Pamplona's architecture is without a doubt one of the highlights of its cultural scene. With just a few exceptions, the majority of old quarter dates back to the Middle Ages; due to the impenetrable defensive walls that once totally enclosed the former fortress-city, Pamplona was unable to expand as its population rose and just kept packing more buildings into the narrow streets. However, the old quarter remains much the same as it was during the Gothic era (12th-15th centuries), which makes strolling through the streets like taking a trip back in time.
Despite the lack of space, the major architectural trends of Europe were not lost on Pamplona. Its prime location just over the Pyrenees from France and at the very beginning of the Camino de Santiago, the cross-Spain religious pilgrimage, ensured that new trends arrived first to Pamplona- sometimes even centuries before they made their way to other parts of Spain.
