Hardly any other city is as synonymous with bullfighting as Pamplona. The world-famous Sanfermines, the running of the bulls, takes place here every year.
You can have whatever opinion you like on the subject of bullfighting. In Pamplona, it is the dominant theme and most residents are proud of this tradition. And when you see the crowds of visitors during the bull runs in the city, it is a topic that interests quite a few people for a variety of reasons.
During our stay in the city, we also kept coming across places that gave us an insight into the tradition.
History of the Sanfermines
Every year since 1591, the Sanfermines have been celebrated in Pamplona in honor of Saint Fermin the Elder. He lived in the city in the 3rd century and missionized the area around Amiens. The actual day of commemoration is October 10. As the weather is rather unstable at this time of year, the city simply decided to move the celebrations to July 7th.
In the Middle Ages, a fair (ferias) and bullfights were held as part of the festivities. Shepherds drove the bulls to the Plaza de Torres.

Festivities today
The Sanfermines festivities officially begin today, July 6. Thousands of visitors gather in front of the town hall and wait for a small rocket to be shot into the air at 12 noon sharp. With the slogan Viva San Fermín, Gora San Fermin (“Long live San Fermín” in Spanish and Basque), the festival week is then officially opened. It is typical for visitors to wear white trousers and a white shirt or blouse at the start of the festivities. The red scarf is tied around the wrist before the opening and only later is it worn around the neck.
On July 7, the festivities begin with a procession from the old town to the church of St. Fermin. During the procession, a large figure of San Fermin is carried and songs are sung in honor of the saint. At the end, a mass is held in the church.
In the following days, the theme of the bull dominates the festivities. Events take place daily in the bullring. Three matadors always perform two fights. In addition, the bull runs begin, which take place daily through the streets of the city.

The bulls come from the south of Spain and are kept in the stables outside the city before the bullfights. As there were no trucks in earlier times or they were too bulky for the small alleyways, the bulls were driven through the streets to the arena. With the help of cowherds on horseback and on foot, who guided the bulls with shouts and sticks, they reached the bullring. Over time, more and more people joined in and began to run in front of the bulls. It was a great test of courage for the local youth to run a short distance in front of and alongside the bulls. Over time, it became a tradition. It was made famous by the writer Ernest Hemingway. He took up the theme in his works.

The path of the bulls through Pamplona
The bull runs (encierros) start at 8 a.m. sharp from July 7-14. The six fighting bulls, which will later fight in the arena, are driven 875 meters through the city. The bulls will be accompanied by a number of oxen, which will have a calming effect on the bulls and guide them. The animals can reach a speed of 25 km/h and if there are no complications, the bull run is over after 3 minutes.
Corralillos del Gas” stables
This stable is located below the old town. The building, which looks quite modern from the outside, is located on the site of a former gasworks. The bulls, which come from the south of Spain, live here for a while before they take part in the bull runs and arena fights. From there, they are brought to the starting point on the evening before the day of the event.
Santo Domingo” stables
The animals spend their last night before the bull run in this stable. Outside of the festivities, there is a statue here showing the running animals. This is also the first time we see the typical wooden barriers that line the route in many places during the running of the bulls.

The running of the bulls: 875 meters across the old town
Long before the bull run starts, some runners gather in front of the statue of the patron saint San Fermín in the Cuesta de Santo Domingo. They sing the words “A San Fermín pedimos, por ser nuestro patrón, nos guíe en el encierro, dándonos su bendición. ¡Viva San Fermín! Gora San Fermin!” (“We ask you San Fermín, who is our protector, to guide us during the run and to give us your blessing. Long live San Fermín!”). Since 2010, people have been singing the text in Basque as well as Spanish. They are traditionally dressed in white with a red scarf and a red sash.
When the starting shot is fired at 8 a.m., the countless participants really only have one goal: to run a short distance right next to the bull. Given the speed of the animals, this is hardly possible. The people obstruct each other, are too willing to take risks and, of course, the animals become more and more irritable the longer they are on the road. This results in numerous injuries and there have already been fatalities among the runners.
From the Cuesta de Santo Domingo, the path leads to the town hall square (Plaza Consistorial). Here we also discover one of the barriers and numerous holes in the ground where the barriers are placed.

