The Urola Greenway is one of the most complete and appealing Greenways. It takes us to such interesting places as the Basque Railway Museum at Azpeitia, the Sanctuary of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the river Urola Gorge and, to round off the trip in style, we can learn about the culture of iron and the steelworks and ironworks of the past.
The Urola Greenway coincides with part of Route no. 5 (Urola Valley) of the Cycle Path Network of Gipuzkoa, which already boasts 166 km of completed cycle paths of a planned total of 439 km. The Cycle Path Network of Gipuzkoa (Gipuzkoako Bidegorriak in the Basque language) develops the infrastructure for inter-urban cyclist-pedestrian mobility in Gipuzkoa. Its aim is to provide a service for cyclists and pedestrians making routine, day-to-day journeys or trips for recreational or touristic purposes. Cyclists and walkers either share the paths or are segregated, depending on the solution adopted.
Km 0
A good way to start this route, developed by the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa, is by taking a journey back in time. At the Basque Railway Museum, sited in what was once Azpeitia’s railway station, you can see timepieces, uniforms, the old transformer substation, and the former workshops of the Urola railway, as well as steam locomotives, trams, trolleybuses, railcars and all kinds of rolling stock.
But nothing can compare with experiencing once again those enormous metal dinosaurs, the great steam locomotives of the past. History is so much more exciting when you can see it, touch it and, in this case, travel on it, as generations before us did, on the old Urola railway. The venerable locomotive Aurrera pulls two wooden coaches over the five kilometres of track from the museum to the village of Lasao, every weekend from April to November.
The Urola Greenway sets out from the Avenida Harzubia in Azpeitia. To be more precise, on the GI 631 bypass there is a roundabout where the roads to Tolosa (GI 2634) and to the city centre via Avenida Harzubia converge. About 200 m further up this road, after passing a sports centre and some football pitches, we pass between the remains of the old railway bridge across the river Eder and arrive at the start of the Greenway.
It is easy to recognize the Greenway. It is a new, wide cycle path (or bidegorri in Basque) with a red tarmac surface with white
lines to separate cyclists from walkers. It is also equipped with lighting and bordered by benches, tables, and water fountains.
The first section of the red cycle path is pleasant, flat and quite busy. It takes us to the river Urola, a major feature of the landscape which wi
ll be our inseparable companion until the end of the Greenway.
Now running parallel (Km1), the former railway track and the river pass close to the Egibar country house, home to thedidactic Museum of the Environment, and continues on to the old railway station and the gardens leading up to the Sanctuary of St. Ignatius of Loyola(Km 1.5). At Loiola station the tarmac path is interrupted where an impracticable railway tunnel prevents us from following the original route of the railway. This interruption serves as an invitation to walk through the shady gardens and visit the Sanctuary of St. Ignatius of Loyola,a masterpiece of sacred art in the Basque Country. Under the patronage of St. Ignatius, founder of the Company of Jesus, the sanctuary comprises a baroque basilica with an imposing dome and Churrigueresque facade, the old tower house of the Loiola family, where Saint Ignatius was born in 1491, the residence (1713), the old convent, and other interesting outbuildings.
Km 2
On the right hand side of the basilica, behind the north car park, the broad tarmacked path with its white lines continues on its way, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the tourist-laden coaches, just as flat and as busy as before. We can now enjoy the wide, verdant Urola valley, firstly alongside the river, shaded by plane trees, ash and alder, then between green meadows and picturesque country houses and, finally, cut into the hillside above a tree-shaded river.
Km 4,2
Hemmed in by industrial estates, our Greenway and the river Urola arrive at the town of Azkoitia (Km 4.2). Here in the birthplace of legendary pelota players, our Greenway’s attempts to follow the former route of the railway as it passes through the town meet with varying degrees of success. A bidegorri or cycle path follows the railway route faithfully for the first half of its cross-town journey. The Calle de Juin (the street on our left) leads us along Alameda del Tren (Trenbidearen Zumardia) street towards what used to be Azkoitia’s railway station, now refurbished as a library.
