Apart from the large industrial sites, but half an hour from Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz, the fortress has the ability to transform all fatigue into passion. The two sides of Mount Gorbea, besides being a source of ancient legends, traditions and stories, are the nest of a lot of fascinating corners that haunt without spells.

In short, the main attraction of these environments is the geographical and biological environment that would surprise anyone. After all, the forest, livestock and agricultural life that has been created for generations and centuries, has caused the natural charm to be made with the txapela and the region has achieved a tourist offer of great attraction.

On a slope towards the south of the mountain line which rises proudly on the border between Álava and Bizkaia, we have the Zuia-Gorbeia Crew – in Álava the counties are called ‘crews’. On the other, looking at the coast, Arratia-Nervión. More beautiful than the others, they live together in prodigies without competition.

Broad range

Given that the natural parks of Urkiola and Gorbeia are the most spectacular green areas in the area, it is understood that mountaineering and speleology are the most outstanding sports and leisure activities.

The Gorbeia massif is the largest natural park in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. Hundreds of species of vertebrates have formed a nest in which the beech, instead of the robles of yesteryear, is the protagonist of these forests. The Information and Reception Center of the Park, located on the Alavesa slope, is located in the municipality of Zuia. In Murua (Zigoitia), for its part, we will find the recreational area of Las Canteras, one of the main starting points towards the top of the Gorbea, among many other tours.

As for speleology, the caves of Mairuelegorreta (Zigoitia) are spectacular. Some of the cave’s galleries, with 12,340 meters in length, are one of the deepest in the Basque Country. The Goiuri-Ondona waterfall is also an unforgettable season. It is located in the municipality of Urkabustaiz, and it is a nice waterfall of over 100 meters high that surprises visitors.

Visiting the Museum of Murgia Honey after spending the morning and eating quietly in the Urrunaga (Legutiano) or Ullibarri-Gamboa (Arrazua-Ubarrundia) reservoirs is an excellent plan to know and taste the activity of the honey producers of Gorbeialdea without suffering too much hunger. However, it is not the only museum that accounts for local tradition. In the Ollerías district (Elosu) there is a Museum of Traditional Basque Pottery. It presents 380 pieces of popular ceramic that have been used since the 15th century. Open guided tours can be held in 1711 and recovered in 1993 through the pottery workshop of the Ortiz de Zárate family.

There are other plans for resting or shaking the body. Testing the experiences offered by the Gorbeia Central Park tourism initiative is a perfect recommendation.

Having dinner staring, being a shepherd for a day, taking a hamaiketako after returning to the bicycle, tasting local products, going out at night to see animals -- these are some of the plans offered by this project. In the Hontza Extrem Adventure Park, however, the protagonist is the exercise. In addition to tree tours, archery and climbing can be carried out in trees.

Artistic and architectural wealth

You can also enjoy the architecture in these areas. Three or four kilometers from Murgia is the Golden Shrine. Although there is nothing left of the Romanesque wooden church at the end of the 11th and beginning of the 12th centuries, the current buildings date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. It's based on a building from the beginning of the century. Inside, the baroque altarpiece, which was agreed upon in 1691, the chapel of the Crucified Holy Christ (1771) and the chapel dedicated to San Antonio de Padua (1638) are spectacular.

Legutiano and Aramaio are also historic helmets with numerous iconic buildings. The best way to know them, as is the case with the Golden Shrine and many other places in Gorbeia, are guided tours.