Oñati

Oñati is a municipality in Gipuzkoa, located in the Alto Deba comarca at the foot of Mount Aloña. Its historic centre holds a remarkable collection of civic and religious buildings — palaces, churches and constructions from different periods — that give the town an exceptional monumental character for a rural Basque setting.

Among its landmarks is the Sancti Spiritus University, regarded as one of the finest examples of Basque Renaissance civic architecture, and the Arrikrutz caves, an underground natural space of geological interest. Beyond the town, the Arantzazu basilica — built in the 1950s on a cliff edge — is a major ensemble of avant-garde art, created with contributions from sculptors and artists including Eduardo Chillida, Jorge Oteiza, Néstor Basterretxea and Lucio Muñoz.

From Arantzazu, mountain paths lead to the Urbia pastures and the limestone ridgeline of Aizkorri, the core of the Aizkorri-Aratz Natural Park, which frames the municipality with a landscape of considerable presence. This combination of historic heritage, contemporary art and nature defines the significance of Oñati within the Gipuzkoan territory.