stay at the Parador de Olite as a whim, a special occasion to celebrate that life can be wonderful, Carpe Díem. If we look at it coldly, it is clear that there are other more striking possibilities.

Location: Olite, Middle Zone of Navarre. This town is located about 40 kilometers from the capital of Navarre, Pamplona (Iruña in Basque), near important urban centers such as Tafalla. Olite is usually a place of pilgrimage for every traveler who comes to Navarra, a visit that is usually merged with the neighboring town of Ujue. The Parador de Olite is located in the center of the town, in the Plaza de los Teobaldos, a place we have already talked about thanks to our articles on the “Museo de la Viña y el Vino de Navarra” and “thesubway galleries of Olite“. Many of the people who book at the Parador, do so thinking of a luxury location to enjoy all the charms of Olite. In our case this was the case. Park the car and forget about it. Olite is small and you can easily walk around. The most remarkable places in Olite are:

As you have seen, the Parador de Olite or Parador Príncipe de Viana is a very special 3 star hotel, a National Monument surrounded by an epic atmosphere of the Middle Ages. A unique hotel, one of the wonders of Olite.