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Forest
of Irati |
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 Of
great natural and ecological importance, Irati
is considered one of the largest beech-fir
forests in Europe and is a great nature attraction
all year round. An interesting range of fauna,
on a par with the quality of the Forest... |
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Arms
Factory of Orbaizeta |
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 The
ruins of the Factory, an absolute jewel of
industrial history, are a good pretext for
a delve into both an epoch and a specific
view of the world. The Factory was, in fact,
a village, a small town in the heart of the
Irati beech forest... |
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Granaries |
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 The
granaries, garaiak or gareak
in Basque, have quadrangular bases and gable
roofs made of wooden slats. The structures
rest on stone pillars with circular stones
at the top to impede access to rodents. Inside,
several compartments... |
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Shepherds
and transhumance |
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 The
area’s autochthonous breeds are the
most important legacy left by Aezkoa’s
forefathers. The River Irati marks the traditional
boundary for breeds. On the right-hand bank,
“latxa" sheep were the
norm, while on the left, it was the “rasa
aragonesa”... |
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Forest
of Irati |
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A
large area of land (17,195 Ha) of which 75%
is woodland. It spreads over a mountain-protected
basin between the Valleys of Aezkoa and Salazar
(Navarre), Cize (Basse Navarre) and Larrau
(Soule). It has long been used for livestock,
timber and hunting.
Of great natural and ecological importance,
it is considered one of the largest beech-fir
forests in Europe and is a great nature attraction
all year round. An interesting range of fauna,
on a par with the quality of the Forest, can
be found in Irati: deer, wild boar, martens,
Pyrenean frogs, black woodpeckers. The landscape
is a permanent succession of small events:
the explosion of green in spring, pastureland
for livestock in the summer, the many colours
of autumn, the silence of winter, occasionally
swathed in snow...
There are numerous walks and tracks to cover
on foot or mountain bike, as well as climbs
and places to do winter sports (snowshoes,
cross-country skiing on marked courses on
Abodi, etc.), which mean that the area can
be enjoyed all year round. The reservoir of
Irabia, in the heart of the Forest, highlights
the beauty of the area.
There are also 16 marked tracks. Carefully
chosen, walking these paths is one of the
best ways to discover its secrets. Most of
them are suitable for all age groups.
Irati can be reached from Aezkoa via Orbaitzeta
and from Salazar via Otsagabia.
The tourist information offices in Otsagabia
and Orreaga/Roncesvalles (all year round)
and Garralda (tourist season) can help with
any queries.
During the tourist season, there are also
information points in Irati itself at Arrazola
and V. de las Nieves.
Different parts of the Forest have different
nature protection status, such as ZEPAs (Special
Bird Protection Areas), INTEGRAL and NATURAL
RESERVES, the creation of a LIC, Place of
Community Interest, currently in progress.
The Irati has a harmonisation and rationalisation
plan for all its resources and activities:
tourism, hunting, farming and the timber trade.
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Arms
Factory of Orbaizeta |
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The
ruins of the Factory, an absolute jewel of
industrial history, are a good pretext for
a delve into both an epoch and a specific
view of the world. The Factory was, in fact,
a village, a small town in the heart of the
Irati beech forest.
It had a church and a small palace in the
centre and different types of house according
to social category. Its enlightened inspiration
(XVIII century) led to a concern for the comfort
of the workers, which, in turn, worked to
the good of production. With more than 50
workers, operators and qualified technicians,
the cost of running and maintaining the factory
was huge, although it did manage to produce
3,600 bombs a year.
The Orbaitzeta arms factory was created
when the existing factory in Eugi exhausted
the woods surrounding it. And so another
location was sought to ensure sustainable,
continuous production to meet the needs
of the artillery of the Royal army.
Nearby, traditionally-exploited, iron deposits,
water in abundance in local streams and
timber (Mount Aezkoa was ceded via a pact
which the Crown failed to respect) led Carlos
III to set up the Factory at this location.
There are references to the existence of
an ironworks in Txangoa, to the north of
the ruins of the Factory, at a location
whose very name refers to work with this
metal: Olazar.
Almost all of the significant wars of the
XIX century affected the Factory and the
villages of Aezkoa: the War of the Convention,
the Carlist wars, etc.
The factory complex has gradually deteriorated
since it was finally closed in 1873. Even
still, certain parts can still be appreciated:
the furnaces, the canalisation of the River
Legartza, Church, Palace, etc- There is
now a restoration project aimed at returning
an appearance in line with the Factory’s
importance. |
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Granaries |
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There
are 21 granaries in Navarre, all falling within
the area covered by the Consortium (15 in
Aezkoa). They have all been declared monuments
of cultural interest. These constructions
are typical to humid regions where the scarce
supply of grain required good storage, safe
from both the damp and rodents.
The granaries, garaiak or gareak
in Basque, have quadrangular bases and gable
roofs made of wooden slats. The structures
rest on stone pillars with circular stones
at the top to impede access to rodents. Inside,
several compartments or zizku store
the martxagaria or wheat sown in
March, the azarogari or October wheat,
-the best wheat for bread-, babak
or broad beans, oloa or oats and
garagarra or barley.
Aezkoan granaries are of a special variety
which falls in with both the climate and local
architecture. The bases of Aezkoan granaries
measure some 4.5 x 5 m, rest on 8 pillars
and their gable roofs are steeply-angled against
the snow. The walls are of masonry with a
door and, in some cases, a window. The roof
used to be of wooden slats, as on other buildings.
The stairs, separated from the building, and
the mushroom-shaped pillars which the granaries
rest on acted as deterrents to rodents.
Aria and Hiriberri have four each, Orbaizeta
has three and there is one apiece in Garralda,
Garaioa, Aribe and Orbara. |
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Shepherds
and transhumance |
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The
area’s autochthonous breeds are the
most important legacy left by Aezkoa’s
forefathers. The River Irati marks the traditional
boundary for breeds. On the right-hand bank,
“latxa" sheep were the
norm, while on the left, it was the “rasa
aragonesa”.
"Latxa” sheep, greater
in number, are the black-faced sheep with
horns, often mistaken by visitors for goats.
Reared for milk, “latxas”
give some 120 litres a year, used to make
traditional Aezkoan cheese. In the winter,
they used to be kept in stables or were taken
to the more temperate valleys of Basse-Navarre
and Soule to the north.
The “rasa” is bred for
meat and wool, and is less common in the Valley
of Aezkoa, being the breed most used for transhumant
sheep farming in the Valleys of Salazar and
Roncal, from which the flocks travel to the
Bardenas in the south of Navarre. Cheese is
not produced in such great quantities nowadays,
most of present-day production coming from
Orbaizeta. Despite its exceptional quality,
it is little known, mainly due to the fact
that it forms part of the extensive Idiazabal
Guarantee of Origin.
A point of pride in Aezkoa resides in the
fact that the Valley is responsible for having
preserved autochthonous, Pyrenean cattle.
Not many were left 30 years ago, and most
of those surviving lived in the Valley. The
population has grown considerably since then,
as has recognition of the virtues of the breed.
Pyrenean cows are reared for high quality
meat, sold under the “Ternera de
Navarra” label. |
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