Errenteria, what to see and do.

What to see and do in Errenteria, the small Basque Manchester.

Errenteria, a town in Gipuzkoa located just 15 minutes from Donostia San Sebastian, opens its doors for us to know first hand what to see and do in Errenteria. An urban center, which, thanks to its attractions and location, is a must to visit on any trip to Gipuzkoa. It is not the first time we talk about this Basque town and its surroundings, and is that Oarsoaldea, the region in which Errenteria is located, is one of our favorite destinations in Euskadi. A very complete region, which surprises and traps us with such impressive spaces as Fort San Marcos, the Bay of Pasaia or the Aiako Harria Natural Park. Places of great interest that we will also talk about throughout this report. Many of you know Errenteria as the “little Basque Manchester”, a nickname, which gained strength in the early twentieth century due to its industry. Today, this industrial past is still very present in its streets and squares through chimneys and other industrial signs of that time. This is how Errenteria’s industrial heritage merges with its lively commercial life and exciting gastronomic offer. These aspects, together with its beautiful medieval quarter, make this town a very attractive place for all those who want to know in first person the culture and history of the Basque people. Would you like to visit Errenteria with us?

Errenteria is located in the interior of the Oiartzun Valley, in the region of Oarsoaldea, in the northeast of Gipuzkoa. A space that, crossed by the Oiartzun river, offers us to enjoy the history of its old town (declared Monumental Site) while shopping in authentic establishments, of all life. In this sense, we must make special mention to the great cultural and social agenda that Errenteria has throughout the year. A fact that, together with local initiatives to support artisans (Habian!) and encourage shopping in small stores (Nik Errenterian) strive to preserve and promote local products and local artisans.

History of Errenteria.

We believe it is very important to know the history of the town we are going to visit. That is why we have decided to narrate some of the most important historical facts of this town before recommending you what to see and do in Errenteria. Let’s start! In the territorial limits where Errenteria is located today, there have been human settlements since prehistoric times, as attested by the archaeological remains found in different parts of the town. The primitive and original village of what we know today as Errenteria was called Orereta, a name that was changed to Villanueva de Oiarso when the town charter was granted in 1320. This name was changed again in 1491 to Renteria, and although it received the town charter under the name of Villanueva de Oiarso, it was popularly known as Renteria. According to historians, the name Renteria is closely related to the royal taxes derived from maritime trade. And you should know that Errenteria, ancient city-port, was the place where the rents had to be paid at that time. The port activity turned Errenteria into one of the most commercial urban centers in the area, one of the most important towns in Gipuzkoa. Unfortunately, the commercial activity declined, forcing the town to reconvert. Thus, in the 19th and 20th centuries, many factories were built around the historic center of Errenteria. An industrial network, which made the landscape of this town was transformed. Today, we continue to discover that Errenteria of great natural and industrial value, which, surrounded by farmhouses scattered along the slopes of the valley, protects the urban center. A nice getaway just 15 minutes from the capital of Gipuzkoa, Donostia San Sebastian.

What to see in Errenteria.

If you are looking for what to see in Errenteria, we recommend you to read carefully every word of this section, because, guided by the tourist office of Errenteria, we have created a small tourist guide that will show you all the charms of this Basque town. We hope you like it. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave us a comment in this article, we will try to help you as much as possible.

Historical CenterThe historic center of Errenteria preserves intact the original medieval structure and division. A space that has been declared a “Cultural Asset” and that we invite you to walk through a brief and beautiful medieval route through the following areas of interest. Remember that there is the possibility of guided tours of this historic enclave of Euskadi, you can find more information about these visits in the tourist office.

• Errenteria City Hall
• Parish Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
• Pilgrims’ Basilica of Mary Magdalene
• Torrekua medieval tower house
• Morrontxo Medieval Tower House
• Baroque palace of Zubiaurre
• Kapitanetxea (Baroque house of the Captain).
• Convent of Augustinian Nuns of the XVI century
• 18th century Iturriza Solar House
• Mikelazulo.

