Zamudio – Buildings, Trails and Festivals

Culture and History

In Zamudio, the Church of San Martín was founded in 930 in the Basque Gothic style. The Zamudio Tower was built in the 15th century. Dressed ashlar stone was used as the building material. The Cadalso Caserío is a Basque farmhouse from the 16th century. It has a gabled roof and a load-bearing structure made of wooden posts.

The Hirumugarrieta Tumulus dates from the period between the Eneolithic and the Bronze Age. The Arikondo Bridge was built in the 17th century. Its semicircular arch consists of carefully worked ashlar masonry. Typical riverside vegetation can be found in the area around the Arikondo Bridge. This includes one of the few remaining native oak groves in the surrounding area.

Fortifications and trenches have been preserved along the Itinerario de la Memoria del Cinturón de Hierro. They were built during the Civil War from 1936 to 1937. These structures were part of the defensive line of the Cinturón de Hierro. The Itinerario de la Memoria del Cinturón de Hierro begins in Arroeta. It crosses the Parque Tecnológico de Zamudio and passes the Ermita de San Bartolomé.

Zamudio therefore brings together various testimonies from different periods: the early Church of San Martín, the 15th-century tower, the Cadalso Caserío and the considerably older site of Hirumugarrieta. The Arikondo Bridge also combines a historic structure with the preserved elements of the riverside landscape. The Itinerario de la Memoria additionally makes the fortifications and trenches visible as part of a specific historic defensive line.

Landscape

Zamudio has a gently undulating landscape. Plains and small hills form part of this landscape, which is crossed by the Asua River. A major technology park is located very close to the centre of Zamudio. Its surroundings are close to nature and include extensive green spaces. This setting also includes a Bidegorri.

The landscape thus combines open plains, smaller elevations and the river environment shaped by the Asua. This connection is particularly evident in the area around the Arikondo Bridge, where typical riverside vegetation and one of the few remaining native oak groves in the surrounding area can be found. The technology park complements this landscape with its natural surroundings, extensive green spaces and Bidegorri.

Trails

The coastal route of the Camino de Santiago, the Camino de Santiago de la Costa, passes through Zamudio. The Senda Oxinaga follows a section of the old route from Bilbao to Gernika. Some authors regard this section as part of the Camino de Santiago and the Ruta Juradera to Gernika. The Senda Oxinaga is a prepared and signposted hiking trail.

The TXO07 Zamudio-Teknologi Parkea route begins in the centre of Zamudio. It runs through part of the Parque Tecnológico Bizkaia. This covers areas of Zamudio and Derio.

The trails incorporate various historical and local connections. The Camino de Santiago de la Costa is part of the coastal route of the Camino de Santiago, while the Senda Oxinaga follows the old route from Bilbao to Gernika and is described as a prepared and signposted hiking trail. TXO07 begins in the town centre, passes through the Parque Tecnológico Bizkaia and consequently crosses areas of Zamudio and Derio.

Festivals

The Pentecost celebrations take place in Zamudio in June. The San Martín festival takes place on 11 November. An agricultural and livestock fair is held in Zamudio in November. It includes a competition for Limousin cattle.

The events calendar therefore extends from June into November. In November, the San Martín festival and the agricultural and livestock fair, with its competition for Limousin cattle, take place during the same part of the year. The Pentecost celebrations, by contrast, mark a date in early summer.

Further destinations to explore include: Elorrio, Lezama, Morga, Lanestosa, Markina-Xemein, Ea, Ibarrangelu and Valle De Carranza.

To the overarching travel overview: Bizkaia.