Last October, I visited the Bardenas desert. Contrary to what you could think, this desert is not made out of sand, but out of clay. So when it rains, and that’s what happened on our trip, the ground is slippery and sticky. After trying to hike for the whole morning, our guides threw the towel, and we drove back to our hotel. In the afternoon, they took us to the beautiful town of Olite, to visit a medieval castle.
Practical Information About Olite’s Medieval Castle
The entrance to the castle is quite cheap if you want to visit it on your own: €4.40. You’ll pay a little bit more if you book a guided tour. That said, we actually didn’t pay at all because, on Wednesdays, the entrance is free!
I think it’s ok to do it on your own because the staff gives you a leaflet containing a map and some explanations about the rooms. It’s well done and translated in various languages.
The city is not big, and the castle is impressive, so you will find it right away.
Visiting Olite’s Castle
From every angle, the castle seems to have come out of a fairy tale, with its Gothic style, high towers, decorated windows, and with its abundance of leaves and trees.
One Palace, Three Buildings
Olite’s medieval castle is named “Palacio Real” and is in reality composed of 3 buildings respectively called:
- “Palacio Viejo” (Old Palace), not included in the visit because it is nowadays luxury accommodation
- Chapel of Saint George (ruins)
- “Palacio Nuevo“ (New Palace), the part that you can visit and that has been beautifully renovated.
The New Palace
The castle was built in the XVth century by the King of Navarre, Charles III, and his wife Eleanor of Castile, because the old palace had become too small. The building shows the influence of French architecture and Mudejar decoration.
However, what we can visit today is not exactly the original palace. Indeed, after the conquest of Navarre by the Kingdom of Castile and a fire, it turned into ruins.
Its current aspect is the result of an impressive reconstruction that started in the XXth century. Since 1925, it’s been classified as National Monument.
Why Should You Visit Olite’s Medieval Castle?
Because it’s dreamy, because it’s really not expensive, because you can spend at least an hour exploring all the rooms and climbing at the top of the towers, because it offers a great view, and because the town of Olite is really charming too!
I particularly liked the King’s gallery and its incredible windows with stunning arches. But I also really liked the inside gardens: trees grow inside the castle, even on the first floor! It really feels like there could be a princess reading a book there. And I absolutely loved the red leaves decorating the walls of the castle!
Honestly, I enjoyed every moment of the visit so, if you are in the area, I definitely recommend visiting the castle.
Do Not Forget To Walk Around The Town Of Olite
Olite’s old town is also worth at least 30 minutes of your time. After visiting the castle, have a drink on the main square to look at the colorful façades. Some of them even show coats of arms and are decorated with ancient arches.
To see more photos of Spain, you can visit the gallery Spain.
