Artazu Among Vineyards, the Arga River and Culture

Artazu is surrounded by vineyards and lies on the right bank of the Arga River; Santa Cruz Hill rises above the town. These three landscape features alone create distinct focal points: winegrowing, the riverside setting and the hill stand side by side and can be considered separately when planning your day.

When comparing holiday apartments in Artazu, you can review travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies side by side on the accommodation pages. The details can be checked separately against your own travel plans. For the purposes of choosing what to see, the local highlights remain distinct: winegrowing, architectural history, outdoor art and trails each represent a different facet of Artazu.

Wine and Townscape

Behind the parish church, the townscape preserves coat-of-arms-adorned houses with traditional wine cellars built into the houses; some of these cellars are still in use. Before the phylloxera epidemic, Artazu had up to 415 hectares of vineyards.

The “Día del Vino y la Tierra” takes place in Artazu every two years. On this occasion, Artazu’s winegrowing past is recreated through former uses and customs; the vineyards of Artazu are cultivated as they were in earlier times.

Culture and History

The Church of San Miguel Arcángel in Artazu is a medieval building that underwent extensive alterations in the 16th and 17th centuries. The nave of the parish church of San Miguel dates from the 13th century.

For the alteration of the nave, Juan de Villarreal designed a plan in 1577. The church houses a crucifix by the sculptor Domingo de Vidarte, who came from Estella.

In Artazu’s town centre, the open-air exhibition “Mujeres que miran, mujeres que hacen” can be viewed while walking through the town. Architectural history, the crucifix and outdoor art offer different cultural perspectives.

Trails and Landscape

The Artazu–Alto de Iguste route begins and ends in Artazu. In the area around Artazu, it leads to the abandoned settlement of Sorakoitz. Mediterranean vegetation grows along part of this route.

Outside Artazu, the Santa Cruz Chapel lies in the direction of Sorakoitz on a small hill. The chapel was built at the end of the 16th century and altered in the 19th century.

A pilgrimage to the Santa Cruz Chapel takes place in Artazu. A walk ends at the frontón and the church of Artazu.

These features offer different perspectives for planning a day in Artazu: the town centre brings together cultural highlights, while the route, chapel and pilgrimage provide further points of interest in the town and its surroundings. Those following the theme of winegrowing will find a different approach from those focusing on church architecture or Mediterranean vegetation; the topics can be explored separately or one after another.

The different trail connections can be considered side by side when planning your own itinerary: the route and the walk each provide their own points of reference between the town centre, hill and surrounding area.

Further destinations in the same broader area include Yesa, Zariquiegui, Meoz, Beriáin, Los Arcos, Urdiain, Elgorriaga and Fitero.

For the broader travel overview: Navarra.