However, the railway route has not been recovered on the second half of the route through the town. Our best option is to go from the old Azkoitia railway station, along Xabier Munibe street towards the channelled river Urola and the Plaza Jesusen Bihotz Agurgarria (Km 5.1), a busy square overlooked by Santa María la Real parish church and the blackened Idiakez Palace. Azkoitia follows the common pattern of towns in the Urola valley: industry, country houses and history. The resulting landscape is composed of a rugged terrain with tree covered hillsides scattered with country houses, industrial estates dedicated to the production and transformation of steel, and a town centre which has been declared a heritage site. Among the most interesting buildings are theBalda tower house, the Floreaga Zar palace and the Insausti Palace.
Sticking close to the left bank, we follow the river Urola upstream to the broad esplanade in front of the Danobat factory, from where the railway route has once again been recovered for the exclusive use of walkers and cyclists. A new red cycle path skirts round the esplanade and the district of Jausoro before arriving at the Umansoro Diego Aita industrial estate. Here the street to the left leads to a car park at the back of the industrial estate and to the continuation of the Greenway. You can’t miss it.
Km 6
From the car park (Km 6), and after a short initial climb, the Urola Greenway sets off on its way again as a flat and tarmacked cycle path which skirts around the back of the Umansoro industrial estate between rows of young trees. On one side we have a view of large workshops and on the other we can see tall, mountains covered with pines bordered by broadleaf forest.
Later the tarmacked surface becomes compacted gravel and the path, still straight at this stage, enters a landscape of fruit trees, market crops, and scattered country houses, big and small. This is a peaceful section where the views are still broad but we may see the occasional local working on his crops. The landscape is halfway between urban and untamed nature. Here we will also have the opportunity to pass under the only bridge on the entire route, a mute witness to the passage of so many trains.
Km 7,5
Everything changes when we cross for the first time, and on the same bridge, the river Urola and the GI 631 road (Km 7.5). The former railway line enters a narrow gorge hemmed in by high mountains, at the bottom of which run both road and river. In such difficult terrain the railway engineers were hard pressed to forge the narrowest of paths along such steep valley sides.
The mountains are covered completely by ash, oak, alder, chestnuts, maple, hazel, acacia, plane and an evergreen pine forest that extends up towards the topmost peaks. To come in autumn is a recommendation to be ignored at your risk. It is unquestionably a spectacular season thanks to the ochre leaves of the myriad broadleaf trees which break the dense green monotony of the pine trees that surround them. The Greenway now runs on the right hand bank of the river, cut into the valley side, following the winding path dictated by the river and the configuration of the gorge
After passing over an attractive, four-span viaduct (Km 8.3), the winding route now begins to twist and turn dramatically. As a result, the railway is forced to take its leave of the river and its basin. Unlike the road, it embarks on a more direct route, forging a path through or over every obstacle in its way, boring through the mountain and vaulting the river. The trail is now a continual succession of aerial and underground stretches. Aerial because of the striking viaducts and numerous bridges which cross and re-cross the road and river supported on rounded pillars, and underground due to the multitudinous tunnels. Some are short, some medium length, some long. Some are straight and others curved. Some are pitch black and others have good visibility. Some are lined, others are cut into the living rock, while still others are a mixture of both. Some are dry and some damp due to leaks, but they are always cool, with a concreted surface and equipped with lighting. However it is advisable to carry a torch or have a headlamp on your bike since the tunnels have been known to suffer from the occasional technical problem with their lighting
The Greenway continues to climb, straight as an arrow, while below our feet the road and river twist and turn, appear and disappear, giving the impression that here the railway has scored a victory over the rugged topography.
We cross nine strikingly designed bridges and go through a similar number of tunnels before we reach the old station at Aizpurutxo (Km 11.1), a ghostly apparition amongst so much greenery. Immediately afterwards the Greenway crosses another bridge, passes through tunnel number 10 and continues on its way, cut into the valley side some distance above the houses of Aizpurutxo (Km 11.5). Strung out along the GI 631 road at the bottom of the gorge, this small village has a number of bars where drivers tend to stop. A path runs down from the rail bed to the bottom of the gorge, enabling Greenway users to reach the “oasis” which is Aizpurutxo. It is no easy task due to the steepness of the slope but if you want to take some refreshment there is no alternative.