We must clarify that the last of these recommendations, Mikelazulo, responds to a tunnel that makes its way under the new tower. A striking and different architectural element, which is also found in Getaria. As you can see, most of the spaces that we recommend in the historic center of Errenteria are manor houses, tower houses or religious buildings. Monuments of great interest that create a unique environment to walk around.

Fanderia MillThe Molino de Fanderia was built in the 15th century to harness the power of water. A type of energy, which in addition to giving life to the huge mechanisms with which our beloved corn was ground, also served as the main engine of the forge and fandería that housed for some time. And you should know that this space has housed over the years a forge, a fandería, a mill, a flour factory and a feed mill. Undoubtedly one of the buildings with more history of Errenteria. This space ceased all economic activity in 1996. Nowadays, this place, also known as the house of the river of Errenteria, allows us to contemplate the operation of the mill and to know great part of the cultural and fluvial patrimony of Errenteria. The mill can only be visited regularly and free of charge during certain times of the year, so we recommend that you consult the visiting hours at the tourist office of Errenteria. For all those people who did not know the term fandería, we can say that it is about industrial spaces where iron was worked. An industrial modality, which became independent of the forges in the 18th century, gave life to pieces of different profiles.

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The Fandería Mill is located in the neighborhood of the same name, on the outskirts of the historic center of Errenteria, next to the bidegorri (pedestrian and bicycle path) that connects the urban center of Errenteria with Oiartzun and the Roman mining site of Arditurri.

Costume CenterThis museum located in Kapitanetxea, a historical building of the XVII century in the heart of Errenteria, allows us to know the evolution of the costumes and the way of dressing in Euskal Herria through its permanent exhibition. The costume center of Errenteria has the largest collection of Basque costumes in the world. More than 300 garments from different historical periods, which give life to this small, intense and interesting museum in Errenteria. A space where the Basque dresses are the main protagonists. We must say that we loved the guided tour of the Costume Center, we strongly recommend that you consult the tourist office the possibility of this type of visits.

Fort of San MarcosAt the top of Mount Bizarain, 260 meters high, in the middle of nature, we find one of the architectural and historical jewels of Euskadi. The San Marcos Fort was built in the 19th century as the main defense of the area. A military building, which, after being used during the Carlist wars and the civil war, was occupied by the army until 1970. Today it has no military use whatsoever. This historical space has been recovered and integrated into the Lau Haizeta Natural Park in order to show visitors part of the history of Errenteria. We must emphasize that the Fort of San Marcos has impressive views of Donostia San Sebastian, Pasaia and Hondarribia. Undoubtedly one of the most striking viewpoints of Gipuzkoa. Remember that the opening period of the fort is usually 6 months, from Easter to October approximately. Ask at the tourist office.

Añarbe Forest ReserveAñarbe is one of the great natural enclaves of Errenteria. A habitat of great biological interest for wildlife. This is the home of many of the species of our land such as the wild boar, the roe deer, the wild cat, the genet or the squirrel. A natural space of great value in which to get lost and enjoy nature in total freedom. Next to this enclave, near the Añarbe reservoir, we also find the Aizpitarte caves and the Aitzetako Txabala dolmen, interesting places to visit.

Sculptures and industrial legacy of ErrenteriaThroughout Errenteria, scattered throughout its streets and squares, we find a large collection of sculptures, monuments and industrial vestiges that allude to the nickname with which Errenteria was known as “little Manchester”. A nice excuse to walk through a large part of the urban center next to the waters of the Oiartzun River.

What to see near Errenteria.

The region in which Errenteria is located surprises us with towns like Lezo, Pasaia and Oiartzun, 3 spaces that we recommend you to visit. And we must confess that Pasaia, one of the towns that make up the region of Oarsoaldea, is one of the places that we like most of all Euskal Herria, a magical place that transports us to another era. We leave you a small list with the places that we like the most in the area of Gipuzkoa that we show you today, we hope you like them.

