Astigarraga – Cider, Culture and Santiagomendi

Astigarraga is known as the capital of cider. The area around Astigarraga has numerous apple orchards thanks to the local climate and favourable soil conditions. The cider season in Astigarraga runs approximately from mid-January to the end of March. Apple growing and cider therefore shape both the landscape and the annual rhythm of the town.

Other destinations include Andoain, Beasain, Tolosa, Azpeitia, Debabarrena, Mutriku, Lasarte-Oria and Arechavaleta.

Cider and Cuisine

The Sagardoetxea Basque Cider Museum comprises three named areas: a museum, an apple orchard and a tasting centre. This arrangement combines the history of the drink with the cultivation of the apples and its culinary side. At Astarbe, cider production has been documented since 1563. A typical cider menu includes a cod omelette, fried cod with green peppers, grilled steak, and cheese with quince and walnuts.

During the cider season, Zapiain offers a traditional cider menu and allows visitors to take part in the Txotx ritual. Petritegi is a farmhouse with a cider press dating from 1526. A guided Petritegi experience takes visitors through the apple orchards, the cider presses, the cellar and the farmhouse. Iretza offers a modern cider house with private dining rooms, tables inside cider barrels and a stage. Alongside historic farmhouses, the town therefore brings together different spaces and forms of cider culture.

Culture

The Ermita de Santiagomendi is a temple on the Way of Saint James. It houses an 18th-century altarpiece depicting Saint Sebastian, Saint Christopher, Christ and Santiago on horseback. The Santiagomendi Ethnographic Park displays traditional equipment used for agriculture and transport with draught animals.

The parish church of Santa María de la Asunción, also known as Santa María de Murgia, stands on Markesmendi Hill. The Palacio de Murgia preserves a large part of its old walls, built from hewn natural stone. The Palacio de Murgia also houses a historical archive and a valuable library.

Sagardoaren Lurraldea offers guided tours in Astigarraga throughout the year, including the parish church of Santa María de la Asunción. For a visit with a religious and historical focus, the church is therefore one of the named stops on these tours. Together with the hermitage, the park and the Palacio de Murgia, these sites highlight various testimonies to the town's history.

Festivals and Routes

In Astigarraga, patron saint festivals are held from 24 to 26 July in honour of the Apostle Santiago. On 15 May, a well-attended San Isidro mass takes place in the Benta district of Astigarraga. The two dates belong to different occasions in the local festival calendar. The Santiagomendi Cider Route has themed stops dedicated to cider culture.

The route through the natural landscape of Santiagomendi is 6.5 kilometres long and follows the Way of Saint James in Gipuzkoa. Guided tours on foot and by electric bicycle have been offered for the Santiagomendi Cider Route. In addition to the specified route length, the landscape of Santiagomendi, the Way of Saint James and the themed stops are therefore part of the description of this route.

To the overarching travel overview: Gipuzkoa.