Back Sanctuary of Arantzazu

Top 10 Gipuzkoa

Sanctuary of Arantzazu

At that point, people from the towns of Oñati and Arrasate began to make pilgrimages to the site.

Legend has it that in 1469 a shepherd was looking for his goats and stumbled upon an image of the Virgin in a hawthorn bush ( 'arantza' + 'zu' means place of hawthorns in Basque). At that point, people from the towns of Oñati and Arrasate began to make pilgrimages to the site. In addition to being a religious site and a centre for spirituality, the Sanctuary of Arantzazu brings together some of the most representative examples of contemporary Basque art by Oteiza, Chillida, Basterretxea and Sáenz de Oiza.

Accessibility Information

- Sanctuary of Arantzazu -


Physical accessibility

Sanctuary of Arantzazu

  • Adapted toilets.
  • Parking spaces for people with reduced mobility.
  • Accessible access and movement around the basilica and the office/shop for wheelchair users.
  • Please note: Access to the crypt is via several flights of stairs with uneven paving.
  • Please note: there is a lift to access the basilica.
  • There are benches to sit on in the basilica and in the crypt.

 

Gomiztegi Trail

  • Adapted toilets at the Sanctuary of Arantzazu.
  • Parking spaces marked as PRM in the Sanctuary’s parking lot.
  • Please note: The pedestrian route from the Sanctuary’s parking lot to the start of the trail includes steep ramps and stairs.
  • It is possible to drive to the start of the trail, located after the Hermitage of the Holy Christ, and park in the gravel area.
  • The trail has even pavement, slopes of less than 10%, a handrail on one side, and a width of 1.80 m along almost the entire route.
  • Please note: There are two very steep slopes; in both cases there is an alternative path: a wooden walkway.
  • The wooden walkway is 1.40 m wide, has handrails on both sides, ramps with slopes under 6%, and landings.
  • Benches are available at different points along the route.

Hearing accessibility

Sanctuary of Arantzazu

  • No magnetic induction loop, sign language guides, video guides or staff who know sign language.

 

Gomiztegi Trail

  • No magnetic induction loop, sign language guides, video guides or staff who know sign language.

Visual accessibility

Sanctuary of Arantzazu

  • Guided tours available in Spanish and Basque. Enquiries and bookings can be made on the website or at the Sanctuary office/shop.
  • The lift to the basilica has a button panel in Braille and high relief.
  • Please note: Access to the crypt is via steps with uneven flooring, and the interior is poorly lit.

 

Gomiztegi Trail

  • There is a tactile guiding strip on the ground along almost the entire route.
  • A two-height handrail is present on one side along most of the path: on the left-hand side going in, and on the right-hand side on the way back.
  • Please note: In the first section of the trail, there is a part without a handrail.
  • Along the entire trail there are braille and raised-relief plaques and information panels in Basque and Spanish. The plaques are placed on the handrail, indicating how many kilometers remain, where the rest areas and viewpoints are, etc.
  • The panels or totems provide information in raised relief and braille about the fauna and flora, and some include animal figures in relief or replicas.
  • Please note: It has been observed that some plaques, replicas, and signs have been removed.

Cognitive accessibility

Gomiztegi Trail

  • Outdoor trail.
  • There is a handrail and a strip on the ground to help with orientation.
  • There are replicas and drawings of the region’s fauna and flora along the trail.