Azkoitia, what to see and do.

Azkoitia, what to see and do in the cradle of Basque pelota.

Azkoitia, a small town located in the interior of the province of Gipuzkoa, awaits us with open arms to show us its impressive historical and cultural heritage. An urban nucleus, which, protected by the Izarraitz mountain, keeps with great commitment historical buildings of great value as the Idiakez tower, the church of Santa María la Real or the Insausti palace.Azkoitia has always stood out for its great tradition of pelota. Hence the nickname of “the cradle of Basque pelota”. In addition to the famous frontons of Jorge Oteiza, we must remember that such emblematic names of pelota as Mariano Juaristi, “Atano III”, grew up playing pelota in the streets and squares of Azkoitia. As you can see, Azkoitia is one of those destinations that attracts visitors on its own merits. Are you ready to know what to see in Azkoitia with us? Stay tuned!

Azkoitia has several neighborhoods scattered among the valley and its mountains, but what most attracts the attention of travelers is its monumental ensemble. A space of great beauty, which was declared Cultural Heritage of Euskadi. It is not surprising, even less, if we take a walk through the center and contemplate buildings such as the palaces Floreaga and Balda.

What to see in Azkoitia.

The town of Azkoitia has a large number of attractions to see and enjoy. A long list from which we have selected the places that have caught our attention. We hope you like them.

Rekalde House: This historic house was located next to the old gateway of Azpeitia. Although the original house was renovated in the seventeenth century, elements of the original structure can still be seen. If we look closely at its main facade, we will see the figure of the virgin inside a wooden box.

Idiakez Tower: The Idiakez tower is located next to the church of Santa Maria la Real. This building is also known as “etxe beltz” (black house in Basque), due to its appearance (it was set on fire during the Second Carlist War). This tower, located next to the old defensive wall of Azkoitia, has on its façade coats of arms of different Basque families. Not to be confused with the tower house of Idiakaitz, a building just opposite.

Santa María la Real Church: This church is one of the best representations of the Basque Gothic style. A structure in which we find authentic historical jewels such as the altarpieces or its organ. The latter is the work of the Parisian firm Aristides Cavalle Coll. And we say that this organ is a real jewel because it was the last organ made by this brand in 1898.

Insausti Palace: This palace built in the 18th century is unique in its kind. The lines of this baroque style palace represent the ideas of the Basque Enlightenment. A building where the founder of the Real Sociedad Bascongada de los Amigos del País, Xabier de Munibe was born and grew up. This palace was restored and recovered in 2006 to house the headquarters of the Real Sociedad Bascongada de los Amigos del País.

Tower house of Balda: This tower house was built in the 13th century and maintained its fortified appearance until the 15th century, when the tower was demolished to convert the building into a residential house. According to experts, the mother of the founder of the Jesuit order (San Ignacio de Loiola), Marina de Licona y Balda, lived in this house.

Hermitage of San Martin de Iraurgi: This hermitage is visible from most of Azkoitia thanks to its location on top of a hill. A fact, to which is added the great tower that presides over its main nave. And it is here, at the highest point of the hermitage, where we find the clock that was installed in 1859 by the company Zugasti e hijos. As a curiosity we must mention that this hermitage was in the past one of the hospitals of Azkoitia.

Frontones Jorge Oteiza: The frontons of Azkoitia, one of the great works of Jorge Oteiza, represents each one of the types of frontons that we can find in the 7 provinces of Euskal Herria. A work that was conceived by Oteiza and built by the architect Carlos Ceballos and the sculptor Antton Mendizabal honors the pelota tradition that is lived in this Basque municipality.

Plaza Balda: This space located at the foot of the Izarraitz mountain invites us to enjoy the majesty of 3 tower houses: Zubieta, Marquescua and Rekalde. As if this were not enough, in the square itself we find 3 other elements of great importance: the Batarrabi sculpture, the Iruiturri fountain and the sapling of the Tree of Gernika.

Eliz Ataria: This space known as eliz ataria, threshold of the church in Basque, is one of the most emblematic corners of this town in Gipuzkoa. A space in which we find elements of great value such as the fountain of the barrels, the church of Santa María la Real, the Idiakez tower or the tower house of Idiakaitz.

Basilica of San Jose: Next to the Urumea riverbed stands this small basilica where we find the pantheon of the Granada de Ega family, the image of Ecce-Homo by Gregorio Hernandez and several paintings by the painter Palomino de Castro.

Aizkibel Library: The building that today houses the municipal library of Azkoitia was once the Urola train station. Although this structure was renovated in order to offer its new services, it still retains some of the typical elements of the train stations of that time.

Palace of Leturiondo: This baroque building located next to the town hall, the market and the Goiko Losa fronton, has architectural influences of the basilica of Loiola de Azpeitia, one of the most important sanctuaries of Euskadi.

Jausoro House: This palace house was originally owned by the Jausoro family. The family that made the greatest economic contribution to Azkoitia, first with the ironworks and from 1846 with the beret factory.