After Aizpurutxo we continue along the Urola gorge. Now the broadleaf trees are limited to the banks of the river, while a dense pine forest covers the valley sides. We no longer cross back and forth over the river; from now on the left bank of the river will be our host. And the tunnels which before came one after the other practically without a break are now more spaced out, but longer, more curved, and darker. This is not surprising if we bear in mind that the route is no longer as straight as it used to be since it entered the Urola valley and now follows the contours of the hillsides which rise up to the Irimo and Samiño heights
Km 16,3
After a long tunnel 19 (Km 16.3), the last on our route, we reach the rest area that has been set up in an area known as Mesa de Aginaga. A tarmacked path, following the route of the former railway, reaches this area from the village of Urretxu. It is popular with the locals as a place for them to stretch their legs in the evening..
A new tarmacked path running parallel to the road and the river leaves behind the confines of the gorge with its tunnels and bridges and enters a section where the mountainous limits of the valley are further away and less imposing. The valley bottom is now broad enough to offer us an idyllic setting of meadows and country houses.
The Urola Greenway now crosses the river and enters the town of Urretxu (Km 18.1). Passing between buildings, the tarmacked path arrives at Urretxu station (Km 18.5) and the very centre of town, a spacious, lively and colourful area bordered by the river Urola. This town boasts a tourist office where you can obtain further information about the town’s cultural and historical heritage. After nudging between terraces and gardens, our Greenway continues as a pleasant riverside stroll (or bike ride) terminating atZumarraga station (Km 19.2), an attractive example of popular architecture imitating the design of a Basque country house.
At Zumarraga it is worth making a detour to visit the La Antigua hermitage, a national historical-artistic monument with a unique trussed roof made entirely of oak timber. However, be warned that it is a bit out of the way and on top of a hill.
Km 19,2
Zumarraga is where the old Urola railway ended. However, our Greenway goes further, thanks to the goods railway that Gipuzkoa’s steel magnate, Patricio Echeverría, used to run.
Also, the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa is promoting the development of the Urretxu-Bergara Greenway based on the disused Maltzaga–Zumarraga branch of the Feve narrow gauge. We hope that this section will be available in the near future as it would provide a link between the two Guipuzcoan rural districts of Alto Deba and Goierri (where the Mutiloa-Ormaiztegi Greenway is to be found)
If we wish to continue along the route of Patricio Echeverría’s railway we need to go around what used to be the old Zumarraga railway station and is now a Ertzaintza police station. On the left hand side of the building we should find a bidegorri or cycle path painted red on the pavement, which passes by the present day Zumarraga suburban railway station on our left and proceeds along the central reservation until it arrives at a roundabout. There we cross the street to our left and head towards the outskirts of the town.
The Greenway initially runs between the road and the railway line, flanked on both sides by long metalworking shops, smoking giants smelling of iron. However, once we cross the river Urola (Km 20.8) there is a short stretch of greenness as the trail takes us through meadows nestling between lofty mountains. This open space allows us to take in some fresh air before plunging once again between industrial buildings and the embankment carrying the present day railway. Until the development work planned by the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa takes the Greenway to the town of Legazpi itself and on to the Mirandaola Park, the Urola Greenway ends in the middle of an industrial estate, a bare 500 m from the Legazpi town centre, near the Chillida Lantoki museum where we can get an insight into the way sculptor Eduardo Chillida worked
So our route ends amidst an industrial landscape which is rooted in the mountain bloomeries (‘ferrerías de viento’ a primitive form of ironworks) which, around the 13th century, began to move down to the banks of the river Legazpi (renamed the Urola which in Basque means “waters of the ironworks”) to take advantage of the power provided by the river current. Visitors today can get an idea of this manufacturing and social upheaval by following a cultural route taking in over 15 sites associated with industrialization. With this initiative Legazpi is staying in touch with its ancestral roots; we can watch ironwork artisans working the iron, just as they did six centuries ago, at the Ferrería de Mirandaola ironworks. Just the way to make sure that the sparks fly at the end of this excellent Greenway.
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CONDITIONED GREENWAY
