Zegama
Encyclopedia
Zegama is a town and municipality
in the Goierri
region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country
, northern Spain
. By car it is some half an hour from Donostia, Vitoria-Gasteiz
and Pamplona
.
can be found, the popular Aizkorri summit (1,528 m), located at the same name mountain range towering over the whole area. The Oria river, the longest one in the province of Gipuzkoa, rises in several springs and their corresponding streams flowing down the dramatic slopes of the valley that merge in a main stream before the nucleus of the town. The southern Otzaurte hamlet (IPA: /o'tsaurte/) stands on the dividing line of the waters running onto the Mediterranean watershed and those flowing north to the Atlantic through the Oria river.
The historic Way of St James, namely the stretch called the Tunnel Route, passes through the town, the municipality
and the Park since the Middle Ages. Pilgrims exit the town heading south up the slopes, so reaching the San Adrian tunnel
after 5 km, where backpackers and hikers may gain access to the plains of Alava
, the Urbia fields or the summits of the rugged Aizkorri mountain range.
n area, temperate and humid, with an average temperature of around 12ºC. There are around 180 rainy days a year. Autumn can be quite windy.
elaborated and labelled as such on the whole Aizkorri-Aratz area and the Basque mountains
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Goierri
Goierri
Goierri is one of the eight regions in Gipuzkoa, formed by 18 municipalities, Beasain, Lazkao and Ordizia being the main towns.-External links:* ////....
region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. By car it is some half an hour from Donostia, Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city...
and Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
.
Nature and culture
Zegama's main characteristic is its natural location as the last Gipuzkoan town up the valley of river Oria, very close to the Aizkorri Natural Park, in which the highest mountain in the Basque Autonomous CommunityBasque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
can be found, the popular Aizkorri summit (1,528 m), located at the same name mountain range towering over the whole area. The Oria river, the longest one in the province of Gipuzkoa, rises in several springs and their corresponding streams flowing down the dramatic slopes of the valley that merge in a main stream before the nucleus of the town. The southern Otzaurte hamlet (IPA: /o'tsaurte/) stands on the dividing line of the waters running onto the Mediterranean watershed and those flowing north to the Atlantic through the Oria river.
The historic Way of St James, namely the stretch called the Tunnel Route, passes through the town, the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and the Park since the Middle Ages. Pilgrims exit the town heading south up the slopes, so reaching the San Adrian tunnel
San Adrian (tunnel)
The San Adrian tunnel or Lizarrate represents the most outstanding milestone in the historic inland Basque route of the Way of St. James. It consists of a natural cave carved by water erosion in the rock with an opening on either side north and south; it also holds an hermitage inside...
after 5 km, where backpackers and hikers may gain access to the plains of Alava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
, the Urbia fields or the summits of the rugged Aizkorri mountain range.
Climate
The climate in Zegama is typical of the eastern CantabriaCantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
n area, temperate and humid, with an average temperature of around 12ºC. There are around 180 rainy days a year. Autumn can be quite windy.
Economy
The main economic activities are those related to industry, but agriculture does still exist. Cattle, especially sheep, graze on the sides of the mountainous terrain, following a tradition of millennia, as attested by old traces and megalithic vestiges that bear witness to the activity. The grazing provides the basis for the production of the much appreciated and highly regarded Idiazabal cheeseIdiazabal cheese
Idiazabal is a pressed cheese made from unpasteurized sheep milk, usually from Latxa and Carranzana sheep in the Basque Country and Navarre, Spain. It has a somewhat smokey flavor, but is usually un-smoked....
elaborated and labelled as such on the whole Aizkorri-Aratz area and the Basque mountains
Basque mountains
The Basque Mountains are a mountain range situated in the northern Iberian Peninsula. Geographically it is considered as the eastern section of the larger Cantabrian Range...
.
Sports
The most important event that takes place in Zegama every year is the Zegama-Aizkorri Alpine Marathon http://www.zegama-aizkorri.net/web-en/default.aspx, part of the Buff Skyrunner World Series http://www.buffskyrunner.com, which is the alpine marathon world championship.External links
- Official website
- ZEGAMA in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)