The festival of San Fermin in Pamplona

The festival of San Fermin in Pamplona

Life never stops in Spain, especially in summer! July, the hottest and the sunniest summer month, brings many different festivals, holidays and feasts. One of them is the festival (or “fiesta” in Spanish) of San Fermin in Pamplona, called after Saint Fermin– the patron saint of the town.
The beginning of the festival (6th of July) is marked by setting of the rocket from a city hall balcony. From this moment on, the festival lasting 204 hours non-stop can be considered open!
The main attraction of the holiday is the running of 12 bulls down the city streets. Although it lasts only a few minutes, the participants and spectators get an incredible adrenaline rush and unforgettable feelings. Even despite the frequent tragic accidents (traumas and even deaths), running doesn’t lose its popularity. However, the participation in this part of festival is not recommended to the tourists and foreigners.
The rest of the time, Pamplona enjoys different celebrations, carnivals, fireworks, big-heads parade, etc.
San Fermin is also famous due to the fact that it attracted the attention of famous writer Ernest Hemingway and inspired him to write his novel “The Sun Also Rises”. After reading it, many tourists started to visit Pamplona to see the beautiful nature, described in this book. And the author captured by the holiday’s atmosphere visited it 35 years in a row.
The festival of San Fermin won’t leave you indifferent, and you’ll want to come back here again and again!