Enter Arditurri and discover the bowels of the Aiako Harria massif.
The link between the Basque Country and mining is well known to all, but what most people do not know is that in one of the most impressive natural environments in Gipuzkoa, in the heart of the Aiako Harria Natural Park, there is one of the oldest and most heavily exploited mines in the Basque Country.
Located between two charming towns, Oiartzun and Lesaka, in the heart of the Aiako Harria Natural Park, the Roman mines of Arditurri allow us to dig into our history and learn part of the history of the Oarsoaldea region.
Arditurri Poster
Exploited for more than 2,000 years in an almost uninterrupted manner, the Arditurri mines run through its tunnels through a large part of the territory of this Natural Park. The Arditurri mines have seen hundreds of generations pass through their galleries in their struggle to obtain the riches hidden in this soil.
10 reasons to visit the Arditurri mines
Location: In the regions of Oarsoaldea (Oiartzun, Errenteria, Pasaia and Lezo) and Bidasoa (Irun and Hondarribia) we find one of the most visited Natural Parks in the whole Basque Country, the Aiako Harria Natural Park. It is part of the Pyrenean Mountain Range and stands as one of the oldest formations in the Basque Country. Inside, we find the Arditurri Mines, dozens of kilometers of galleries that await your visit.
History: Although the most important findings indicate that its first exploitation took place during the Roman Empire, some remains found in the area lead us to believe that the activity of these galleries may even predate this period.
Arditurri Mines
The history of the Arditurri mines can be broken down into 9 major groups:
–Roman Age: Probably, the Romans, the men of the Iron Age, were the first to break the rock of the Arditurri mines in search of silver.
–Middle Ages: Following the work done in Roman times, in the Middle Ages the first forges began to be created around the river that runs through the valley.
–XVIII Century: The Sein family, settled in Oiartzun, took the reins of Arditurri, then without activity, which roared again to obtain silver and lead under the supervision of the German engineer Juan Guillermo Thalacker.
–XIX Century: In 1830 the Gipuzkoan Mining Company began to exploit Arditurri, and it was at this time that most of the galleries created in previous periods were destroyed.
–XX Century: The Chavarri Hermanos de Bilbao Company, owner of Altos Hornos de Bizkaia, obtained the concession of these mines and began to exploit them with the help of the railroad that they had built and which is currently a very busy Greenway.
–1984: In this year the Arditurri Mines ceased their activity.
–2001-2006: The mines contributed to the development of rural areas but also damaged them by dumping heavy minerals and waste into their rivers. It was at this time that environmental reclamation work was carried out.
–2008, to the present: In 2008 the Arditurri mines were opened to the public, adding value to 800 meters of gallery of the Arditurri mining reserve.
In the 1970s: Trends change and open-pit quarrying begins.
Galleries: The absence of light and noise in the galleries of Arditurri allow us to play with our senses. Throughout the tour, sensors placed along our path will simulate rock falls and other events that will make the little ones discover new situations underground.
Arditurri Main Gallery
Adventure: The adventure tour allows us to go beyond a simple visit to the mines. Explore the depths of Arditurri, walk these 400 meters while enjoying the morphology of the mine and its large cavities.
Second level of Arditurri
Price: Prices vary depending on the type of visit we make, thus, we have the option of the essential visit or the in-depth visit.
The prices of the essential visit are:
-Single single ticket: 5,20€.
-Children under 5 years old: Free
-Groups and other groups: 3,10€.
*A group is defined as a group of more than 9 persons.
*Children under 5 years old must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
The prices for the in-depth visit are:
-Single single ticket: 7,20€.
-Groups and other groups: 6,20€.
*Minimum recommended age: 5 years old.
*A group is defined as a group of more than 9 persons.
Arditurri Tickets
Opening hours: The interpretation center has 3 different schedules depending on the time of year in which we are.
JULY 1 – AUGUST 31:
Tuesday to Saturday 10:00- 14:00 / 16:00- 18:00
Sundays and holidays 10:00- 14:00
SEPTEMBER 1 – APRIL 17 (HOLY WEEK):
Fridays, Sundays and holidays 10:00- 14:00
Saturdays 10:00- 14:00 / 16:00- 18:00.
APRIL 17 (EASTER) – JUNE 30:
From Tuesday to Friday 10:00- 14:00
Saturdays: 10:00- 14:00 / 16:00- 18:00
Sundays and holidays 10:00- 14:00
* Closed for Christmas
Experts: The engineer Juan Guillermo Thalacker, responsible for the Arditurri mines during one of its stages, mentioned that “Four hundred men working for two hundred years would not have been enough to drill all these galleries”, this sentence makes us think about the size and length of this labyrinth of tunnels.
Entrance to Arditurri Mines
Visits: Arditurri has 2 types of visits, the essential visit and the mine in depth. Before the visit, regardless of the visit we make, we will see a video in the interpretation center of Arditurri, through which we will be introduced to the incredible history of this mining area.
Visitors to Arditurri
Both visits show the mines of Arditurri from the inside, although the second one offers a more adventurous side, which one do you choose?
Essential visit: Enjoy the main gallery of Arditurri, its secrets, history and curiosities.
The mine in depth: In this visit we will get to know the subway landscape and the Roman remains by following the route of the wagons used in modern mining.
Routes: The environment in which the Arditurri mines are located gives us the possibility of hiking before or after the visit. We recommend 2 routes to be done from Oiartzun:
-Enjoy the bidegorri (path enabled for pedestrians and cyclists) that after crossing the entire municipality of Oiartzun ends at the Arditurri mines.
-The route of the Megalithic monuments: The Oieleku route offers us to enjoy nature and history in the same route.
Arditurri Environment
Accreditation: Arditurri has achieved our exclusive “TurismoVasco Tiketa” accreditation with the enhancement of the Roman mines of Oiartzun.
Tourism AccreditationVasco Tiketa
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