Balmaseda

Balmaseda is a town nestled among mountains in the Encartaciones region of Biscay, just fifteen minutes from Bilbao. Considered the first villa founded in Biscay, its medieval urban core is designated an Asset of Cultural Interest and preserves Romanesque architectural features, a remarkable sundial calendar, a former enclosed convent and 17th-century palaces that give shape to an exceptionally coherent urban fabric.

The cultural offer extends well beyond the historic streetscape. The Balmaseda History Museum, the Living Passion Interpretation Centre and La Encartada Fabrika-Museoa shed light on different aspects of local history and identity.

Gastronomy plays a central role in Balmaseda's identity. Its most emblematic dish is a bean stew cooked in a putxera — an iron pot with railway origins, once used by the drivers of the old Balmaseda–La Robla line — which gives its name to the International Putxera Competition held every October during the San Severino festivities.

A mountainous landscape crossed by the Cadagua river shelters oak and chestnut forests, crossed by hiking routes, mountain biking trails and the Camino de Santiago, making Balmaseda a worthwhile stop for those looking to combine heritage, nature and living culture.