Olite Castle, the most visited monument in Navarre.

Discover the Castle of Olite, the Royal Palace of Charles III the Noble.

The Castle of Olite, also known as the Royal Palace of Olite, is undoubtedly one of the most incredible spaces in Navarra, a building full of history and culture, which has become on its own merits the most visited monument in Navarra. This structure, together with the Palacio Viejo (currently the Parador de Olite) and the church of Santa Maria la Real, forms the best preserved medieval complex in Europe, a space that although today has been separated into 3 totally different rooms, in the past was united.

This castle reflects the character of its creators, Carlos III the noble (1387-1425), and his wife, Doña Leonor (1362-1415), kings who did not like wars, and who avoided any kind of armed conflict during their reign. This fact helped in the construction of the incredible castle that we visited in Olite, and all the money that was not spent on wars was invested in the construction of this defensive and residential complex. This is how they showed the power of the Kingdom of Navarre to the whole world, through the majesty of the Castle of Olite. Today, the castle has become an emblem, an icon of the ancient kingdom, a must-see place on any trip to Navarre. The irregular silhouette of Olite Castle, the originality of its creators and the incredible economic waste made during its construction, positioned this castle among the most striking in Europe. A “popular” title, it attracts thousands of visitors every year from all over the world, notably Spain, France and England.

Although during the guided visit to the Castle of Olite it was made clear that the real name of this enclave is the “Royal Palace of Olite”, the persistence of the people in calling it “Castle of Olite” has led us to make a small study on these terms. What differences exist between the word palace and the word castle? What is the appropriate name for this building? What is the argumentation of the tourist guide to call it a palace? Pay attention because we have drawn our own conclusions.

This building was the residence of the kings of Navarre until practically its incorporation to the Crown of Castile in 1512, a luxurious medieval building that enamored monarchs and people of high birth thanks to its impressive colors and beauty. Although nowadays these characteristics cannot be appreciated, during the guided tour we found a poster that referred to the words with which a German traveler described the Castle of Olite in the fifteenth century. The description literally said: “I am sure that there is no king who has a palace or castle more beautiful and with so many golden rooms”. If you want to contrast this information you can do it by visiting the exhibition at the British Museum in London, where the diary in which he wrote it is exhibited. Or better, you can visit the castle and enjoy a pleasant walk between walls, towers and royal gardens.

The Castle of Olite reminds us of the magnificent medieval past of this historic city, an imposing building, which makes it possible for us to get an idea of the importance of this urban center at that time. As if that were not enough, the Castle of Olite is considered by many as one of the most important and best preserved Gothic civil ensembles in Europe, is that not true?

For the Olite Castle any time in the past was better. Although nowadays the Olite Castle seems to be a real wonder of humanity, it is nothing compared to what it was in the past. Its towers, gardens, courtyards, decoration and zoo made it a unique complex in the world. Do you want to know it in detail? Attention, we are starting.

History: It all began with the erection of a settlement during Roman times, since then, it has been reused by different civilizations obtaining different types of buildings and objectives. An example of this is the reuse of the remains of the Roman settlement by the Visigoths, a building, which was reused again over time. These structures were located in the same place where the Parador is today, and the Parador de Olite is located in the oldest part of the medieval complex, in the so-called Palacio Viejo or Palacio de los Teobaldos. This palace underwent several transformations during the XIII-XIV centuries, at the time when Sancho VII began to use the Royal Palace of Olite as a monarchal space.

It was not until the 15th century when Charles III the Noble and his wife decided to restore the palace for their own use and enjoyment. Along with the rehabilitation of the Old Palace, the so-called New Palace or Olite Castle was built next to it, an incredible Gothic style building that eclipsed the rest of European castles.

We must remember that King Charles III (Mantes-la-Jolie, July 22, 1361 – Olite, September 8, 1425) was born near Paris, in France, an influence that led him to transfer to the Castle of Olite the French architectural style of the time. It was here, where Charles III lived most of his life and where he died, leaving his daughter, Blanca I of Navarre as heir to the throne. Some of his most striking works are the Gothic cathedral of Pamplona, the royal palaces of Olite and the royal palace of Tafalla. He is currently buried in the cathedral of Pamplona.

Visit: Although Olite Castle offers up to 4 different types of visits (free, general guided, family guided and dramatized) we are only going to talk about the 2 that we had the opportunity to enjoy: the free visit and the general guided tour. The guided tour lasts approximately 40 minutes in which we are shown most of the spaces of the castle and to which we recommend adding a free visit before or after this, and is that, due to the number of narrow and long stairs that we find scattered around the Royal Palace and the volume of visitors per group (up to 40 people), the general tour only runs through the first floor and second floor of the Castle of Olite, leaving the rest of the rooms without visiting. So remember, the fusion of free and guided visits is the best option to get to know Olite Castle in depth. For all those people who plan to make the visit with their family, we must point out that due to the historical and artistic content of the generic visit, those responsible for Olite Castle do not recommend this type of visit for children under 6 years old.

The visit to Olite Castle begins in the large courtyard next to the main gate, once past the ticket sales area, in the Patio de Armas. It is here where the group gathers and the guide introduces herself. Each member of this group is easily recognizable by the colored stickers we are given at the entrance. Please do not paste these stickers inside the castle, let’s respect the heritage.

