Once upon a time in Gatika

Oaks and exotic species surround the hill in which stands Butron castle. An environment that seems to recreate the stories of the Grimm brothers. We recommend that you take advantage of your visit to this magnificent castle to visit nearby coastal sites such as Plentzia, Armintza or Algorta.

Bizkaia is a land in which tower-houses abound; however, castles are not something usual of the landscape. Except for one. For this reason, it is surprising to find Butron, the only romantic castle in Euskadi that takes us back to the Middle Ages when the side wars took place.

The history of this building dates back to the 11th century, when a medieval tower was erected over the old house of the Butron family. In the 16th century, this tower was transformed into an unconquerable castle, witness to centuries of continuous and bloody battles between the Gamboinos and the Oñacinos. The Basque rural nobility was divided between these two sides. The lords of Butron, heads of the Oñacino side, exercised their power over the territory.

At the end of the wars between sides, at the beginning of the 16th century the castle was abandoned and deteriorated until the end of the 19th century. The Marquis of Torrecilla, the last owner of the ruins of Butron, commissioned the politician and architect Francisco de Cubas to rebuild it.

Inspired by Gothic and Nordic forms, the architect reconstructed the old fortress with romantic-style battlements (prisms), cubes and windows. With this reconstruction, the castle became a scene of fantasy, far from the prototypical castle of the region. It is made of carved and worked stone. As a curiosity, the older part of the castle can be clearly differentiated thanks to the colour of the stone.

The castle today

The castle is one of the most outstanding fortresses in Bizkaia. The vision of this building rising to the sky is impressive. The two circular cubes of great width and with multitude of spans (free spaces between the pillars of its façade) stand out. The homage tower dates back to the 19th century and rises majestically above the entire complex. The ground floor of one of the towers is the only vestige of the ancient ruins.

The castle was conceived as a whim and as a visual attraction rather than as a dwelling. The towers do not have much useful space and walkways and open-air staircases connect some rooms to each other.

Inside there are several halls, a reception area for guests, the old chapel, a food warehouse, a natural water well, a library and a dungeon.

Currently the interior of Butron Castle cannot be visited. This situation is expected to change in the future. For now, we can enjoy the views of its exterior façade and the lush garden around it.

Routes

The surroundings of Butron Castle and its garden are home to a valuable ecological reserve with a rich flora and fauna spread over 35,000 square metres. In addition to the eye-catching palm trees, up to seventy different species of trees, both exotic and native, are distributed in the castle garden. They come from all over the world and include sequoias brought from America, palm trees and oaks.

It is worth taking a tour of its surroundings. Its botanical garden contains more than 70 species of trees from all over the world.

Depending on the season, along the way you can observe wild animals, especially birds and some mammals. It is a perfect walk to do with children since it does not present any difficulty and this magical corner will let their imagination fly.

In addition to the walks and routes near the castle, if you are travelling as a family, it is worth visiting Olentzero's house, 9 kilometres away, in Mungia. Izenaduba Basoa is also the oldest farmhouse in Bizkaia and the first interpretation centre of Basque mythology.