Beasain, what to see and do.

Beasain, an industrial town located in the heart of the Basque Country.

Beasain, a municipality with a great industrial tradition, encourages us to walk through its streets, squares and mountains to discover its history and culture. This Basque town is strategically located in the center of our territory, 44 kilometers from Donostia San Sebastian, 70 kilometers from Vitoria Gasteiz and 80 kilometers from Bilbao. An urban nucleus, protected by the Murumendi, Usurbe and Pagokabar mountains and crossed by the Oria river, encourages us to discover impressive spaces such as the monumental complex of Igartza or the historic center. Another of the great attractions of Beasain are its famous black puddings, a delicacy that you can taste in one of the many restaurants in the area. Do you want to know the most emblematic and beautiful places of Beasain?

Beasain, is one of the great unknown of Euskadi. And although it has areas of great tourist interest, there are few people who are set in Beasain as a tourist destination. Even so, this urban center is one of the destinations to take into account in any trip to the Goierri region of Gipuzkoa.

What to see in Beasain.

Most of Beasain’s attractions can be found in the Monumental Complex of Igartza (dolarea, palace, forge, mill, mill, hermitage and bridge) and in the center of the town, in the historic center. Two spaces that we encourage you to visit in every trip to the interior of Gipuzkoa. We hope you like all the places we recommend you to see in Beasain.

DolareaDolarea: This building built in 1611 by the lady of Igartza, Isabel de Lobiano, was for years, one of the most important sales of the route that linked Madrid with Paris. In 2007, after an archaeological investigation, a wine press was found, which today can be contemplated in the restoration room that occupies one of the floors of this incredible building. A winepress, which is very similar to the one found in the Igartubeiti museum in Ezkio Itsaso.

PalaceThis palace is part of the aforementioned Monumental Complex of Igartza. A building, which was built in the XVI century on the original tower house of the Middle Ages. Both its interior and exterior are considered authentic treasures of the popular architecture of Euskadi. We are sure that its gallery and central courtyard, 2 of its most important elements, will attract your attention.

IronworksThe iron and steel industry has been one of the most important economic activities in Gipuzkoa and the Basque Country. A sector that had great relevance in the development of our land from the Middle Ages until the 19th century. In this case, the building that we contemplate today is the result of the reform carried out in 1782. The power for the production of this forge was obtained from the Oria River, an emblematic river of Gipuzkoa and Euskadi that runs just a few meters from this building. In the 19th century, with the rise of new technologies, hydraulic forges fell into disuse. As a consequence, in 1860, the families that exploited these spaces created what would later become CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles).

MillThe wheels of the hydraulic mill of Igartza grinded thousands of kilos of cereal with the force of the river Oria. This is how flour was obtained for the elaboration of bread and talo. This building is divided into 3 different rooms, the miller’s house, the irrigation channel and the mill. This hydraulic system was in operation until 1982.

HermitageThe hermitage of Belen is located in the heart of the Monumental Complex of Igartza, next to the bridge. A small religious temple, which was built in the seventeenth century and rebuilt in 2011.

BridgeThis bridge is an important part of the road that linked Madrid and Paris. A route, which became even more important with the constitution of the towns of Segura and Tolosa. The current structure was built during the 16th century and rebuilt in 2006.

CrossingNext to the bridge and the wine press there is a cross built in 1599 with sandstone. A structure, which was intended to protect those travelers who crossed Beasain. Nowadays, the pilgrims of the Way of St. James have replaced the travelers.

Hermitage of Our Lady of LoinatzLocated in a high place, this hermitage offers beautiful views of the urban nucleus of Beasain. Also of the mountains that surround it. A temple of which there is evidence since 1565. The hermitage has a striking wooden portico and the coat of arms of the Arriaran house.

Basilica of St. Martin of LoinatzThis basilica located on the outskirts of the town, near the Monumental Complex of Igartza, was built in the 19th century, destroyed during the first Carlist War and rebuilt on its ashes.

MarketThe extraordinary market of the first Saturday of each month is held in the San Martin de Loinaz square from 10:00 to 14:00. This fair allows us to enjoy some of the best seasonal products thanks to the good work of the baserritarras. A good place to buy the freshest and autochthonous products.

Parish Church of Santa Maria de la AsuncionLocated in the historical center, near the town hall, this church has been for generations one of the great pillars of Beasain. Nowadays, it is one of the most important temples of the town.

San Martin SquareThis open space was built in 1924 next to the town hall. A meeting place, in which the kiosk and the porticos are of great importance.

Although these are the most important buildings and places in Beasain, they are not the only ones. If you want to know in depth this urban center and its surroundings, we encourage you to visit the Arriaran dam and the rest of the mentioned spaces during the Loinatz festivities in mid-May.

Video of Beasain.

As usual in all our publications, we have decided to complement the words and photographs about Beasain with a short video. An audiovisual, with which we intend to show you in a more real way what awaits you in your next destination. If you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can discover all the experiences and places we recommend in Euskal Herria. We are waiting for you!

Experiences in the Basque Country.

If you are planning to visit Euskadi and want to enjoy our land through some of the different experiences that exist, we recommend you to take a look at our reservation center. We hope you will find an experience that suits your tastes and budget. We leave you some of the most demanded activities so you can get an idea of the different existing options.

Karlos Arguiñano.

Our dear Karlos Arguiñano is one of the most famous and charismatic beasaindarras. Undoubtedly one of the best representatives of Euskadi. And we must remember that although Arguiñano lives nowadays in his beloved Zarautz, he was born and grew up in Beasain. In fact, Karlos currently has the K5 txakoli winery in the town of Aia, in the province of Gipuzkoa.

Industry.

The social and economic evolution of Beasain is largely due to transport and industry. Especially between 1840 and 1940. Nowadays, when we talk about Beasain’s industry, it is necessary to talk about the railroad and CAF (Construcción y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles). For all those people who do not know this company, CAF, a Basque company based in Beasain, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trains and railway equipment. If you like to travel, you may have used many of the subways and trains manufactured by CAF. Here are some examples: subways in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Washington, Rome, Brussels, Hong Kong or Amsterdam. A phenomenon that is often repeated with streetcars and trains in many cities around the world.

What to see near Beasain.

In the vicinity we find very attractive spaces that perfectly complement any trip to Beasain. If you plan to spend several days in the area, we recommend that you consider the possibility of visiting some of the towns and places that we indicate below. Although some of them may seem far away, none of them exceeds 50 minutes by car from Beasain.

As you have been able to verify, Beasain is one of the most important localities of the interior of Gipuzkoa. An urban center, which encourages us to enjoy its history, culture, architecture and nature in a pleasant and interesting way. If you have any questions about what to see in Beasain, we encourage you to 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!