Olite, what to see, where to eat and where to sleep.

Learn all the secrets of Olite, the historic city of Navarra.

Traveling to Olite (Erriberri in Basque) is the closest thing to traveling back in time, to fantasize about the Middle Ages, a fact that we have all dreamed of at least once in our lives. This historic city has made us fall in love with its thousand and one charms, and the castle/palace of Olite is just a small appetizer of what this urban center has to offer. Today we are going to show you all the corners that caught our attention in Olite: its walled old town, its narrow streets, its noble mansions, its huge coats of arms, its subway galleries, its town hall, its old palace, its wine museum, its portal of Tafalla… structures that are wrapped in an incredible halo of fantasy and that can be seen wonderfully from the many towers of the castle. Here we leave you a video as an example:

Olite surprises young and old alike, and this urban complex has become in the last decade one of the favorite destinations for family getaways. Imagine for a moment, a place where castles, palaces, subway galleries, gastronomy and vineyards take center stage, a place that inevitably attracts the little ones just by naming the word “castle” and complements it by capturing the adults with the words “wine capital of Navarra”, the honorary title of Olite.

It is no coincidence that Olite / Erriberri holds the title of wine capital of Navarra, nor is it that the Regulatory Council of the Designation of Origin of Navarra and its Estación de Viticultura y Enología de Navarra (EVENA) have been located in Olite since its foundation (1981). Everything has a reason, everything has a solid argumentation, every question has an answer, or if not, just ask the people in charge of the Wine Museum of Navarra or the innumerable wine cellars that we find in Olite, spaces that helped us to understand in depth the history and tradition of this town around wine.

The magnificent silhouette of the Castle of Olite (officially called Royal Palace) dominates the urban core of the city while on the outskirts, the vineyards and wineries show us another of its most important characteristics, the wine culture. But that’s not all: among its narrow and historic streets we find establishments that show us the great gastronomic potential of the region through the autochthonous products of Navarra and the culinary skills of its chefs. Do you dare to discover all this with us?

As we approach Olite, as we move along the road, we realize that Olite is still a town from another era, a tourist destination that welcomes us with open arms “stagnant” (in the good sense of the word) in the fifteenth century. Thanks to the help and advice of Javier Adot, head of Guiarte Servicios Turísticos (GuiarteNavarra.com), we have been able to enjoy Olite from a very fortunate perspective, from a local point of view. And thanks to his contributions we have planned a luxury weekend in the heart of Navarra.

The origin of Olite dates back to Roman times, historical moment in which the primitive settlement of Olite was created. According to historians, the archaeological remains that have been found belong to the Roman Imperial period (1st century A.D.), almost nothing. There were several civilizations that reused this Roman settlement, all of them, molded it to their taste and objectives, but undoubtedly, the largest and most striking reconstruction was the one that lived at the hands of Charles III the Noble and his wife Doña Leonor de Trastámara in the fifteenth century. They rebuilt the Old Palace and created the New Palace, popularly known as the “Castle of Olite”. Since then, the Navarrese monarchs have always been linked in a very special way to Olite, to the point that this urban center ended up becoming the most visited seat by the Navarrese monarchs throughout history. Today, the Castle of Olite is considered a worldwide reference. An architectural piece, which together with the Old Palace, the church of Santa Maria and the rest of the medieval complex form one of the best preserved Gothic complexes in the world.

This urban center is located in the middle zone of Navarre, on the border with La Ribera, on the right bank of the Cidacos River, 388 meters above sea level and surrounded by the urban centers of Tafalla, San Martín de Unx, Beire, Pitillas, Murillo el Cuende, Caparroso, Marcilla, Falces and Tafalla. A location that has led it to become the geographical center of Navarre, earning it the nickname of “heart of Navarre”. Olite is located 42 kilometers from its capital, Pamplona (Iruña in Basque), giving us a strategic location for any trip to Navarra, a perfect city to establish our base camp!

Olite keeps many treasures in its interior, authentic historical nooks and crannies that make this walled city a very special place to visit on foot.

Palacio Viejo: This palace, nowadays reconverted into a Parador de Turismo de Olite, was during the Middle Ages the royal seat of the kings of Navarre, a structure that was declared a national monument in 1925 and that currently represents the best preserved civil Gothic complex in Navarre and Europe. Also known by the name of “Palacio de los Teobaldos”, the origin of this palace dates back to Roman times, where it constituted the “Praesidium” the fortress or nucleus of the primitive walled enclosure of Olite. If you want to know more in detail this medieval structure we recommend you to read our article “Parador de Olite, Parador Príncipe de Viana, casa de reyes” in which we tell you about our experience in this hotel in Olite.

Royal Palace of Olite: Also known as “The Castle of Olite”. This architectural jewel was promoted by Carlos III the Noble and his wife Doña Leonor de Trastámara, a building, which today has become an icon of the ancient Kingdom of Navarra. If you are interested in visiting this historical attraction of Olite we recommend you to read our article “Olite Castle, the most visited monument of Navarra” where we advise you the type of visit to make and a lot of information about it.

