Segura is a destination for travelers who want to focus on historic architecture, thanks to its exceptionally well-preserved medieval old town. It also offers Holy Week traditions, cheese-related experiences and routes connected with culture or the landscape. When planning your stay, one simple question can help: should the old town itself, an event on the calendar or an activity in the countryside be the deciding factor?
Medieval architecture in Segura
Segura’s old town is one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in Gipuzkoa. Some gates from the former town wall can still be visited and now mark the old town area. The Lardizabal Palace, now the town hall, was built in the 17th century. The façade of Casa Solar de Arrue features a Mudéjar art gallery, considered one of the few examples of this style in Gipuzkoa.
Casa Solar de Guevara offers a different architectural accent: it dates from the late Middle Ages and preserves a gate with a voussoir arch, whose stones are arranged in a wedge shape. Casa Ardixarra is one of the few examples of early 16th-century urban architecture in Euskal Herria in which the building served as both a home and a workshop. The house contains the Medieval Interpretation Centre, considered unique in Euskal Herria. The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción was built in the 16th century and has a Baroque-Rococo altarpiece. The houses, town gates and church reveal different aspects of the town’s historic character.
Traditions, guided tours and event dates
Segura’s Holy Week processions are considered a tradition dating back more than 300 years. They take place on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday; the exact dates vary each year according to Easter. The Euskal Herria Dance Championship has also been held in Segura since 1977. If you would like to include events in your stay, check the dates. Segura’s tourist office organizes guided tours of the old town throughout the year. Contact the office to ask about a specific tour date.
Activities in the old town and on the trails
Discovering Segura is a self-guided family game in Euskera and Spanish. Clues lead you through the historic old town. Its playful format differs from a guided tour. A permanent orienteering course offers options at different difficulty levels. The Idiazábal Cheese Trail (GR-283), meanwhile, is a six-stage circular hiking route. Its stages include Segura–Mirandaola and Ordizia–Segura. While this trail is designed as a multi-stage route, the Way of St. James passes through the interior of the Segura valley.
A nature-and-culture circular route passes through the countryside around Segura. It explores the importance of water in the area, which remains significant today, as well as mills and waterfalls. This offers a range of options: the historic old town, a permanent orienteering course, stages of the GR-283, and a countryside route connected with water and mills.
Cheese experiences
Ondarre is located on the outskirts of Segura and offers guided tours of its facilities with cheese tastings. During these visits, you can see and touch the livestock and, depending on the season, lambs. Another option is a 120-minute guided visit, during which you learn to make cheese by hand under the shepherd’s guidance. The two experiences have different focuses: one combines a tour of the facilities with a tasting, while the other involves making cheese yourself.
Getting there by bus
Lurraldebus line GO01 serves the Zegama–Segura–Idiazabal–Olaberria–Beasain–Ordizia–Zaldibia route. Timetables and route details may change, so check the latest information before traveling. When planning your stay, you can decide whether to focus on buildings and old-town tours, cheese experiences on the outskirts, or trails in the countryside.
Discover more destinations: Urretxu, Zumarraga, Bergara, Astigarraga, Escoriaza, Altzola, Tolosa, Antzuola
See the main travel overview: Gipuzkoa.
