Arce Valley and Oroz-Betelu

Between the riverbeds of the Urobi and the Irati, the substance of iron and the constant hum of the turbines tell the story of a land that has managed to transform its landscape into energy and its memory into heritage. Artzibar and Orotz-Betelu preserve the traces of hunters and ironworkers, where Roman masonry and megalithic dolmens stand in dialogue with early 20th-century industrial architecture.

Here, amongst beech trees and streams, time unfolds without haste. The ancient manors coexist with everyday life on the riverbank, where history does not impose itself, but is simply heard: in the hum of the power station, in the solidity of a menhir, in the curve of a river that has shaped the valley.

What to see in the Arce and Oroz-Betelu valley?

Amidst forests and streams, every path in Artzibar and Orotz-Betelu is an ancient tale waiting to be heard.

• Roman road and the Artzi archaeological site: The landscape preserves the route of the ancient Via XXXIV (Astorga-Bordeaux), where excavations have revealed a Roman-Basque settlement that may have been the intermediate station of Iturissa.
• Megalithic heritage: Twenty-one dolmens, burial mounds and menhirs have been identified on our hillsides, notably those at Zanaz and the protohistoric settlements of Gorraitz and La Peña.
• Orotz-Betelu and the Olaldea industry: This settlement, independent from Artzibar since 1845, was the industrial capital of the Pyrenees thanks to its ancient 14th-century ironworks and its later paper mill.
• Olaldea hydroelectric power station: A Modernist gem inaugurated in 1913 by Papelera Española. Its machine house still features stained-glass windows, ceramics and an original turbine that continues to harness the power of the River Irati to this day.
• Church of San Adrián (Orotz-Betelu): A medieval building housing a 17th-century high altarpiece by Gaspar Ramos, whose reliefs of the Passion mark the transition towards naturalism in Navarrese sculpture.
• Palaces of Uritz and Artze: Buildings that bear witness to the importance of the noble lineages which, during the 14th and 15th centuries, took part in the Kingdom’s civil wars.
• Chapel of the Virgin of the Snows (Milagros): Situated on a hill near Orotz-Betelu, it is the destination for traditional prayers and preserves the memory of the locals who used to visit it before setting off for military service or marriage.