Markina Xemein, what to see and do.

Markina Xemein, what to see in the cradle of Basque pelota.

Markina Xemein is one of the most emblematic urban centers of Euskadi. A municipality of great pelotaris, that, located in the Biscayan region of Lea Artibai, invites us to discover every corner of its old medieval layout. A space, in which a good number of buildings and monuments of interest exist. Examples are the church of Carmen, the church of Santa Maria, the Patrokua palace, the Sortalekua palace or the Andonegi palace. An urban center that, located in a beautiful natural space, in the middle of the Camino de Santiago, is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year.As we have already mentioned, Markina Xemein has been the cradle of great pelota players, hence the nickname of the local pelota court, “University of pelota”. And the fact is that the sport of cesta punta turned this town into one of the most internationally known urban centers. A town that we invite you to know in depth through this article on what to see in Markina Xemein. Do you dare to visit Markina Xemein with us?

This Biscayan town has one of the great festivities of the Lea Artibai region, the festivities of Carmen, the patron saint of Markina Xemein. These festivities are held in mid-July and attract thousands of people to the heart of the region thanks to its good atmosphere. Undoubtedly a good excuse to get lost in its streets.

What to see in Markina Xemein.

Markina Xemein has a good number of attractions to see and enjoy, among all of them we wanted to select some of the most emblematic corners to try to help you plan your getaway to this Basque town.

Sortalekua Palace: The Sortalekua Palace, also known as Mugartegi Palace, currently houses the town hall of Markina Xemein. This last name, Mugartegi, is in honor of the family that built this emblematic Basque building. This palace was designed by the architect Lucas Longa in 1666.

Goiko Portala Fountain: The fountain that we find in the main square, in front of the town hall and the church of Carmen, was built in 1787 by Francisco de Etxanobe. If we look closely at the bottom of the column, we can see several circles with writings in Basque along with the coat of arms of Markina Xemein.

Iglesia del Carmen: The church and convent of Carmen are located next to the town hall (Palacio Sortalekua) and the Goiko Portala fountain. In the center of the urban nucleus. Although in this section we allude to the church as a prominent space, we must indicate that the convent was founded in 1691 and the church in 1724. The yellowish color of the sandstone façade and the altarpieces inside attract the attention of all visitors to the town.

Kontzekupe: This construction that we find in the heart of the historical helmet of Markina Xemein was the old town hall of the locality. A building, built between 1521 and 1542 and renovated between 1636 and 1645, draws our attention by the huge portico that we find on the first floor.

Fronton: The fronton of Markina Xemein is known halfway around the world. In fact, it has the nickname of “University of the pelota”. A space, in which great pelotaris of cesta punta have been formed. I recommend you to see this sport in first person. It is very worthwhile. In this sense, there is an experience to be cestalari for a day in which an expert shows us every detail of this Basque sport. In case you are interested in this experience we encourage you to ask us any questions through our contact form. We will try to respond as soon as possible.

Murga Palace: This palace of Markina Xemein hides in its interior a medieval tower, the Bidarte Tower. On one of its sides there is a curious bridge that connects the palace with a large garden. At the moment it is not appreciated well, but formerly, the second floor was decorated with floral paintings. Unfortunately, nowadays only the limestone of the first floor and second floor can be seen.

Church of Santa Maria: The church of Santa Maria, National Monument of Euskadi, was built in the sixteenth century. If its exterior has caught your attention, we recommend that you access its interior and it is worth contemplating the altarpiece that hides within its walls.

Ansotegi Palace: This old tower house was renovated into a palace. Unfortunately, the facades that we contemplate from Guen Kalea street are all that remains of the original building.

Antxia Tower: The tower of Antxia, also known as the tower of Ibarra, is one of the many structures that remain of the layout that was inside the walls. A tower transformed into a palace that still preserves part of the old tower wall.

Palacio Andonegi: This palace that we find in front of the old town hall attracts the attention of everyone who walks through the historic center of Markina Xemein. No wonder, its coat of arms, its balconies and wooden eaves, make this structure an authentic architectural jewel. According to experts, this palace was built by the Basque architect Lucas Longa.

Church of La Merced: The church and convent of La Merced are located in the center of the town. Next to the Ubilla house and the Antxia tower. In 1653, the community of La Merced moved to this location where the current church of La Merced was built in 1793. The former convent of La Merced was converted into an educational center. At present, the convent houses an ikastola.

Hermitage of Santa Cruz: The hermitage of Santa Cruz, also known as elizatxiki, is a small shrine located in one of the accesses of Markina Xemein. This hermitage is related to the palace that we find in the vicinity. A building of which traces have been found in documents of the sixteenth century.