What to do in Errenteria, agenda.

Errenteria has the largest historic center of the whole region, an area protected by the Oiartzun river and the mountains of San Marcos and Txoritokieta that keeps alive the culture and history of the Basque people. And the agenda proposed by both the tourist office of Errenteria and the town hall itself, is full of events that work in favor of culture. An example of this is Musikaste, the week of Basque music held annually during the second half of May or Atlantikaldia, the meeting of cultures and music festival held the third week of September. Two events of great significance that contribute to disseminate the importance of world cultures. The commercial area, concentrated in the center, Viteri Street and the Niessen Shopping Center, gives Errenteria a lively commercial life, close and personal. If you want to check the agenda to see what activities are planned for when you visit Errenteria and the other towns in the region of Oarsoaldea, we recommend that you consult the tourism page of the region.

Where to park in Errenteria.

If you plan to go to Errenteria by private vehicle, you should know that, although most neighborhoods have free parking areas, the center of this urban center is regulated by OTA (Traffic and Parking Ordinance). So you have to pay for parking. Our recommendation in this regard is simple, park your vehicle for free in the neighborhood of Fanderia, visit the mill and take a walk to get to the center (15 minutes). In our opinion this is the best option to forget about the car and enjoy Errenteria.

Where to sleep in Errenteria.

If you are looking for a place to sleep in Errenteria, you should know that in the city center there is only one hotel, Berri Versalles. The rest of the tourist accommodations, such as rural houses and agritourism are located on the outskirts, scattered on the slopes of the valley. In our case, we were lucky enough to visit the Hotel Berri Versalles, a 2-star establishment located in the upper part of the village, which offers a comfortable and pleasant place to rest. The fact that it has free private parking for hotel guests makes this hotel a winner for those who come in private vehicles.

Where to eat in Errenteria.

Errenteria produces authentic delicacies in the farmhouses that surround the urban center, an example of this are the pates, cheeses, honeys, chocolates and other local products that give fame to the municipality. Raw materials that help, and a lot, to the restaurants and bars of the town to surprise us with culinary creations of the most striking. In this sense, we recommend you to taste the creations of Gaztelu Ostatua (traditional cuisine in a historical building), Xera Gastroteka (modern cuisine and a wide range of pintxos in the Niessen Shopping Center) and Leku zarra (traditional bar of pintxos and portions). We must not forget that Errenteria is home to the Mugaritz restaurant, one of the temples of Basque cuisine. An establishment, which has been awarded 2 Michelin stars for applying new techniques to historical recipes of the Basque territory. A restaurant to keep in mind. It is surprising how the chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, uses the raw material of our mountains and seas to create a great collection of traditional and signature dishes that surprise the visitor. On the other hand, if your idea is to enjoy a nice and cheerful “pintxo pote” in Errenteria, if you want to change the typical Basque menu for a route through the most striking and tasty pintxo bars of the town, we recommend that you ask at the tourist office. We close the gastronomic section with one of the sweetest workshops in Euskadi, the chocolate experiences of Casa Aramendia. An activity, in which in addition to learning about the history of chocolate, a small tasting is done and chocolate truffles and lollipops are made to take home. A nice souvenir, a very sweet memory of Errenteria. A perfect plan for all families visiting Euskadi.

Video about what to see in Errenteria.

As usual, we wanted to accompany the words and photos of this article on what to see in Errenteria with a short video. An audiovisual, which tries to show in a close and summarized way the charms of this urban center. If you like this kind of videos, if you like to discover different places of our land, we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to follow our adventures throughout Euskal Herria.

As you have been able to see, Errenteria keeps in its interior many treasures to know and enjoy. A lively town, which invites the visitor to know in first person an important part of our culture and history. If you have any questions about what to see and do in Errenteria, remember that you can use the comment system that you will find below these lines to send them to us, we will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!