Navarra, the cradle of the Basques, and La Rioja, famous for its wines, witnessed key events in the Middle Ages, such as the Battle of Roncesvalles against Charlemagne's forces. Both regions were also important stages on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. This is evidenced by the many monasteries, churches and bridges that survive, including the 11th-century bridge in Puente la Reina.
Navarra had its Golden Age in the 10th century, when it was a powerful independent kingdom. Its ruler, Sancho III, managed for a brief period to unite nearly all the Christian lands of the Iberian peninsula. Nowadays, Navarra enjoys a degree of autonomy, with its own parliament and government. It is a small, sparsely populated region, but one that is geographically diverse and with an abundance of flora and fauna.
More than 60 per cent of its territory is forested, providing an excellent habitat for the capercaillie and other animal species. Navarra is divided into three subregions: the mountainous Montana, the Zona Media, and Ribera, which enjoys a Mediterranean climate. The region is known not only for captivating landscapes, but also for the magnificent towns of Olite and Pamplona, which were founded during Roman times.
Northwest Navarra is very strongly Basque, with Euskera an official language. Areas south of Pamplona have far less Basque influence. Medieval Estella and Sangüesa are also historic stopovers on the pilgrimage route of St James. The first inhabitants of La Rioja – one of the smallest Spanish provinces – were dinosaurs, traces of which can be seen around the mountain village of Enciso.
Today La Rioja is famous for its excellent wines, produced from grapes that mature slowly on the sunny hillsides. Visitors come here not only to attend the wine festival of Batalla del Vino (Wine Battle) in Haro. La Rioja, which in the Middle Ages was an important stage on the road to Santiago de Compostela, also boasts superb architecture, such as in Santo Domingo de la Calzada or at the monastery of San Millán de Yuso.
The rivers of the Navarrese Pyrenees are flowing with an abundance of trout, which can be caught in the spring and summer. Organized fishing trips are very popular among visitors to the area. Navarra-style trout, or trucha a la Navarra, is trout stuffed with jamón serrano (thinly sliced cured ham) and cheese, and then braised in olive oil and white wine.
Lamb is the most popular meat and cordero al chilindrón (lamb stew) features on almost every menu. The Valle de Roncal is known primarily for its local cheese – queso de Roncal; it is made between December and July from local sheep's milk and has a distinctive, slightly piquant flavour.
The Rioja wine region, which extends into Navarra and Alava, has been producing wine since the Middle Ages. Vines have taken root extremely well on the sunny hillsides, the soil irrigated by the Ebro river and its tributaries. Atlantic winds blow across the western part, while the eastern part is subject to Mediterranean winds.
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