Medieval streets and the church of Santa María la Real

Between the palace and the wall, Olite preserves its medieval streets almost as they were in the 13th century: two walled enclosures, the "inner circuit" and the "outer circuit", separated by Plaza de Carlos III, with the Chapitel tower, the Rúa Mayor, palaces with coats of arms and the churches of Santa María and San Pedro. You can walk it in an hour, unhurried, and it is free except for the entrance to Santa María.

What to see

The Roman wall. According to the Town Hall, Olite preserves the most complete Roman walled enclosure in Navarre: a 1st-century construction, trapezoidal in plan and 600 metres in perimeter, with remains of 12 of its 20 original towers and rusticated ashlar blocks you can recognise at a glance. The south side ran along the present Plaza de Carlos III.

The Chapitel tower is, after the Royal Palace, the village's most emblematic civil building. It was one of the two gates of the Roman wall, in the 13th century a Gothic work was added with a passage of pointed arches, and in the Middle Ages it was the market house and seat of the council. In 1401 Charles III the Noble commissioned the Parisian clockmaker Thierry de Bolduc to make a clock for the tower, one of the first public clocks in the Iberian kingdoms. Its bell sounded the nightly "curfew" before the gates were closed.

The streets and palaces. The streets keep medieval names, such as the rúas of the Judería, the Tesendería, of the weavers, or the Tafurería, where the gaming house was. On the Rúa Mayor, the Renaissance palace at number 7, from around 1590, has an eave with masks and fantastical figures, and the Baroque one at number 37 is today the Casa de Cultura. On Rúa del Pozo, 7, is the palace of Francés de Villaespesa, chancellor to Charles III.

Santa María la Real

Attached to the palace, the Gothic church of Santa María has a sculpted doorway whose plant decoration is dominated by vine leaves, a Renaissance altarpiece and a large rose window; in its porch you see the royal arms of Navarre. In autumn 2026 it is open Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 18:00, and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:30; it closes on Mondays. Entry is €2; accompanied children under 12 do not pay. The church of San Pedro, Olite's oldest parish church, is recognised by its Gothic spire tower.

Galleries and the Chapitel

The medieval galleries are seen from outside, through the grille gate. You can climb the Chapitel tower on the guided visits run by the Reyna de Copas wine shop. If you prefer to have everything explained, the guided visit by Rutas Vivamus combines the palace and the streets in an hour and a half.

With children and with a dog

Ask at the tourist office for the Marco Topo map, a free game for exploring medieval Olite as a family with your phone. Dogs may go on a lead in the streets, but not into the churches.