The Festival of San Fermin (Fiesta de San Fermin) is best known for its „el encierro“ or running of the bulls.

It's organized from 7th to the 14th of July in city of Pamplona, located in the Navarre region of northern Spain.

San Fermin is the patron saint of Pamplona. He is the saint of cobblers, winemakers and bakers.

Everything became huge tourist attraction after writer Ernest Hemingway in 1926 described the encierro in his novel “The Sun Also Rises” (also known as “Fiesta”).

Participants wear all white and tie a red handkerchief (the “pañuelo”) about their necks. Some also have red sash (the “faja”) tied around their waist.

At least an hour before the encierro participants gather in an area at the beginning of the route called Cuesta de Santo Domingo to ask for the protection of the Saint by singing a chant three times.

The encierro starts exactly at 8.00 a.m. when the first “cohete” firecracker is lit. It is a sign to release the bulls from the corral.

The second firecracker, which follows shortly, signals that all the bulls left the corral.

During the encierro hundreds of participants run in front of six bulls and six steers down an 825 meters long stretch of narrow streets of old part of Pamplona.

The whole event is quite dangerous. Injuries and even fatalities are very common.

Stray bulls can become very distracted. That is why a "second wave" of "cabestros" (tame steers) is sent by the organizers to run through the streets after the "first wave”. Those tame steers collect any stragglers.

Everything finishes at Pamplona’s Plaza de Toros.

When all of the bulls have entered the arena, a the sound of third firecracker can be heard while a fourth firecracker shows that the bulls are in their bullpens and the run is finished.

Some participants of the encierro stay in the arena, when “vaquillas emboladas” (young cows with wrapped horns) are released among them and toss the participants. More fun for the passionate crowd...