30.06.2022
For some, folklore festivals mean colourful parades, regional sweets and a perfect family weekend activity. For others, having a good time means gallons of alcohol, large animals and a frenzied crowd crushing everything on its way. That’s Sanfermin, one of the most recognisable attractions of Spain. The event takes place annually in Pamplona, the capital city of the community of Navarre, between 6th and 14th July. Its most important and most spectacular part is running of the bulls through the streets of the city, and the celebration itself gathers thousands of people from all over the world each year. What is Sanfermin? What used to be a religious celebration in honour of the patron saint of the city – namely Saint Fermin – has evolved beyond recognition since the Middle Ages, and its present form has little to do with the original. The programme includes concerts, costume parades (the so-called giants and bigheads), traditional dances, firework displays and a crazy party until dawn, but the bull runs (Spanish: encierros) certainly arouse the strongest emotions. It is encierros that won the festival its worldwide fame, mostly because of Ernest Hemingway and the novel “The Sun Also Rises”, inspired by his travels to Spain. During Sanfermin, Pamplona literally turns into a huge fiesta: bars are open round the clock and hotel rooms are booked many months in advance, as during those few days the city hosts thousands of visitors. It is said that in the last few years the festival has lost its spirit and nowadays it gathers more thrill-seeking American tourists than Spanish citizens. However, there are still many people in all regions of Spain who can’t wait for the first days of July. The course of the run The bull runs start every day at 8 a.m. To put it simply, during encierro a herd of bulls is driven down the streets toward the bullring, where they will be fought during corridas organised later that day.…