Artxanda, the viewpoint of Bilbao.

Artxanda, one of the most emblematic leisure areas of the capital of Bizkaia, surprises us with the best views of Bilbao and restaurants worthy of recommendation.

Artxanda, one of the many mountains surrounding Bilbao, is today one of the busiest leisure areas of our environment, one of the most emblematic areas of Bilbao. Enjoying the best views of the capital of Bizkaia and eating a good steak, has become one of the typical plans of Bilbao. So much so, that the city council and other agencies responsible for managing the different areas of Mount Artxanda, have taken charge of it and are allocating large budget items to improve this area and make it known among tourists who visit us. Example of it is the new railing with the words Bilbao and Bilbo labeled on it, an element, which has given a touch of color to this gigantic viewpoint of Bilbao.

Thanks to its composition, high up, with the red railing of Bilbao and the city at its feet, this Basque space is called to become the new “photocall” of Bilbao, the new place of pilgrimage for all those people who want to take a nice panoramic view of the city. A must for Instagramers.

But Artxanda is not only views, the gastronomy, the funicular, the “green ring of Bilbao”, the sports center or the golf course “Ganguren” are other of the many attractions that keeps this green area of Bilbao. Artxanda is one of the most important green lungs of the town, a park more than 100 years old, which reminds us a lot of Mount Igeldo of Donostia – San Sebastian, another of the Basque watchtowers essential to visit. If you have in mind to visit this “txoko” of Bilbao you can not miss the following lines, we tell you in detail what to see, what to do and how to get to Artxanda, let’s start.

We must remember that we are in a privileged place, one of the most striking balconies of the historic province of Bizkaia. An emblematic and centenary space, in which the views, the funicular and the restaurants occupy great prominence.

The Artxanda Forest Park belongs to the northern slope of the municipality of Bilbao and includes the recreational areas of Berriz, Pikotamendi, Vía vieja de Lezama, Guardaviñas and La cantera. All of them are places that we recommend you to rest from the hustle and bustle of the city and get a nice perspective of the capital of Bizkaia.

El Botxo: As you may already know, Bilbao is also known as “El Botxo”, an affectionate nickname that owes its origin to the geographical location of the capital of Bizkaia. And is that, Mount Artxanda (251 meters), is one of the mountain ranges that protect the city along with other emblematic mountains of Bilbao as the Pagasarri or Kobetas, leaving the city tucked in a hole in a “botxo”. Artxanda is not only the lowest peak of all those surrounding Bilbao, it is also the closest and most urban, characteristics that make it perfect for those who want to enjoy some of the mountains surrounding Bilbao without wasting time in displacements.

Location: Although the Artxanda mountain is very close to Bilbao, not all its areas are delimited within the municipalities of Greater Bilbao, and is that, Artxanda, also belongs to Sondika, Biscayan town internationally known for hosting in the past the old airport of Bilbao, current loading area of the airport. The area of the Artxanda mountain, constitutes a wide space between Bilbao and Sondika, offering infinity of utilities in its recreational areas as offering excellent views on the Valley of the Txorierri and the Bilbao expansion.

Funicular: It is not the first time we talk about the funiculars of Euskadi, we have already unraveled the secrets of the funicular of Igeldo and the Arboleda, but this time we want to focus on the Artxanda funicular, the funicular of Bilbao. A funicular that is distinguished from the others by the intermediate curve that has along its route. This funicular was built with the sole purpose of facilitating access from the center of Bilbao to the top of Artxanda, a task, which today is still faithfully fulfilled. A fast (3 minutes at 18km/h) and economical (1€ approximately) way to cover the 770 meters and 44.98% of slope (226 meters) that separate these two points of the Biscayan geography.

Art: Next to the Artxanda funicular we find a large monument, “Aterpe”, also popularly known as “La Huella”, a sculpture by Juan Jose Novella that settled in Artxanda in 2006 in honor of the gudaris who fought against Franco’s troops in the Civil War. This monument is witness of the act that is celebrated annually in this space in memory of all those who fought for our freedom, one of the many mechanisms that the city council has created to recover the Historical Memory of Artxanda. On the other hand, next to the funicular we find a “gear”, a huge mechanism originating from the first Artxanda funicular, a piece of the first decade of 1900, which although it has nothing to do with sculptures or art, stands majestically before the watchful eye of visitors. These works of art and engineering are joined by the design of the new “Bilbao” railing, a modern design, which gives shape and color to this incredible viewpoint of Bilbao.

