1. NÁJERA

3. LOCATION 3

4. NÁJERA Nájera is situated in the North-West of La Rioja, 22 kms from Logroño, the capital. It has about 8.000 inhabitants. The river Najerilla divides the town in two parts: the old part and the new part. It is well-known all over Spain for its furniture industry. The villages around produce some of the best wines in the world. 4

5. Najera was the capital of the kingdom of Navarra in the early Middle Ages Nájera is on the way to Santiago and the town offers pilgrims many services like hospitals and shelters

6. At Easter, the furniture industries of Najera exhibit their products and people from all over Spain come to visit.

7. The festivals of San Juan are held from June 23rd to June 30th. Fireworks announce the beginning of the festivals. Free lunches are given every day and we have live orchestras playing in the square at night time. The highlight is “las vueltas”, when hundreds of people walk along the streets spinning around while people throw water on them from windows and balconies.

8. If you want to know about the history of Nájera, do not miss the Chronicles (a play performed by the citizens of Nájera), which takes place every summer in the open air just outside the monastery..

9. SANTA MARíA LA REAL The monastery of Santa María la Real is one of the essential monuments on the French way to Santiago de Compostela. King Garcia of Nájera ordered its construction in the year 1032. The church is Romenesque style, like most churches in our area. Some kings are buried here.

10. ALCÁZAR: El Alcazar are the remains of an old palace. MUSEUM: The museum of Nájera exhibits archaeologic remains. This building used to be a prison in former times.

11. SAN MILLÁN DE LA COGOLLA There are two monasteries in San Millán, a village 20 kms from Nájera: Yuso and Suso, this one up in the mountains and a smaller one. Yuso is the cradle of the Spanish language. The first texts written in Spanish were found here. The monk Gonzalo de Berceo lived in the area and wrote the first poems in Castillan. The poems are kept in Yuso. Both monasteries were declared Patrimony of Humanity in 1997.

12. Monastery of Suso Monastery of Yuso

13. RIOJA WINE La Rioja is well-known all over the world for its wine. There are vineyards all over, and most villages live mainly on their production of grapes and wine. The harvest takes place in October and the whole family work together.

14. THE RIVER NAJERILLA

15. Nájera in winter Our summers are really hot. But winters are cold and we often get snow.

16. THE TOWN HALL

17. FACILITIES HEALTH CENTRE SPORTS CENTRE

18. Pelota court Pelota is a typical sport in La Rioja. Most towns and villages have a court.

19. schools