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Route 7. Balmaseda and La Encartada Fabrika Museoa

A living treasure unlike anything of its kind

In Balmaseda, you can visit the Balmaseda History Museum, the Easter Procession Museum and the Church of San Severino. It is close to the La Encartada Fabrika Museos

We recommend going by

  • coche

This route is perfect for doing at your own pace, using Balmaseda as your point of reference.

That’s why we recommend using a private vehicle, so you can take short walks to view the landscape and see a variety of the places of interest we recommend.

It is a route that can fill an entire day, so it’s worthwhile to stop for lunch in the area. The local speciality is bean stew cooked in the famous putxeras, pots where machinists on the Bilbao-La Robla (León) line would cook.

Points of interest

  • La Encartada factory museum

    La Encartada factory museum

    La Encartada Factory Museum is a hundred-year-old enclave dedicated to producing wool knit merchandise from its foundation in 1892 until its closure in 1992.

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  • Villa of Balmaseda

    Villa of Balmaseda

    The route begins in Bizkaia's first town: Balmaseda. This is where the La Encartada Factory was founded in 1892 by ‘indianos’.

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Good Idea

A Good Idea

Putxera in Balmaseda

Putxeras were old pots in which railway workers cooked over coal. Today, they are still used to cook the delicious bean stew with its ‘sacraments’ and secret ingredients.

These striking vessels are taken out during celebrations, but if you don't happen to be here on one, order some delicious beans at any restaurant in the area.

Guide in pdf format

Download the Iron River guide.

Downloadguía en formato pdf