The Running of the Bulls is an internationally famous, and controversial event, that is part of the fiestas celebrations of San Fermin, which are celebrated in Pamplona, Navarra, every year from the 6th to the 14th of July. The running of the bulls involves a herd of bulls being lead through the streets of the old quarter to the bullring (where bullfighting takes place) by runners.
While the bull running is, undoubtedly, the most famous part of this event, that is not actually the main point of it, at all. In fact, there is a lot more to see, do and experience. If you love being in the thick of it, this is the event for you. Just browse our vacation rentals in Basque Country and plan a trip to Spain for yourself.
The fiestas are actually a celebration of San Fermin, patron saint of Navarra but are, today, really a mass gathering of people from all over the globe to party and have fun. At the centre of this is the Encierro, the Running of the Bulls, which was born from a practical necessity: getting the bulls from outside the city into the bullring. It has since evolved into a cultural mainstay.
While the bull running is, undoubtedly, the most famous part of this event, that is not actually the main point of it, at all. In fact, there is a lot more to see, do and experience. If you love being in the thick of it, this is the event for you. Just browse our vacation rentals in Basque Country and plan a trip to Spain for yourself.
The fiestas are actually a celebration of San Fermin, patron saint of Navarra but are, today, really a mass gathering of people from all over the globe to party and have fun. At the centre of this is the Encierro, the Running of the Bulls, which was born from a practical necessity: getting the bulls from outside the city into the bullring. It has since evolved into a cultural mainstay.
From July 7th to the 14th, when the clock on the church of San Cernin strikes eight o'clock in the morning and two rockets are launched, the bulls are released from the corral in Calle Santo Domingo and charge behind the runners for 825 metres, to the bullring. The whole thing normally takes between three and four minutes but can take longer if bulls stray from the path.
Before any of this happens, there is a ceremony in which runners chant to an image of San Fermin placed in a small recess in the wall in the Cuesta de Santo Domingo and huge crowds surround the streets, peer out windows and dangle from balconies and rooftops to get a view of the action. Streets and squares are filled with equally vibrant and colourful protestors who think that this tradition is inhumane and needs to be abolished. The whole spectacle, no matter where you land on the issue, is rather electric and unique. It is also rather dangerous and, each year, people are trampled and gored. If you want to participate yourself, you'll need to be in top physical condition and prepared in advance.
If you merely want to go along and witness the event, soak up the atmosphere or hit up the intense party scene afterwards, it really does prove to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Before any of this happens, there is a ceremony in which runners chant to an image of San Fermin placed in a small recess in the wall in the Cuesta de Santo Domingo and huge crowds surround the streets, peer out windows and dangle from balconies and rooftops to get a view of the action. Streets and squares are filled with equally vibrant and colourful protestors who think that this tradition is inhumane and needs to be abolished. The whole spectacle, no matter where you land on the issue, is rather electric and unique. It is also rather dangerous and, each year, people are trampled and gored. If you want to participate yourself, you'll need to be in top physical condition and prepared in advance.
If you merely want to go along and witness the event, soak up the atmosphere or hit up the intense party scene afterwards, it really does prove to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Photo credit: Asier Solana Bermejo / CC BY-SA 2.0
