Tolosawhat to see and do.

TolosaWhat to see and do in the old capital of Gipuzkoa.

TolosaThe old capital of Gipuzkoa, encourages us to see and enjoy each and every one of its attractions. This ancient town was a strategic point on the route between the Kingdom of Navarre, the Kingdom of Castile and France. In fact, it was located on one of the most important merchant routes of the time, the route that linked Navarre with the ports of the Cantabrian Sea. Tolosa was for centuries, the great toll of the north.The town center, of medieval character, houses most of the attractions of the town. Spaces, which together with its gastronomy and its events, allow us to enjoy a very complete tourist destination. Tolosa always has a cheerful and varied cultural activity, its carnivals and its patron saint festivals are only a small representation of the great cultural agenda it has. A good excuse to escape to this corner of Gipuzkoa.

Do you want to know what to see in Tolosa? During this article we will guide you through the historic town of Tolosa, on the banks of the river Oria, so that you know the most emblematic and striking places it offers. Spaces that we are sure you will love.

What to see at Tolosa.

If you are looking for what to see in Tolosa, we recommend that you pay special attention to this section. In it we show you each and every one of the places worth visiting during any trip to Tolosa. We hope you like them.

General Archive of Gipuzkoa: Not to be confused with the Provincial Historical Archive of Gipuzkoa (located in Oñati). This archive is responsible for the collection, preservation and dissemination of the documentary heritage of the Historical Territory of Gipuzkoa.

Plaza de Euskal Herria: This square was one of the first extensions of Tolosa. Nowadays, its main building houses the Topic museum, but it was not always like this, since it was formerly the courthouse. Thanks to its dimensions (50mx50m) this square hosts every Saturday the market of foreign traders.

Town Hall: This baroque style building, brick facade and wrought iron balcony was built in 1672. After the fire that burned the whole town in 1503, it was necessary to provide Tolosa with new infrastructures. It is here, in one of the sides of the town hall square where the tourist office of Tolosa is located.

Palacio de la Diputación: Located next to the Puerta de Castilla, this palace currently houses the Antonio Maria Labaien cultural center. Formerly, after its construction in 1856, it was the headquarters of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Hence its name.

Church of Santa Maria: Built on the ashes of the church that collapsed in the fire of 1503, the church of Santa Maria is one of the great attractions of the town. A temple that has the honorary title of the second largest church in Gipuzkoa. In its interior we find the image of San Juan Bautista, patron saint of the town.

Plaza Berria: The Plaza Nueva was built in the 18th century inside the historic center. A space, which has become the nerve center of the town. In fact, it was here where the town hall was located. At present, the old town hall houses the haurreskola (the public kindergarten).

Puerta de Castilla: Tolosa had 5 entrance gates to its walled urban center. One of them was the Puerta de Castilla. The gate that we find today is not the original one from the Middle Ages, since several elements were added in the 17th century.

Tinglado Market: Also known as Zerkausia. Although the area on which it is located has been gathering the farmers of the area for centuries, the building we are contemplating was built in 1898 and renovated in 2006. The market is held here every Saturday. A great opportunity to buy some of the best products of the farms in the area. We recommend that you look at the ground, you can see the remains of the old wall that protected Tolosa in the Middle Ages.

Casa Lapaza: This 18th century building fuses ashlar walls with brick walls. A building with a wooden structure and eaves, which attracts the attention of all the people who walk by it.

Topic: The International Puppet Center of Tolosa is the only museum of this theme in Europe. A museum space that attracts both children and adults. A space, where to recover the illusion for the txotxongilos (puppets in Basque). An art, which unfortunately has fallen into oblivion.

Church of San Frantzisko: This Basque temple was built in 1587 outside the walls, on the road to Castile. Its location next to the General Archive of Gipuzkoa, near the Gate of Castile, in the center of Tolosa, allows us to visit it without deviating from our itinerary. Its austere but imposing exterior houses a Renaissance altarpiece of great interest. During the Carlist War it housed the barracks or the hospital among others.

Bridge of Navarra: Located over the Oria River, the bridge of Navarra, Naparzubia in Basque, is undoubtedly one of the most striking structures of Tolosa. It is also one of the most important historically speaking. And we must emphasize that this bridge was the main access route for all those people coming from Navarre. In the past, this was one of the entrances to Tolosa, for which, like the rest of the bridges and gates, a toll was charged.

Chocolate Museum: The Gorrotxategi Museum is currently closed. The sweets of Euskadi, have name and surname, and although we have several renowned confectioners, we can not ignore the Gorrotxategi family, one of the great confectioners of Tolosa.

Euskal Pizkunde Plaza: What we see at first glance are not archaeological remains, they are the foundations of a palace that was never built. During the archaeological investigation that was carried out in this place, the remains of a necropolis, the walls and an old mill were discovered.

