Urdiáin: Rituals, Language and Trails

On 31 December, Urdiáin celebrates the water ritual “Ur goiena, Ur barrena”. At midnight, two young people collect water from two village fountains and then distribute it among those present. The three-day carnival features Momoxarroak and Mantagunak as its main characters. During another celebration, participants go from house to house on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings asking for money; they wear the traditional clothing of Baserritarras. On Sunday, the Zortziko de Urdiain is danced in the village square.

Culture

On the eve of San Juan, the procession travels from Urdiáin Town Hall to the San Juan hermitage. For the celebration, the municipal government distributes wine, chorizo and cheese. On 15 August, mass is held at the Nuestra Señora de Aitziber hermitage, while meals are eaten in the meadow of Urrizti. The San Juan Bautista hermitage is a heritage site open to visitors and lies just north of Urdiáin's town centre. Its Baroque altarpiece dates from the first half of the 18th century. Nuestra Señora de Aitziber lies beyond the hamlet of Sarabe; the small bell gable bears the inscription “AITZIBER”. The Aitziber statue of the Virgin is a Gothic wood carving from the second quarter of the 14th century; the hermitage contains a copy.

Language and Local History

Of the six villages in the Burunda where a similar Basque language variant was spoken, the Burunda dialect is now still spoken only in Urdiáin. Its distinctive local vocabulary includes words such as “ailubi”, “antuxa”, “sulso” and “zinzirrin”, preserving traces of old Basque. The compact town centre is characterised by large houses, façades with coats of arms, inscriptions and dates, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries. Construction of the parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary began under a contract dated 1584 and was completed around 1731; its choir preserves a star vault from the 16th century.

The former royal castle of Irurita stood in the municipality of Urdiáin, near Sarabe and the Nuestra Señora de Aitziber hermitage. It is documented at least for the period from 1294 to 1428. Its remains include an access path carved into the rock, wall remnants, a room hewn into the rock and a cistern.

Landscape and Trails

The Calzada de Bernoa route runs mainly through oak and beech forests with small streams and springs; several dolmens are located near the route. Known as the Calzada de Bernoa or GR-323, it passes through the municipalities of Urdiáin and Iturmendi; the section described covers approximately 10 kilometres of the 64-kilometre long-distance trail. The Urdiain–Aitziber route passes through an open oak stand with centuries-old oaks and is regarded as a route through oak stands, beech forests and Atlantic flora.

Active Outdoors

The Errotain equestrian centre in Urdiáin offers horse rides, including one- or two-hour rides as well as longer outings through the beech forests and meadows of Urbasa-Andia. The GR 323 Bernoa is a cultural and nature circuit promoted by the municipal governments of Urdiáin, Iturmendi, Bakaiku and Etxarri Aranatz. It comprises 64 kilometres of marked trails, two main stages, 11 variants, four branch routes and a circular route in each village. The Sakana Trail Station includes five trail routes that pass through Urdiáin; the five routes differ in their characteristics and difficulty levels. The Vuelta a Sakana route passes through Urdiáin on its return journey eastwards.

Other places: Tiebas-Muruarte de Reta, Viana, Murchante, Armañanzas, Iza, El Busto, Elgorriaga, Eulate

To the main travel overview: Navarra.