Page 151 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

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NAVARRA AND LA RIOJA

Navarra, the cradle of the Basques,
and La Rioja, famous for its wines,
witnessed key events in the Middle
Ages, such as the Battle of Roncesvalles
against Charlemagne’s forces. Both regions were also important stages on the
pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. This is evidenced by the many
monasteries, churches and bridges that survive, including the 11th-century
bridge in Puente la Reina.

Navarra had its Golden Age in the were founded during Roman times.
10th century, when it was a powerful Northwest Navarra is very strongly
independent kingdom. Its ruler, Sancho Basque, with Euskera an official language.
III, managed for a brief period to unite Areas south of Pamplona have far less
nearly all the Christian lands of the Basque influence. Medieval Estella and
Iberian peninsula. Sangüesa are also historic stopovers
Nowadays, Navarra enjoys a degree on the pilgrimage route of St James.
of autonomy, with its own parliament The first inhabitants of La Rioja – one
and government. It is a small, sparsely of the smallest Spanish regions – were
populated region, but one that is dinosaurs, traces of which can be seen
geographically diverse and with an around the mountain village of Enciso.
abundance of flora and fauna. More Today La Rioja is famous for its excellent
than 60 per cent of its territory is forested, wines, produced from grapes that mature
providing an excellent habitat for the slowly on the sunny hillsides. Visitors come
capercaillie and other animal species. here also to attend the wine festival
Navarra is divided into three sub- of Batalla del Vino (Wine Battle) in Haro.
regions: the mountainous Montana, the La Rioja, which in the Middle Ages was an
Zona Media, and Ribera, which enjoys important stage on the road to Santiago
a Mediterranean climate. The region is de Compostela, also boasts superb
known not only for captivating land- architecture, such as in Santo Domingo
scapes, but also for the magnificent de la Calzada or at the monastery of
towns of Olite and Pamplona, which San Millán de Yuso.

A prehistoric stone hut along the eastern edge of Navarra
The magnificent interior of the Gothic cathedral of Burgos, in the Castilla y León region

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