Txakoli: Artxanda has historically been a land of Txakolis, farmhouses full of life in which one of our most beloved wines, txakoli, was produced and elaborated. At the beginning of the 19th century, the so-called “chacolís” already existed on the slopes of this mountain, popular and austere establishments where, in addition to tasting the Basque wine par excellence, it was also possible to enjoy a good meal under the typical vines of these buildings. Nowadays, these establishments have evolved, giving rise to countless restaurants in the area, many of them still keeping the word “Txakoli” in their name, such as the Txakoli Simon, emblem of Artxanda. The bilbainadas, typical songs of Bilbao, already collected these feats in its interior, example of it is this one that cites the informative panels of the zone:

Hermitage of San Roque: In Artxanda we also find religious buildings such as the Hermitage of San Roque, a small rectangular religious structure located in a natural watchtower of which we highlight its side turret, bell and views. In the past, the residents of Sondika and Begoña used to gather around this religious center to pray for the droughts and other types of climatological events that damaged their way of life, agriculture, to pass. The pilgrimage of San Roque is celebrated every August 16, a festivity full of color, music and dances in which the mayors of Sondika and Bilbao meet in a ceremonial greeting. We must emphasize that this hermitage was completely rebuilt in 1981, due to the heavy damage it suffered during the Civil War. The hermitage of San Roque de Artxanda, today a place of peace and tranquility, but we must not forget that for many years it was the scene of international motocross competitions in which the best riders and brands of the international scene met. This hermitage is located approximately 1.3 kilometers from the top station of the funicular, about 15 minutes walk.

History: In Basque and officially Artxanda, in Spanish Archanda and according to old documents “Sondicabaso”, this is how the protagonist of today’s article is known. In this place, in the same space where today is located the viewpoint “Aterpe”, is where the emblematic Casino of Artxanda was located, one of the establishments where most of the banquets and celebrations of the early twentieth century were held. Unfortunately, during the Civil War, in 1937, Artxanda became the scene of bloody battles for the defense of Bilbao. After the fighting, this building was seriously damaged and had to be demolished. In memory of the gudaris who fought in these battles to defend their town, a monument named “Aterpe” was created, thus becoming a place of pilgrimage for all those who want to pay a heartfelt tribute to those who gave their lives to defend the noble town of Bilbao.

How to get there: So high and so close to the center of Bilbao. Artxanda is less than 3 minutes from the center of Bilbao thanks to its funicular, but it is not the only transport that connects Bilbao with Artxanda. The bus, the bicycle or the car are other transports that share prominence with the possibility of reaching this point on foot. As you can see, Artxanda offers us all kinds of communications to reach its heart, now you just need to choose yours. Now, if you ask our opinion, the answer is clear, the best way to get to Artxanda is using the funicular, a fast, safe, central and cheap means of transport, which represents the best option to spend the day in this green space of the great Bilbao.

Where to eat: Artxanda is a land of restaurants, it is gastronomic territory. Although some of them have succumbed to the crisis, others have come out of it stronger, this is the case of Txakoli Simon and Anton restaurant, two emblematic houses of this place, which have been consolidated in the gastronomic panorama of Euskadi. Although both are perfect for eating all kinds of dishes, we must highlight two very specific dishes, the “txuleta” in the case of Txakoli Simon (good taste and texture, served on a small grill) and the grilled prawns of Anton, one of the best in Bilbao. We leave you some clues about the two restaurants so that you can decide for the one that best suits your tastes.

The best views of Bilbao: As we have said countless times, Artxanda has one of the best views of Bilbao, a statement, which is argued by its 251 meters high and easy access offered by its slopes, features that provide us with everything we need to enjoy magnificent views of Bilbao. Although there are many viewpoints, the most famous, the one that takes on greater prominence, is the viewpoint “Aterpe”, a space very close to the funicular, where we find the monument of the same name, also popularly known as the “Huella”.