Town Hall: Azkoitia’s town hall was built in 1730 following a design by José de Lizardi. As a curiosity we must indicate that at the bottom of the town hall is one of the most emblematic frontons of Azkoitia, Kontzejupe.

Hermitage of San Francisco or La Soledad: This Basque hermitage has been modified and relocated several times over time. And although it was created in the 16th century, the temple that we contemplate at the present time has nothing to do with the original one. In its interior we find the figure of the Virgen Dolorosa.

Monastery of Santa Clara: This monastery located on the outskirts of the historic center of Azkoitia, has more than 400 years of history within its walls. This temple founded by Pedro de Zuazola (secretary and treasurer of Emperor Charles V), keeps inside altarpieces made by the same artists who made those of Loiola.

Floreaga Palace: This palace, built in 1514 by Pedro de Zuazola, was erected over an existing building on the family grounds. It is one of the most unique buildings in Azkoitia. Recommended visit for lovers of history and architecture.

Arch of the hospital: This arch that we find next to the Urola riverbed, was the entrance to the old Hospital de la Piedad de Azkoitia. A 16th century structure that was moved to this place in 2003.

Gaztan Enea Palace: In neo-Renaissance style, this Basque palace invites us to enjoy its architecture both from the inside and from the outside. A structure, which according to experts was built between the XV and XVI centuries. This building houses the Bizkargi Music School.

Homage to the Basque people: This work inaugurated under the name of “Euskalherriari” was made in steel by the artist José Alberdi “Burruntxali” in 1996. A work of great dimensions that is located near the Aizkibel Library.

Red chimney: This red brick chimney is the only existing element of the old Jausoro beret factory, economic engine of Azkoitia and Urola for years. This factory competed with the factories of Tolosa (Elosegui) and Balmaseda (La Encartada) since practically its inauguration in 1846.

These are just some of the most representative places of Azkoitia, in case you want to know more about this town of Gipuzkoa, we recommend you to visit the hermitage of the guardian angel, the hermitage of San Antonio de Landakanda, the monastery of Santa Cruz de Basarte, the church of San Agustin de Aizpurutxo, the monument to Xabier de Munibe, the monument to Valentin de Olano, the monument to Mariano Juaristi “Atano III”, the church of San Agustin de Aizpurutxo, the monument to Xabier de Munibe, the monument to Valentin de Olano, the monument to Mariano Juaristi “Atano III”, the monument to concord, the “Batarrabi” of Oteiza, the Txurruka House, the Tower of Isasaga, the Palace of Altzibar, the tower house of Idiakaitz or the Tower of Iribide.

What to see near Azkoitia.

The towns and cities that we find near Azkoitia offer us the opportunity to continue this beautiful journey through Euskadi. And if what we are looking for are destinations to visit, the list is so long that we will not have enough time to visit each of the spaces we have in mind. We have selected some of them to help you plan your trip to Azkoitia. We hope you like them.

What to do near Azkoitia.

The natural areas and urban centers that we find in the vicinity of Azkoitia offer us an endless number of activities to do and enjoy. That is why we recommend you to take a look at our reservation center. Here is a brief summary of the experiences that you can do in Azkoitia and its surroundings.

How to get to Azkoitia.

To get to Azkoitia you can use both private and public transport. In any case, you should know that if you want to visit a sagardotegi (cider house in Basque) or gaztandegi (cheese factory in Basque) it will be very useful to have your own vehicle. In most cases, these places are located in more distant neighborhoods, in the mountains.

Video of Azkoitia.

As usual in all our articles, we wanted to complement the photos and words of this article with a short video about what to see in Azkoitia. We hope it will help you to get a more realistic idea of what awaits you in this inland town of Gipuzkoa. In case you like this kind of videos we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, we are sure you will find dozens of videos that will catch your attention. Who knows, maybe you will find your next destination.

Azkoitia Festivities.

The most important festivals of Azkoitia are celebrated annually during the months of August and November, Andramaris and San Andres respectively. To these festivals should be added other festivities such as carnival and Easter.

History.

The origins of Azkoitia can be found in the mountains surrounding the town. Different excavations carried out in the area make it clear that more than 5,000 years ago there were already human settlements in this corner of Euskadi. Thus, we must mention that the first documents that mention Azkoitia as such are dated in 1186. This urban center that for years belonged to the Kingdom of Navarre became part of the Kingdom of Castile in 1200. In 1324 the town was founded under the name of San Martín de Iraurgui de Azkoitia. We must remember that this town, together with Azpeitia, Tolosa and Donostia San Sebastian, was one of the most important towns of the time until the beginning of the 19th century. In the middle of the 19th century, the textile industry gained strength in Azkoitia thanks to the manufacture of berets and espadrilles. Today, Azkoitia is still strongly linked to the industry, but it is the pelota, the culture and the history of this Basque town that continues to captivate people from all over the world.

As you have been able to see Azkoitia is one of those Basque towns that is worth visiting. If you have any questions about what to see in Azkoitia, we recommend that you 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!