Idiakez Palace: This palace still preserves its coat of arms on one of its facades. This building was built on the old wall, next to the Oria River. The Idiakez Palace was the home of Félix Samaniego, famed fabulist of Rioja Alavesa, during the period of 1 year (1775), when he had the honor of being mayor of Tolosa.

Berdura square: Also known as Plaza Cristales. It is one of the most visited areas of the town. So much when the market is celebrated as when it does not do it. The square that we contemplate today was built in 1899 in the same space where the market was held in the Middle Ages. We are sure you will fall in love with it. If you want to enjoy the vegetable and plant market we recommend you to visit it any Saturday of the year.

Palacio de Aramburu: Located next to Euskal Pizkunde Plaza, this historic building of Tolosa is one of the best representatives of the baroque of Euskadi. Its main façade features the family coat of arms, an element with which people who stroll through this area of Tolosa fall in love. It is in this building where the Fueros de Gipuzkoa were printed in 1696. The same place where today the library and the municipal archive are located.

Sculptures: When we walk through the streets and squares of Tolosa we are surrounded by art. Sculptures and murals accompany us on this special visit. Among them, we must highlight works such as La ventana de Lizardi (Txillida), Par Movil (Oteiza), El Arado (Basterretxea) or Atauts (Oteiza).

Oria River: This river represents one of the most important watercourses in the province of Gipuzkoa. Both for its length, its course and its flow. After being born in the Sierra de Aitzgorri, the Oria River flows through towns such as Zegama, Segura, Beasain, Ordizia, Tolosa or Anoeta to flow into Orio. Strolling along the waters of the Oria River while contemplating the Tinglado and the town center of Tolosa has become a must on any visit to this town in Gipuzkoa.

Txapelas: Berets occupy a privileged place in the village. Tolosa has dressed the heads of Basques for decades. The Elósegui brand, an emblem for all Basques, still creates today the best txapela in the world, the super luxury waterproof model. Unfortunately, Elósegui does not sell to individuals at Tolosa, but online or through intermediaries.

Although these are the places that we recommend you to see in every trip to Tolosa, they are not the only ones, if you want to know in depth the ancient capital of Gipuzkoa we encourage you to visit places like the Convent of Santa Clara, the Church of Corpus Christi, the Iturritza Palace or the Atodo Palace.

Video.

As usual in all our publications, we wanted to complement the words and photographs in this article with a short audiovisual. A video, which we hope will help you to get a more realistic idea of what awaits you on your next trip. In case you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to discover all the places and experiences that we recommend in the Basque Country. We are waiting for you!

Gastronomy.

Gastronomy is one of the main protagonists of Tolosa. An attraction that we recommend you to enjoy in every trip to the old capital of Gipuzkoa. For it we propose you a very typical menu: A good plate of beans of Tolosa, a good steak and for dessert a varied one based on tiles, cigarettes and xaxus. A very complete menu made with some of the most traditional products of Tolosa.

What to see near Tolosa.

If you want to complement your getaway to Tolosa visiting some of the tourist attractions in the area, we recommend that you consider the possibility of enjoying some of the spaces that we propose below. We hope you enjoy them.

Experiences in the Basque Country.

If you are looking for experiences that allow you to get to know Euskadi, we encourage you to take a look at our reservation center. We are sure you will find an activity that suits your tastes and preferences. We leave you some examples of the most demanded experiences.

How to get there.

If you want to know the cheapest and most comfortable way to get to Tolosa, you should know that public transport connects the capital of Gipuzkoa (Donostia San Sebastian) with this town by bus (Lurraldebus) and train (Renfe). On the other hand, if you want to reach Tolosa by private transport, we recommend you to use the A-1 highway.

Where to park at Tolosa.

If you are looking for where to park for free in Tolosa, you should know that the best option is to use the different free parking lots that we find on the outskirts of the city center. Parking in the city center is mission impossible. The historic center of Tolosa is pedestrian and the rest of the city center has OTA (Traffic and Parking Ordinance). If you want to park your car or motorcycle for free 5 minutes away from the city center, we recommend the San Esteban parking lot, we leave you the location on Google Maps, here. You also have the possibility of parking in the free parking lots of Iurre or the Usabal Sports Center. In any case you should know that on Saturday afternoons and Sundays there is no OTA.

TolosaThe Basque Country, faithfully represents the culture, history and traditions of the Basque people, a magical environment that we recommend you to visit in every trip to Euskadi. We encourage you to enjoy all the spaces and experiences that we have recommended in this article. If you have any questions about what to see in Tolosa, you can use the comment system that you will find below these lines. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pass!