Rent a holiday apartment in Oiz: boxwood craftsmanship and Laxoa

Culture and craftsmanship

Oitz showcases its boxwood tradition: several craftspeople in Oitz continue the local tradition of working with boxwood. This craft tradition includes kaikus, wooden clogs, spoons, spindles, walking sticks and crooks made from boxwood. One craftsperson learned the trade at home from his father, who had in turn learned it from his grandfather.

Buildings and history

A medieval ashlar bridge crosses the Ameztia River in Oitz. The remains of the old tower have been preserved in the village. The parish of San Tiburcio in Oitz is home to a processional cross carved around 1600.

The Church of the Nativity in Oitz was built in the 16th century and partially remodelled in the 18th century. Its floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross, with a nave consisting of two bays, a transept and a straight-ended chancel. The church also contains a Romanist depiction of Saint Tiburtius from the early 17th century.

Oitz is first mentioned in a document dating from 1366.

Nature and waterways

The Anizpe and Ameztia streams meet in Oitz and form the Ezpelura stream. Walking paths around Oitz pass through beech, boxwood and oak forests.

The ZEC “Río Bidasoa” covers the section of the Ameztia stream from its confluence with the Olatzu stream in Labaien to its confluence with the Anizpe stream.

Oitz therefore offers different rhythms throughout the day: buildings and boxwood craftsmanship are cultural themes alongside walks through beech, boxwood and oak forests. The patron-saint festivities, the February carnival and the Laxoa championship, on the other hand, belong to distinct periods. Separating these areas makes it possible to organise your stay according to your interests and travel dates.

The annual cycle and playing tradition

Oitz’s patron-saint festivities are dedicated to the Nativity; the main day is usually 8 September, with celebrations held on the weekend close to this date. Carnival celebrations take place in Oitz in February, on dates that vary from year to year.

Laxoa is considered the oldest form of pelota. A regional Laxoa championship is held every year between spring and summer, with different villages playing the qualifying rounds. Various matches in this regional championship can normally be watched at weekends.

When booking a holiday apartment in Oitz, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions are separate details listed alongside one another. They concern the period, the classification of the rooms and the respective conditions; this keeps the information separate without replacing the focus on the distinctive features of the place. Those placing Oitz within the annual cycle can compare their travel date with the patron-saint festivities, carnival celebrations or the Laxoa championship mentioned above. Room category and cancellation conditions remain independent details of the holiday apartment. This makes it possible to consider time-specific local events and accommodation-related organisational details separately, while the cultural and natural themes of the place remain visible.

Further destinations

Other places at the same higher administrative level are Lizaso, Sunbilla, Ituren, Mendigorría, Lodosa, Azagra, Doneztebe and Burgui.

To the higher-level travel overview: Navarra.