Attractions and Places To See around Aribe - Top 20

The Izandorre Bivouac (Refugio de Izandorre) is a small but incredibly important stone shelter located high up on the Route of Napoleon, situated on the challenging stretch between Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Roncesvalles. While it isn't a place you should plan to spend the night under normal circumstances, it is a literal lifesaver for those crossing the Pyrenees in bad weather. Here is what you should know. This is a very spartan, basic hut designed specifically to provide immediate shelter from the sudden snowstorms, freezing winds, or blinding fog that can unexpectedly roll into this high-altitude pass. SOS Capabilities: Because this section of the trail can be dangerous in poor conditions, the shelter is equipped with an emergency communication system so hikers can contact mountain rescue if things go wrong.

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!

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.

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

The pass is an important crossing of the Pyrenees, and a monastery with a hostel was set up in Roncesvalles for pilgrims on pilgrimage to St. James. The monks of the monastery also manned the chapel on the pass and rang the bells in the fog to show pilgrims the way.

At the top of the pass stands the modern chapel of San Salvador, which replaces an older chapel. It marks the beginning of the Camino Francés, which includes three of the four French pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela: the Via Podiensis from Puy and Conques, the Via Turonensis - from Paris, Tours and Poitiers and the Via Lemovicensis - from Vezelay, Limoges and Périgueux coming.