The visit begins with a generic introduction that plunges us into the fifteenth century and the charms that surround this world called the Middle Ages. The history lesson begins. After the contact, the guided tour makes an appearance in at least 8 areas of the castle: Guard’s Room, Hall of the Arches, Queen’s Room, King’s Hall, King’s Gallery, Queen’s Gallery, the Keep and the Ice Deposit. Spaces, in which a short stop is made to talk about topics related to each of them.

By the way, places on the guided tour are limited and are often sold out during the high season, we recommend booking in advance. We emphasize again the importance of visiting the Royal Palace or Castle of Olite on our own. The towers of the castle are a real highlight, all of them different from each other, all of them with stunning views over the city:

Zoo and celebrations: Believe it or not, Olite Castle housed a small zoo in and around it, a peculiar way of demonstrating to the rest of the world the purchasing power of the Kingdom of Navarre. Imagine in the 15th century the odyssey that could be involved in bringing a lion, a camel, a giraffe or an ostrich to the gardens surrounding the Castle of Olite. How much money and effort would be involved at that time? What an animal!

Although today the figure of the king’s gardens has disappeared, we can get an approximate idea of the extent of land they occupied by looking at the back of the castle, to the east. Where today we see fields and the occasional building, it was once one of the king’s favorite places, an exotic space that attracted the attention of all who visited. But this was not the only peculiarity of Olite Castle, in its golden age it was the scene of ball games, jousting, bullfights and tournaments. All this, inside the castle, under the watchful eye of the king and queen.

Original works and restoration: In the original works, promoted by Queen Leonor in 1399 and taken up again by Carlos III from 1400, there were many artists protagonists, but all of them took as a reference the French castles of the family of Carlos III and the Castilian ones of Queen Leonor. The styles of both types of buildings are reflected in every corner of the Royal Palace, a fusion of characters with which Olite Castle attracts our attention. The construction began with the king’s great chamber and later added the rest of the main rooms, with special emphasis on the king’s galleries, the queen’s chamber and the gardens that surrounded them.

Thanks to the creations of the best craftsmen of the time (French sculptors, Arab gardeners or German engineers among others), the Castle of Olite had the best possible technology, a fact that made it possible for the Castle of Olite to have a totally revolutionary facet, running water. Although today it seems a common and simple comfort, we must place ourselves in the fifteenth century, a time when the technologies that we have today did not exist.

The hydraulic system of the castle, had its origin in the meadow that is created next to the river Cidacos, to later raise it by means of a bucket mechanism to the tower of the Aljibe, from where it was distributed by the lead pipes to the fountains and gardens of the castle. This mechanism was not new to us, and during our visit to the Salt Museum of Leintz Gatzaga, we found a similar structure to obtain the water that would later become salt.

The Castle of Olite that we see today is not the same that stood in the fifteenth century, the great fire and the continuous looting to which he faced during his time of neglect took its toll. So today, we are facing a renovated castle, renovated, in which stones of the fifteenth century and today coexist, works that are visible to our eyes.

Price: The entrance fee to Olite Castle is very good value for money. Even more so, knowing that it is the monument of Navarre that receives the highest number of visits per year. Although in this section there is a great variety of prices, we are only going to value the individual entrance, the guided visit. In addition, it is important to note that when visiting the Castle of Olite we are offered a discount ticket of 1 € to visit the Museum of the Vine and Wine of Navarra and vice versa. A discount, which makes the combined visit of the Museum of the Vine and Wine of Navarra + Guided Visit to the Castle of Olite a good weekend plan. There are dramatized visits for those who wish.

Hours: Although Olite Castle is open practically all year round, it does not keep the same schedule 365 days a year. Its schedule varies actively. We attach the current schedule (subject to change) so that you can get an idea and plan your trip with peace of mind. However, we recommend visiting the official website to check the schedule and verify that it has not undergone any changes.

You can buy tickets online, without queues and easily from the website of Guiarte Navarra, the company responsible for the management of Olite Castle.

Location: Olite is located in the Middle Zone of Navarra, about 40 kilometers from the capital, Pamplona, a strategic location to know much of Navarra in a single trip. In this city, most of the buildings that we find in its urban core are of great importance, for example the Castle of Olite, the subway galleries, the Old Palace, the Church of Santa Maria, the Museum of the Vine and Wine of Navarre or the Town Hall among others. All of them are located between the Plaza Carlos III and the Plaza de los Teobaldos, in the very center of Olite. Although the Castle of Olite is undoubtedly the great attraction of the city, we recommend to complete the visit with the rest of tourist attractions that surround it. Here are some photos so you can get a better idea of what awaits you:

In addition, if you want to immerse yourself in the Middle Ages, we recommend visiting Olite during the Medieval Festivals held in August.

Where to sleep: Although Olite has several hotels, there is a very special one, a hotel with a strong link to Olite Castle, the Parador. This hotel is located in the old Royal Palace, in the Plaza de los Teobaldos, next to the tourist office. An accommodation from another era, which makes us relive the Middle Ages in every step we take. A unique, luxury hotel, which unfortunately and logically, also has a luxury price. A place for special occasions. You can read more about our experience in this hotel in our article: “Parador de Olite, Parador Príncipe de Viana, house of kings“.

Where to eat: Olite is the wine capital of Navarra, an urban center where you can eat and drink wonderfully. A temple of gastronomy in the Middle Ages.

As a curiosity, we should mention that Olite Castle was the residence of the last kings of Navarre, Juan de Labrit and Doña Catalina, a fact that adds more history to this tourist attraction. As you can see, the Castle of Olite and the rest of the medieval spaces of this urban center of Navarra make it practically impossible to travel to Navarra without visiting Olite. Are you up for it?