Although in our opinion Artxanda represents one of the best places to enjoy the best views of Bilbao, there are many others that follow very closely. As you could already see when you read our article about the BBK Live music festival, Kobetas is another of the most demanded spaces to appreciate Bilbao from the heights. To this duo (Kobetas and Artxanda) we must add Etxebarria Park, next to the city center, at a lower altitude and very close to the Basilica of Begoña, another of the so-called balconies of the town. However, unlike the other places, Artxanda not only gives us the opportunity to enjoy one of the best and most complete panoramic views of Bilbao, but also gives us the option to contemplate the Txorierri Valley, a rural environment of great beauty in which we find the airport of Bilbao (Loiu).

So many people come to Artxanda to be photographed with the city in the background, that we have decided to baptize this space as the“photocall of Bilbao“, an affectionate nickname, which honors all the snapshots that collect social networks. We recommend you to tag these photos with the hashtag #TurismoVasco and quote us so we can share your photos with all our users.

If we stop to contemplate each space of Bilbao, we can see perfectly places like the estuary, the Casco Viejo, the Iberdrola tower, Miribilla, Deusto… as well as the rest of the mountains surrounding the city, a broad view that helps us to get an approximate idea of the small dimensions of the capital of Bizkaia. Many people believe that Artxanda only has a viewpoint over Bilbao, an erroneous fact, and is that, if we travel all its crest by car, virtually every nook and cranny becomes a potential viewpoint, a small corner from which to enjoy the cozy views of our beloved “Botxo”.

By the way, we must emphasize the change that the city undergoes when the sun goes down, and is that, at night the city is transformed, making the panoramic views of Bilbao change, certainly another detail to consider. Noble buildings such as the Arriaga Theater, the Plaza Nueva, the Iberdrola Tower or the Guggenheim Museum are beautiful seen at street level, but of course, seen from above, from a bird’s eye view, the perspective is even better.

If you like to know the cities from different points of view, from original and striking perspectives, we recommend you to enjoy the boat tours of Bilbao. A different experience, which allows us to know both banks of the great maritime artery of the city, the estuary of Bilbao. Currently, we have different maritime routes, we recommend you to select the one that best suits your needs.

Reserve

Leisure: Around the recreational areas of Berriz, Pikotamendi, Vía vieja de Lezama, Guardaviñas or La cantera we find green areas, playgrounds, soccer fields, golf courses, swimming pools … facilities of all kinds, which contribute to Artxanda has become one of the favorite spaces for the bizkainas and bizkainos when choosing a place to spend the day with the family. To all these facilities, we must add the so-called Green Ring of Bilbao, a route composed of Mount Avril, Arnotegi, Pagasarri, Arraiz and Artxanda, which surrounds Bilbao from the heights, from nature.

Where to park: In Artxanda there is no OTA (traffic ordinance regulating vehicle parking) so parking our car is free. The area with more parking in Artxanda is the one surrounding the funicular, in it, we find two small parking lots, which, along with the rest of parking in battery or in line, complement the possibilities to park our vehicle.

Curiosity: In Artxanda there is also one of the many works of art that we find in Bilbao in the form of the typical “martians” of “Space Invaders”. One of the 40 pieces that are scattered throughout the city since 2008 and that forms along with those found in cities like Paris, London, Barcelona and New York, a network of art worldwide. We propose you a mission, find the Space Invaders of Artxanda, look for the little martian, here is a photo that gives you many clues to its location. Good luck!

Videos: As we know that reality is much better perceived through videos, we have uploaded to our YouTube channel a couple of videos about Artxanda, the balcony of Bilbao, here are the videos:

If you want to see other videos about amazing places in Euskadi, we recommend you to visit our YouTube channel, we are sure you will find something that hooks you! As you have seen, Artxanda has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bilbao. What do you think about Artxanda, is it one of the best views of Bilbao and is it worth a visit? We look forward to your comments.