Navarre, Chartered community in northern Spain
Navarre is a region in northern Spain stretching from the crest of the Pyrenees down to the valley of the Ebro River, taking in forests, open fields, and mountain summits along the way. The highest points rise to around 2,400 meters, and the scenery shifts from green valleys in the north to drier plains in the south.
This territory was originally a medieval kingdom founded in the 9th century, and it kept special administrative rights after joining Spain in 1512. Those rights continue today, allowing the area to manage several aspects of governance on its own.
Festivals here are often conducted in both Spanish and Basque, depending on the town and the neighborhood where you find yourself. People maintain customs such as woodcarving, baking bread in communal ovens, and dancing to regional tunes passed down through families over generations.
The area manages its own tax matters and maintains independent financial arrangements with the Spanish central government. These arrangements affect prices, tax rates, and public services that may differ from other Spanish regions.
The Irati Forest lies within this area and ranks among the largest beech and fir forests in Europe, covering more than 17,000 hectares in the western Pyrenees. This woodland remains largely undisturbed today, offering hikers a rare chance to walk through dense old-growth stands.
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