It’s truly amazing: You drive just a few kilometers out of bustling Bilbao, and suddenly you find yourself in the middle of a lush, green mountainous landscape. In Balmaseda, a small town in the Encarterri region, you can not only learn more about the long and eventful history of the Basque Country, but also indulge in one of the Basques’ favorite pastimes: eating.
The Comarca Enkarterri (in Spanish Las Encartaciones) is a region in the far west of the province of Bizkaia (Vizcaya). The comarca comprises several municipalities, including Balmaseda as the historical center, and is known for its traditional architecture, its important role in industrial history and an impressive landscape.
The Role of Balmaseda in the Basque Country
Its strategically favorable location made Balmaseda an important trading hub for centuries. Located in the valley of the river Kadagua, Balmaseda connected the coast with the Castilian hinterland. A less frequented but scenic side route of the Camino de Santiago, the Camino Olvidado, also passes through Balmaseda. As a result, not only traders, but also many travelers and pilgrims passed through the town, which shaped Balmaseda economically and culturally for a long time.
The Old Town
Founded in 1199, Balmaseda is considered the oldest town in the province of Bizkaia. You will therefore find a large piece of Basque history here with many architectural highlights from different eras. The old town of Balmaseda is small, well laid out and not overcrowded: Perfect for a short exploration tour. The town itself is not particularly touristy, so you can stroll through the medieval alleyways and explore the surrounding area at your leisure. I’ll introduce you to a few of the most striking buildings.
Most important sights in Balmaseda
Puente de la Muza or Puente Viejo
The Puente de la Muza is particularly striking. It is guaranteed to catch your eye immediately, as the medieval bridge provides the romantic panorama of Balmaseda. It is often simply called the Puente Viejo, or old bridge. As Balmaseda was located on an important trade route in the Middle Ages, bridges such as the Puente Viejo played an important role in the daily movement of goods as a customs post. The small bridge tower still bears witness to this time.
Church of San Severino
The church of the same name is located in the middle of the old town on Plaza San Severino. Built in Gothic style in the 15th century, the church of San Severino is dedicated to the patron saint of the city.
Tip: Every year on 23 October, a large street festival is held in honor of the patron saint San Severino, which you should not miss if you are in the area. Friends and families meet on the streets on Día de las Putxeras to cook a putxera together.
Putxera is a bean dish that is typically prepared in an aluminum pot – an old railroad tradition. In the past, train drivers, brakemen and other railroad employees used to cook it over charcoal on long journeys – today, putxera is a local specialty. By the way, part of the festivities includes the putxera competition, where a jury selects the best putxera in front of the whole town!
Church of San Juan
The church of San Juan was also built at the same time in the 15th century in the Gothic style. It is located directly on the River Kadagua near the Puente de la Muza and houses the city museum.
Museum La Encartada
The old wool factory La Encartada is one of the absolute highlights of Balmaseda. It is located just outside the old town, but is just under two kilometers away and can also be reached on foot. A great way to enjoy the countryside, as the factory is surrounded by greenery.
For exactly one hundred years, from 1892 to 1992, woolen goods, but above all the famous berets, the boinas, were produced here. After its closure, time simply stood still in the old halls and the factory was finally reopened as a museum in 2007. It is remarkable how well the furnishings have been preserved.
Many of the machines even date back to the late 19th and early 20th century. You can also follow the entire production process from the raw material to the finished product in one place.
You can also take a look at life at the time, as the workers originally lived on site. And in general, you will find lots of information and documents from a time when industry in the Basque Country had a major influence on the economy of the time.
I found La Encartada really impressive. The exhibition with the production facilities and the decorated details in the disused factory is attractively designed and you can immediately imagine how hard people used to work here. It is also unbelievable that these machines were still in use until they were closed in 1992 – they were so robustly made.
It’s just a shame that there is no real souvenir store – after so much textile knowledge and Basque industrial history, I would have loved to browse through a large selection of berets and buy myself a suitable souvenir.
But well – La Encartada is no longer in production anyway. As far as I could see, some models are sold at the checkout; but you can also still find small, traditional stores in the old town of Bilbao, for example, where the genuine berets made of merino wool from the last remaining manufacturer in Spain, Elósegui from Tolosa, are sold.
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Where to Eat in Balmaseda
If you’re not yet convinced that it’s worth making a detour here – you won’t regret it, if only because of the following location. In typical Basque fashion, great importance is also attached to good cuisine outside the larger cities.
Teike is a pretty fine-dining restaurant right in the heart of the city and serves both traditional dishes such as the hearty putxera stew, which is served in a small aluminum pot, as well as modern creations. It is best to book in advance and try all the delicacies on the tasting menu.
Torre Lozaiga
If you are traveling to Balmaseda by car, the Torre Lozaiga with its adjoining museum is a nice stopover. Situated in the middle of the lush green mountain landscape of the Basque Country, you will find a medieval fortified tower typical of the region. These fortified towers once served as residences and defenses for noble families.
These fortified towers are characterized by their massive construction with smaller openings in the lower sections. This design was intended to increase protection against intruders. You can’t visit the tower itself, but there is an extensive automobile museum on the site with a comprehensive Rolls-Royce collection of every model ever built between 1910 and 1990. If you’re interested in classic cars, you’ll be in for a real treat here!
The privately run museum is quite an insider tip and somewhat remote. You should therefore definitely check the opening times before visiting.
How to Get There
Balmaseda is very easy to reach from Bilbao by public transport. A regional train connects the two cities; the journey from Abando station in Bilbao takes about an hour. Even without a rental car or your own car, Balmaseda is a nice day trip if you want to get to know the Basque hinterland off the beaten track.
Check the timetable for the regional train between Bilbao and Balmaseda here
However, you will need a car or rental car* to visit Torre Lozaiga, which is a little out of the way halfway along the route.
This article was written with the support of Visit Euskadi.
