The best running trails around Orreaga/Roncesvalles

The Ibañeta Chapel is a moving and highly anticipated milestone for anyone walking the Camino de Santiago. After the grueling, steep ascent from the French side of the Pyrenees, crossing the border into Spain, and finally beginning your descent, this small chapel and the large stone cross beside it are a spectacular sight. The First Spanish Waypoint: It serves as the very first visible intermediate destination on the Spanish side of the mountains, signaling that the hardest part of the climb is officially behind you. Once you reach this point, you are almost done! Just a short walk further down the trail lies the day's final stage destination: the mighty and magnificent monastery complex of Roncesvalles.

It is a beautiful border pass between Spain and France, well known for being part of the most traditional route of the Camino de Santiago. Sportingly, the climb on both sides is easy, although on the French side it is much longer as it starts at a lower altitude. The Spanish side is just 6 km from Burguete, the last being the most difficult with an average gradient of 7%. On this side you pass the famous and well-known monastery of Roncesvalles. The French side is 18 km from Arnegui and an average gradient of 4%. The hardest part is 5 km from the summit, with one kilometre at 7%. The landscape on this side is of lush vegetation going up a very closed valley that hardly leaves room for views of the surrounding mountains. The road is very twisty. It is a port with very good asphalt and a lot of traffic in general... so, be careful!

Roncesvalles, also known as Orreaga in Basque, is a small village in the Navarre region of northern Spain. It is especially known for the legendary Battle of Roncesvalles in 778, where Charlemagne's rearguard was defeated. This historic and spiritual site is also an important starting point of the Camino de Santiago, the famous pilgrimage route to the tomb of Saint James in Galicia. In Roncesvalles, you can admire the impressive Gothic collegiate church of Santa María de Roncesvalles, where the image of the Virgin of Orreaga is venerated. Other attractions include the church of Santiago, the chapel of the Holy Spirit, and the museum-treasury, where you can see relics, paintings, and sculptures from different periods.

The monastery complex is an impressive building and worth a visit. There are also two cafés, a hotel and the pilgrims' hostel.

After a long climb, you finally make it to the Ibeneta Pass and can enjoy the view as a reward. Up here, there is a small chapel and a memorial stone to the knight Roland, who is said to have fallen here.

Col Burriegeta, also known as Puerto de Ibañeta, is a historic mountain pass in the Pyrenees, located between France and Spain. The pass is best known for its role in the Camino de Santiago, where pilgrims cross the border on their way to Santiago de Compostela1. The pass offers breathtaking views and is home to the modern chapel of San Salvador, which replaced an older chapel, and a monument to Roland, which commemorates the Battle of Roncesvalles in 778. Col Burriegeta is an important passage for both pilgrims and cyclists, who enjoy the challenging climb and the beautiful surroundings.

A great climb up to the pass. Once you reach the top you get a great view. There is a small church at the top and also a monument. There has always been a hospital up here. However, only the foundations of it remain

Roland, who is commemorated here, died in 778 as part of the rear guard of Charlemagne's Frankish army. He himself was Margrave of Brittany and was the victim of a Basque revenge campaign against the Frankish conquerors who were retreating from a failed Saracen campaign. Those were complicated times, but things were not to become any less complicated in the Basque Country in the centuries that followed. An epic/song was later sung about Roland, which is part of world literature. The monument itself is simple and rough, exposed up here in the wind of the weather, and can therefore have an immediate effect, without pomp and splendor. Great! https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlacht_von_Roncesvalles