The barriers consist of screws, wing nuts, washers, wooden wedges and, above all, vertical pillars and 2,700 horizontal panels. All parts are marked with letters and numbers so that each part is always installed in the same place. Assembly takes place at the end of June and the barriers remain in place until the last day of the Sanfermines. Some sections are permanent. Others, however, which obstruct traffic, are erected and dismantled every day. The pillars are anchored in 40-centimeter deep holes in the ground. The wood is reinforced with metal plates to withstand the possible impact of running bulls weighing over 600 kilos. There are also reinforced gates that are closed behind the running bulls. This is to prevent the animals from turning around and running back to the start of the bull run.
The run runs 300 meters through Estafeta Street. A not particularly wide street, which is otherwise teeming with visitors. Numerous stores sell more or less useful or beautiful things related to the bull. When the animals rush along here, all the doors are closed. The few house entrances, which are set back a little, serve as refuges from the animals.

The road reaches the bullring and the animals and people are let into the arena. However, the road then narrows in a funnel shape to 3.5 meters in the callejón. This is the 25 meter long underpass below the rows of seats in the arena, which forms the entrance to the last 50 meters of the bullring. The bulls have now finished their run, but the event does not end there. The animals are taken to the stables and the runners remain in the arena.
Bullring of Pamplona
The bullring was inaugurated in 1922 and has been owned by the Pamplona retirement home since the beginning. The stands can hold 19529 spectators. This makes it the second largest bullring in Spain.

The runners still in the arena are now challenged even further. One after the other, 6 young animals are let into the arena. They have their horns tied off and try to take the runners “on the horns”.
It is only in the evening that the bullfighting time begins for the animals that have arrived in the bullring after the run. It usually ends fatally for the animals. Even though the entrance fee and the proceeds from the sale of the bull meat go to charity, I find it hard to grasp the meaning and purpose behind it.

Outside the bullfighting season, it is possible to visit the arena. You will receive an audio guide (also in German) and a leaflet with the individual audio stations. The tour begins with a short film about the running of the bulls. For me, it was an emotionally terrifying movie that showed horrifying scenes. I had not perceived the subject in this way and wondered whether people are actually aware of the danger they are putting themselves in. I can’t blame the animals that are running wildly through the streets, certainly scared, if they defend themselves. That was certainly not the original idea when the herdsmen drove the animals into the arena.

After the movie, you can take the tour at your own pace. The tour takes you to the bullring, where you can take a look at the fighting area, the protective facilities and the spectator stands.

You then enter the areas where the bulls are kept. There are various enclosures and stables, the exact function of which is explained. As we walk across the stone floor, I learn, for example, about how the animals are reared, how they are kept in the pastures and what the places in the arena look like when the animals are there. They are not standing on bare stone, but in thickly strewn areas. For connoisseurs of the bullfighting scene, the information about famous toreros and posters of events is certainly exciting.

The tour takes about an hour if you listen to all the texts. For me, the stories and pictures made me even more critical of the Sanfermines. However, I can also understand when regions want to hold on to their traditions. I think this is an issue that everyone has to work through for themselves.
Other places on the subject of bullfighting and bull running in Pamplona
There are two other places that are part of the bull route.
Monument to the running of the bulls
There is a large monument not far from the bullring. The artist Rafael Huerta has depicted a very impressive moment for me, showing runners and bulls during the running of the bulls.

Large, powerful animals, some with lowered horns, race across the road. Some people run behind or beside them. Others have fallen and are staring wide-eyed at the animals running wildly towards them and still other people are trying to run away from the bulls.

I think the artist has captured exactly what I imagine the running of the bulls to be like. From wild bulls that are actually just fleeing from humans and clearing everything out of the way that prevents them from doing so – to people who only realize what can happen to them the moment they lie on the ground. What madness!
Café Iruna
Ernest Hemingway was in and out of this café. It is therefore not surprising that many scenes from his novel “Fiesta” are set here. In the novel, he also talks about bullfighting and the running of the bulls, which made Pamplona famous beyond the borders of Spain.
The end of the Sanfermines
On July 14, the festival ends in the square in front of the town hall. People gather with lighted candles and sing together: “Pobre de mí, pobre de mí, se han acabado las fiestas de San Fermín.” (Oh poor me, oh poor me, the fiestas of San Fermin are over).
Visitor information
Address
P.º Hemingway, s/n,
31002 Pamplona, Navarra, Spanien
Entrance Fee
Adults: 7,-€
The audio guide is included in the price.
Opening hours
The exact opening hours can be found on the website of the bullring.
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