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Eibar, lying on the banks of the river Ego, is an industrial town with bustling shops, in the comarca (county) of Debabarrena, bordering on Bizkaia province and surrounded by the stunning Arrate-Akondia-Urko mountains to the north and Laupago-Galdaramiño-Illordo to the south
It has a total of five separate districts with a rather rural flavour (Otaola, Aginaga, Arrate, Mandiola and Gorosta), in complete contrast to the main town. Eibar is well known for its gun-making activity.
As the region's main urban centre, it has dense population, being an important trading centre and offering an interesting cultural activities. Among the city's architectural heritage we should emphasise the church of San Andres, which dates from the 16th century and accommodates a Renaissance altarpiece; Unzueta Tower-house; Markeskua Palace; and the Town Hall.
Sanctuary of Virgen de Arrate
But no doubt its most emblematic spot is the Sanctuary of Virgen de Arrate, the city's patron saint. It is a single-nave temple of Gothic style where we will find paintings by the Eibar-born artist Ignacio Zuloaga. The sanctuary is situated 8 km far from the city centre in a picnic area equipped with trees, tables, fountains, and playgrounds... This recreational area has several tracks that lead to the nearby mountains of Urko (793 m) and Kalamua (768 m).
Eibar's festive calendar is very intense. The patron saint festival of San Juan is celebrated in June around a bonfire and welcomes many visitors from the surrounding towns. San Blas festival on February 3rd and the one of San Andres on November 30th are other important events. The tasting of pies that have been specially baked for San Blas is very typical on those days. Lately, the Day of San Juan has become very popular as well, thanks to the great agricultural and livestock fair held in Eibar.
