Valcarlos is a sleepy town sitting on the border with France. Nearby an historical event took place that led to the creation of the medieval epic poem La Chanson de Roland. Charlemagne`s nephew Roland de Bretagne and his men were ambushed and slaughtered on their retreat into France. The poem was composed in the 11th Century about 250 years after Roland`s death. A memorial to Roland stands on the pass known as Puerto de Ibaneta.