Museo de la viña y el vino de Navarra: The Wine Museum is located in the old Palace of Santo Angel, a seventeenth century building that is located in the central square of the Teobaldos and also houses the tourist office of Olite. This museum, one of the best known of the town, has a permanent exhibition that occupies the 4 floors of the palace, being the last of them, the basement, the old cellar of the Palace, the most special of them all. Each of the floors explains a different aspect of Navarre wine, making them all of special interest to the traveler. At the end of the visit, a very special tasting takes place, the tasting of a red wine produced by the Estación de Viticultura y Enología de Navarra (Evena), which does not exist in the market, a unique and very special wine with which we toast to our next stay in Olite. If you are interested in this museum and want more information about it, do not hesitate to access our article“Museo de la Viña y el Vino de Navarra“.

Church of Santa Maria: Between the Parador and the Castle of Olite, attached to the latter, we find the Church of Santa Maria la Real de Olite, a parish that stands out for its exterior more than its interior. In addition to the charming courtyard in front of it, we must highlight its facade in which the original polychrome that has been recovered after its restoration is visible.

Medieval galleries: In front of the town hall of Olite, under the Plaza de Carlos III, there are small subway galleries where we find an exhibition about life in the Middle Ages. According to legends, these galleries could be visited on horseback and were, together with the Castle of Olite, one of the dreams of Carlos III the Noble, King of Navarre, who dreamed of joining the Castle of Olite and Tafalla by means of subway galleries. However, there is another theory with which most historians agree, according to them, the galleries that we walk through today are the existing gaps between the pillars of ancient bridges that allowed the entrance to the urban center of Olite. The permanent exhibition that we find in this space shows us the way of life in the Middle Ages, with special emphasis on textiles, the way of dressing and its relationship with the social classes. The galleries are very small and can be visited very quickly, but their price is also reduced, so we think it is worth the risk… Who knows! It helped us to complement the general vision we had about Olite in the Middle Ages. We suggest you to read our article:“Underground galleries of Olite, a treasure of the Middle Ages“.

Walled enclosure: Walking through Olite, we find several fragments of what was once the Roman walled enclosure, a structure of the first century that although it has lost some of its charm (originally had 20 towers and 2 entrances) is still one of the many tourist attractions of Olite.

Visit a winery: The history and culture of Olite are closely linked to wine, a fact that makes it practically mandatory to visit a winery in any getaway to this historic city. To know the origin of this strong link we must go back to the first Roman agricultural villas located in the fertile lowlands of the Cidacos, a few meters from the current Castle / Palace of Olite. In several of the archaeological studies carried out in the area, remains of wine presses, wine presses or vessels have been found, irrefutable proof that in Roman times, Olite already had a very special relationship with wine. The Mediterranean climate of Olite has made it a favorable terrain for the production and elaboration of wine, a fact that is reinforced by the 7 wineries that can be found throughout the town. Not all the wineries offer tour services, so we decided to make a small analysis that led us to opt for the guided tour to the Ochoa winery. Do you want to know our opinion? Ochoa is a brand that has a great social support throughout Navarra, a family winery, which bet on the Designation of Origin Navarra from the beginning. The visit, although short, was very interesting and intense.

We started the visit in an epic, idyllic corner. A space that the Ochoa family usually uses to talk about the future of the winery and taste some wine. It is here where we were introduced to the peculiar world of the Ochoa family. And you should know that this winery, once run by the great Javier Ochoa (a wine entity in Olite) and nowadays by the sisters Adriana and Beatriz Ochoa, has merged tradition and modernity to offer us its incredible range of wines. After walking among barrels and stainless steel tanks, after discovering the winemaking process of their wines, we went on to taste 6 of their wines, almost nothing. Certainly not for variety.

Their wines, very varied, very different from what we are accustomed to the wineries of the Rioja Alavesa, offered us a different, very interesting experience. A 100% recommendable visit. The wine route of Navarra has in Olite one of its greatest representatives, a characteristic that has led it to earn on its own merits the title of “Wine Capital of Navarra”.

Strolling: Getting lost in the streets of any city is always a good idea, even more so if it is a medieval urban center where palaces and emblazoned mansions abound. This is the case of Olite, where its streets and streets, structured in the same configuration they had in the thirteenth century, offer a curious fusion of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque buildings. A beautiful interweaving of structures that represents another of the great attractions of the city.

Nearby villages: Olite is a paradise, yes, but we must not forget the other municipalities that surround it. Nearby, just 17 kilometers away, we find the village of Ujue (Uxue in Basque), a getaway that perfectly complements the visit to Olite.

Festivities: The festivities of Olite have a medieval character that does not go unnoticed among its visitors, festivities that take us back to times of tournaments, magicians, minstrels, princes and princesses, festivities that we can enjoy in August thanks to the Medieval Festivities of Olite. It is also worth mentioning the Navarra Classical Theater Festival held in July or the Wine Festival in September. Which one do you choose?