Uhagon Cultural Center: The Uhagon Cultural Center is a building of great importance in this Biscayan town. A meeting place, which, located next to the church of Santa Maria and the palace of Patrokua invites us to enjoy its terrace and its agenda (full of activities and shows). We must indicate that the building that today houses this house of culture in the past was used as a barracks.

Patrokua Palace: This palace located next to the church of Santa Maria and the Uhagon culture house has 2 structures from different periods (XVII and XX century) that together with its large garden create a complex to take into account in any visit to Markina Xemein. In this garden we find a monument in honor of the author of the first novel in Basque, the priest Juan Antonio Moguel. This palace of the Gaytan de Ayala family currently houses the headquarters of the Lea Artibai region.

Municipal fish market: The fountain and the municipal fish market are 2 of the most outstanding elements of Markina Xemein. So emblematic as singular. The author of this structure, the architect Rafael Zavala, designed the building in the 19th century.

Casa Ubilla: This old tower house of the Ubilla family is located in the center of the town, next to the Antxia tower and the church of La Merced. Its present appearance is the result of a renovation to convert it into a palace in the 15th century.

These are just some of the most representative spaces of Markina Xemein, in case you want to know in depth this Basque village we recommend visiting places like the hermitage of San Miguel de Arretxinaga, the Portal of Irureta, arkupe, the Orueta house, the Barroeta tower, the Ugarte tower or the courthouse and the old jail of Markina Xemein.

What to see near Markina Xemein.

The villages surrounding Markina Xemein represent a great option to complement our particular getaway to this town in Bizkaia. We recommend you to seriously consider the possibility of visiting some of these villages of Euskadi. We hope you like them.

What to do near Markina Xemein.

If you are looking for a good plan in the vicinity of Markina Xemein, we recommend that you consult the experiences that we offer in our reservation center. We are sure that some of these activities will suit your tastes and needs.

Video of Markina Xemein.

As usual, we wanted to complement the words and photographs in this article with a short audiovisual. A video, with which we want you to see what awaits you in your next destination in Euskadi. In case you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can discover all the experiences and places that we recommend you in Euskal Herria.

Guided tours in Markina Xemein.

There are several guided tours to do throughout the length and breadth of Markina Xemein. It is not surprising. The large number of monuments and historic buildings invite you to do so. Anyway, in our opinion, the guided tour known as “monumental tour” is one of the most complete. In addition to making a nice review of the most outstanding areas of the town, the guides modify their speech according to the needs / abilities of the attendees. If you want to make a guided tour in Markina Xemein we recommend you to contact us through our contact form. We will try to respond as soon as possible.

Where to sleep.

As usual, we encourage you to consult the different accommodations that we recommend in our reservation center. Rural establishments, where the hosts are an added value. Local people, who make sure that your stay in Euskadi becomes one of the best trips of your lives.

How to get to Markina Xemein.

To get to Markina Xemein we have the option of private and public transport. Unfortunately, public transport in this area of Bizkaia is not very good, so it may not be a great idea for those people who are very short of time. However, we are going to explain all the existing possibilities.

History of Markina Xemein.

The current municipality of Markina Xemein is formed by the town of Markina and the parish of Xemein, urban centers that merged in 1952. But it was not always so, and is that in the past, since 1969, also included the parish of Ziortza Zenarruza and the village of Bolibar. The latter signed its disannexation in 2005. Although there is evidence that the area where Markina Xemein is located has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age, it was not until 1355 when Don Tello, Lord of Bizkaia, founded the town of Villaviciosa de Marquina. After the foundation, the defensive wall of the town was built and with it the urban nucleus of its interior. Fortunately, part of the original layout can still be seen today. The Napoleonic invasion, the Carlist Wars and the Civil War marked the history of Markina Xemein. War events that unfortunately affected the daily life of its inhabitants. On the other hand, we cannot talk about the history of Markina Xemein without mentioning that for years, the sport of the cesta punta catapulted the fame of Markina Xemein. And that is how this Basque town came to be known halfway around the world.

Fiestas Markina Xemein.

The calendar of Markina Xemein is full of days in red, of festivities. But among all of them we must highlight its patron saint festivities of the Carmenes (July) and San Miguel (September). These festivities are complemented by festivals such as the carnival, the festivals of the neighborhoods or the market and fairs held in Markina Xemein.

As you have been able to see Markina Xemein is one of those villages that is worth visiting in every trip to Euskadi. Remember that in case you have any questions about what to see in Markina Xemein you can use the comment system that you will find below these lines to let us know. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!