Around 3,000 hectares of Oiartzun lie within Aiako Harria Nature Park. The town’s history includes the remains of a medieval castle, a Renaissance building that once served as a pilgrim hospital, church architecture and a collection of musical instruments. This gives you a choice of different focuses when planning your trip: landscape, architectural history or culture.

Natural surroundings and trails

In 2013, the Basque Government designated Aiako Harria as a Special Area of Conservation of the European Union. Another point of reference is the Arditurri Greenway: it crosses the entire municipality of Oiartzun, runs parallel to the Oiartzun River and follows a former railway line. The river and the line’s former use as a railway describe two distinct aspects of its route.

The Arditurri mining site can be reached on foot or by bicycle. As local conditions may change, check them before your visit.

Beloaga: medieval castle and later fortress

Beloaga Castle dates back to the Middle Ages. Its surviving remains include a 19th-century liberal fortress, built during the Carlist Wars on the remains of the medieval castle. The site’s history thus encompasses both the older castle and the later fortress.

During restoration, the main structure was rebuilt. Accessibility and safety were improved, and information panels about the fortress’s history were installed for residents and visitors. The work therefore included both structural measures and information about the building’s history.

Religious buildings and architectural history

The Hospital and Basilica of San Juan, together with the Church of San Esteban, form a 16th-century Renaissance building. It served as a pilgrim hospital. Its former function connects the architecture with the history of pilgrimage.

The parish church of San Esteban de Lartaun has a single-nave layout and a rib-vaulted ceiling. A single-nave layout has one main nave; in a rib vault, the vault ribs cross one another. These terms give you concrete points of reference for considering a building’s layout and construction, as well as its age.

Casa Museo Arizmendi enea is an 18th-century building. Its structure and design were altered for the Arizmendi family. In 2020, it was declared a cultural heritage property of special interest. The house thus adds another building period and a precisely dated designation to the town’s history.

Music, farming and festivals

Soinuenea has a collection of more than 400 instruments. More than 600 additional instruments are in storage and can be studied by researchers. The collection and the stored instruments are therefore two separate figures; the stored instruments are specifically mentioned in connection with research.

The Momotegi farm in Aiako Harria Nature Park also welcomes visitors. There, they can see how ducks and geese are raised and how products obtained from them are made by hand. The visit therefore covers both animal husbandry and the processing of the products.

Oiartzun’s patron saint festivals, Xanistebanak, take place every year from August 2 to 6. If you are making the festivities the occasion for your trip, you can plan your stay around these dates. Check the specific event dates when planning.

Discover more destinations: Andoain, Astigarraga, Oñati, Leintz-Gatzaga, Éibar, Elduain, Errezil, Orio

For the broader travel overview: Gipuzkoa.