Twin Basque Pueblos: Zumarraga & Urretxu

We continued our exploration of nearby Basque towns recently (June 17) when we visited Zumarraga and Urretxu, two small pueblos an hour train ride from San Sebastian with a joint population of about 20,000. Why these towns? Well, Ignacio (the school’s Director of Students) lives in Urretxu and he invited us to visit. The invitation came during the winter, when there was snow on the ground, so we deferred our visit until the weather improved. Luckily, we had a fairly sunny day.

We hopped on the local Cercanias train and Ignacio met us at the station. We spent the next 8 hours walking some 10 miles and learning about the history of the pueblos and region. Of course, we spoke Spanish the entire day! It was a long and fun day, and by the end we weren’t sure which were more tired – our legs or our brains.

Zumarraga and Urretxu are not really “twin” cities, but they sit side by side, divided by a small river, which made us think of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The area is gorgeous – surrounded by rolling green hills. Each town has a charming town hall and square with medieval roots. Zumarraga was the birthplace of Miguel López de Legazpi, the Basque-Spanish navigator and governor who arrived in the Philippine Islands in 1565; Urretxu was the hometown of Basque poet Jose María Iparraguirre, famous for the hymn "Gernikako Arbola" (1853).

Another famous Basque citizen was born nearby – Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. We visited the historic hermitage of La Antigua, one of the churches on the Ignatius Route of Three Churches. It has a Romanesque façade with a gothic gate, and inside it is a simple, perfect mixture of stone and wood. Much simpler and more natural than the many cathedrals we have visited.

We wandered through the towns, along the river, up to the church, back through the towns, and up towards Monte Irimo where we had lunch at the lovely Santa Barbara hermitage and hostel. Note that even the cows were enjoying the nice weather.

Ignacio was a gracious host. We exchanged fun stories, compared cultural references, and enjoyed getting to know each other better. It was a great way to start our summer break. We’re planning to do it again soon.

Hasta pronto,

Shana & Jeff