Although there are several hotel establishments where you can rest body and mind to perfection, on this occasion we wanted to try first-hand the services of the Parador de Olite, a stately establishment where tranquility and silence allow us to rest on our own two feet.

Parador de Olite: Also known as the Parador Príncipe de Viana, this Olite establishment is located in the Palacio Viejo, one of the favorite seats of the kings of Navarre. Although during our stay we were only able to analyze and try the accommodation and breakfast services, it was enough to conclude that this is a unique, singular and incomparable hotel that offers us an experience from another era. Of course, good things come at a price. But not all its services are worth it, although we have nothing bad to say about the quality of its breakfast, we have a lot to say about its price, abusive. After our visit, we have written a complete evaluation in the article “Parador de Olite, Parador Príncipe de Viana, casa de reyes” a text that we invite you to read.

In case you do not dare to read the full article, we leave you a video to give you an idea of the rooms that this hotel has. The room we see in the video is a superior double room located on the main facade, next to the Plaza de los Teobaldos.

If the rates of the Parador de Olite are not made for your pockets or you simply do not feel like paying those amounts for just an overnight stay, do not worry, Olite has all kinds of hotel establishments, you will surely find one that fits perfectly to your needs! We must also point out the existence of a parking lot for motorhomes in Olite, near the center, for options will not be.

During our stay we have had the opportunity to enjoy the gastronomic creations of all kinds of establishments, from the famous migas, to veal marinated with local wines, to finish with the sweet “txantxigorris”. Here is a small summary with recommendations of all kinds.

Breakfast and snack: Next to the portal of Tafalla, next to the parking located outside the historic center, we find Casa Vidaurre, an artisan workshop that offers a great coffee and pastry service. To highlight its great breakfast offer (Piece of pastries + natural juice + coffee) and its incredible “txantxigorris”, a kind of handmade cakes with a touch of cinnamon. One of the most representative sweets of the traditional Navarrese gastronomy that is presented to us as a good gastronomic souvenir to take to friends or family with a good bottle of Navarrese wine.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our friend Iker from the blog “Delreynomundura” for recommending Casa Vidaurre, the advice of a good Navarrese is always welcome, eskerrik asko Iker!

Lunch / dinner menu: Once you have tasted the traditional recipes of Navarrese sweets, we recommend you to enjoy another of the strong points of Navarrese gastronomy, its vegetable garden. Casa Zanito offers us zero kilometer products, local products, Navarrese products prepared with great care and presented to the diner taking care of the aesthetics and presentation. After a busy day of visits, photographs and sensations, we approached the premises that Casa Zanito has in the center of Olite. A small place that has 2 restaurants, (menu of the day on the first floor and elaborated menus and a la carte on the upper floor), we opted for the upper floor, a la carte. Our choice was simple:

Although we tasted vegetables, fish and meat, the dish that left the best taste in our mouths was the piquillo peppers from Lodosa, because there are few like the vegetable garden of Navarra. We must mention that the prices of the restaurant Casa Zanito in Olite exceed those of a simple menu of the day. They are quality products and are paid as such (average price 50€). It is curious to note that the entrance to the hotel area of Casa Zanito is through the dining room on the top floor, causing the suitcases of the guests to mingle with the atmosphere of the restaurant during the meal, a somewhat violent moment that does not bother, but does not help to improve the experience.

More affordable dinner: If the previous proposal seems a bit exorbitant, we bring you another more affordable, more economical option, La Casa del Preboste. This restaurant located in a medieval house of the fifteenth century still maintains the same charm and fantasy that surrounds the whole city, a fact, which is reaffirmed by the original water well that remains inside. As for its food, La Casa del Preboste offers restaurant, grill and pizzeria, 3 in 1. We recommend you try the handmade pizzas made in the wood oven, fine as the original pizzas from Italy and made with local products. If the pizzas are not to your liking you can always opt for the grill or the menu.

Unfortunately, the place is usually full to capacity and the wait is usually longer than desired. As a curiosity we must indicate that the name of this establishment is due to the figure or position of Provost, an office that the kings of Navarre named in all those places where they had a palace (case of Olite). The office of the Provost was none other than that of official of justice, a person who was in charge of the prisoners and the jail.

Olite can be seen and enjoyed perfectly in a weekend, but like all the enclaves of Navarra, it has a lot to offer to its surroundings. If you want to schedule an intense, fun and incredible weekend in Olite do not miss our recommendation:

Olite is one of the most famous towns in Navarra. A “popular title” that has been earned thanks to its spectacular urban center. We are sure that this land, once the cradle of kings and queens, will not disappoint you. Never before have you felt more immersed in the Middle Ages than in Olite, the heart of Navarre. Olite, heart of Navarra. A place that is truly worthwhile.