Roncesvalles

Camino Frances

To end of camino
742.7
Altitudine
954

Collado de Lepoeder

3.90

Roncesvalles

2.60

Burguete

Services
Bar
Yes
Fermata dell’autobus
Yes

Casa Sabina è famosa per le sue cene, e vorrete mettervi in lista in anticipo. La sala è gremita di pellegrini da tutte le parti del mondo, seduti a caso a riempire i tavoli. Metà di essi stanno per iniziare da qui il loro cammino, mentre l’altra metà è appena discesa dalla montagna. Osservandoli, si distinguono chiaramente a seconda della lunghezza della loro falcata.

Non ci vuole molto per visitare l’intero paese, ma quasi ogni edificio è una sorta di tesoro.

Attaccata all’albergue c’è la Chiesa di Santa María, dove alle 20.00 vengono celebrate quotidianamente la messa e la benedizione dei pellegrini (nei weekend alle 18.00). La Real Colegiata de Santa María de Roncesvalles è un’altra cosa da non perdere, ma le reliquie e altri oggetti degni di nota sono custoditi nel Museum (il biglietto non costa molto).

La piccola Capilla de Santiago o de los Peregrinos e il Silo de Carlomagno (conosciuta anche come Capilla de Sancti Spiritus) si trovano fianco a fianco lungo la strada.

Festività

L’8 settembre di ogni anno si festeggia il Dia de la Virgen de Roncesvalles.

Storia

A Roncisvalle ebbe luogo l’epica battaglia di Carlo Magno e Rolando, che vennero sorpresi da un’imboscata (non è chiaro da parte di chi; forse dei musulmani o dei baschi). Rolando perì e nacque la leggenda riportata nel celebre poema Chanson de Roland. Secoli dopo la Chiesa sfruttò al meglio il nome e la fama di questo paese, e l’abbazia locale estese il suo controllo sulla valle e sul territorio circostante ad essa, fino a Pamplona.

Il cammino

Il cammino prosegue lungo un sentiero a ovest della strada principale (sulla vostra destra),  spingendosi in profondità nel bosco prima di tornare nuovamente verso la strada man mano che ci si avvicina a Burguete.

City Map

Comments

All Caminos App User (not verified)

The only redeemable feature here is the morning wake up with the monks singing prayers. The bedding was fine but 100 bunks on each level (in two sections) was so very noisy with inconsiderate pilgrims. Dinner across three hotels in the town.

All Caminos App User (not verified)

Stayed there Sept 5 2024. Extremely impressed. Many pilgrims checking in but the order was good. Seemed a bit chaotic first impression but the system worked well I was lucky and got the third floor with just 2 bed cubicles. All newish and everything was in good condition and clean. Showers, toilets all good. Across the quadrangle and up the steps for good pilgrim food. Mass was great. Made me very happy to be part of all this as a pilgrim. Later talked with the Dutch volunteers. Theyi do a great service, rotating every fortnight to a new team, 14 teams in all I believe. I enjoyed the encounter and they have my admiration.

All Caminos App User (not verified)

We have had a lovely visit to Roncesvalles and a nice stay at the Albergue in early May 2025

The check in was slow because Spain instituted a new and more involved procedure in December 2024 that we were told is intended to prevent terrorism. We checked in online ahead of our stay and received a QR code that speeds things up since you only need to enter your validation info once. The QR code can be used at most of the hostels along the Camino.

Dinner at the Posada was great and we made some new friends at the communal table. The Catholic mass was beautiful and moving, worth it even if you aren’t religious!

All Caminos App User (not verified)

We stayed at Roncesvalles for our second night on the Camino and we’re quite impressed. It is a huge operation run by Dutch volunteers, and they do a fantastic job of organizing everyone as we came in, getting us registered and in general sorting us all out. I think it holds over 170 pilgrims and the entire facility has been renovated and is organized into nice quads, which are really well built out of solid wood with good ladders to the top bunk. There is a nice laundry facility in the basement, where they will do your laundry for you for a fee, or you can do your own and hang it outside. They even have a spinner that takes most of the water out of the laundry, part of hanging up which speeds things up a lot. There are cooking and eating facilities for those who want to make their own meals. The pilgrims meals were excellent in local restaurants scattered around the Albergue. We had both dinner, breakfast and also took a bag of lunch for the day. Beds were comfortable. The showers were hot and plentiful as were the toilets. Overall, we were very pleased with our stay and would highly recommend this and Refuge Orisson as first and second nights on the Camino de Frances.

All Caminos App User (not verified)

We stayed at the monastery and had a wonderful time. Dorms are pods of four and beds are very comfortable. Clean bathrooms and showers. You can check in at 1pm and access your bed at 2pm. Must pre order the pilgrims dinner and breakfast. A couple of other options close by if needed for drinks and snacks. Wake up at 6pm with the monks chanting! Excellent choice of stay!

All Caminos App User (not verified)

The beds are arranged in pods of 4, so it is pretty private. Meals are vouchers given for a local restaurant - posidon offers a great vegan option if you ask.

I recommend mass at 8pm, there is a pilgrims blessing at the end which was very special.

There is a large kitchen, dining area, vending machines and helpful volunteers at hand should you have any questions.

Be warned - you can’t get to the dorm until 1400 and before 1300, you can’t check in either. Take your time walking if you come from Orisson or Borda!

Everyone is woken up at 0600 (by a singing volunteer in my case!) and lights are turned off at 2200

All Caminos App User (not verified)

10/10. Lovely public spaces and great room! Spacious, updated bathroom with big shower, bidet, and heated towel rack that works!

If you need a break from Albergues or just need a break this is a great find!

Staff is wonderful!

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

Loved the stay at the monastery. Wonderfully led by volunteers from Holland. So nice. So clean. Set up great for the amount of beds they have. The Sabine restaurant next to was so yummy. Try the ham and cheese fritters. Only place I ever saw them on menu.

All Caminos App User (not verified)

We booked on the hotel side because we had read prior to going it fills up fast. We wanted to do laundry which was on the hostel side they told us No. we are pilgrims too but knew my friend would not be able to walk additional steps. Without the laundry issue this place is incredibly beautiful and unique. The hotel staff went above and beyond getting money back to us that we left in the room.

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

The laundry service is amazing and well worth the cost. Beautiful building, much better than the old one in the stables (I stayed there in 2008).