New Albergue in Zegama

[ginniek]

I was reading this week's Dezeen Newsletter (about architecture and interior design). This is on the Tunnel Route between Irun and Santo Domingo de la Calzada. It was purpose-built by the municipality, and the article does not mention any of the usual important things about albergues, such as snoring, clothes-washing, adequate hot water for showers, but it does tell you about building materials.

Pilgrim's House is a timber-clad hostel in the Basque countryside

Vertical timber battens wrap around this sustainably built hostel designed by architecture studio Blancodelprim to accommodate pilgrims on the famous route to Santiago de Compostela.

www.dezeen.com

 

[mspath]

ginniek,

Those photos of the new building look great and the surrounding landscape is splendid.
Zegama is found in Etapa 4 in the Gronze Camino Vasco del Interior. However the new building as such is not cited (yet ?) in their guide.

 

[ginniek]

ginniek,

Those photos of the new building look great and the surrounding landscape is splendid.
Zegama is found in Etapa 4 in the Gronze Camino Vasco del Interior. However the new building as such is not cited (yet ?) in their guide.

The albergue may not be open yet. Often design reviews are done before the building is occupied or in use, which means you cannot see how it works in real life.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Thank you Municipal Council of Zegama. I was very grateful for the old porta-cabin arrangement but it was somewhat 'bemusing'.
I do hope that the criteria below allowed you to situate this architectural wonder fairly close to the camino!
There's no kitchen so if you walk there to secure your bed, you then have to go back into town again if you want a proper meal etc (as there's obviously no kitchen - no municipality would build one these days).
The brief from the town's municipal administration laid out two specific criteria that the hostel building needed to fulfil.
The building had to be Passivhaus certified as a guarantee of the city council's commitment to sustainability and the quality of municipal investments," said the architects.
"Also, the hostel was to be located on a plot of land next to the local Wood Museum, so it had to be built with locally sourced radiata pine wood."

 

[ginniek]

Thank you Municipal Council of Zegama. I was very grateful for the old porta-cabin arrangement but it was somewhat 'bemusing'.
I do hope that the criteria below allowed you to situate this architectural wonder fairly close to the camino!
There's no kitchen so if you walk there to secure your bed, you then have to go back into town again if you want a proper meal etc (as there's obviously no kitchen - no municipality would build one these days).
The brief from the town's municipal administration laid out two specific criteria that the hostel building needed to fulfil.
The building had to be Passivhaus certified as a guarantee of the city council's commitment to sustainability and the quality of municipal investments," said the architects.
"Also, the hostel was to be located on a plot of land next to the local Wood Museum, so it had to be built with locally sourced radiata pine wood."

The floor plan, which follows the article, shows a kitchen (cocina) on the ground floor. It doesn't look very large, but it is probably adequate for 6 people.

 

[Texas Walker]

So I looked at the photo set...do they know that chipboard is extremely snag-y? And that if one splashes water on it, the stuff expands and loses strength? (I once had a laminate kitchen counter based on a chipboard base, water crept in at the corners and the expansion pushed the layers of laminate apart.) The storage shelves in the dorms being made of un-covered chipboard--no laminate as one sees in prefab shelf kits--I shudder to think of what would happen to them on a rainy day when pilgrims come in, drenched, and have to put their things down.

I was interested to see what appears to be a front loading washer in the kitchen next to the sink. Also that there appear to be some kind of inaccessible storage cupboards in the upper part of the wall at the one story end of the building. Water heater closets? They are basically above the two (full, not half) restrooms.

edited to add: full restrooms have either a tub or a shower, half don't.

 

[peregrina2000]

I was very grateful for the old porta-cabin arrangement but it was somewhat 'bemusing'.

Oh do tell! I thought the only option in Zegama was the pension on top of the somewhat foodie restaurant.

 

[peregrino_tom]

The floor plan, which follows the article, shows a kitchen (cocina) on the ground floor. It doesn't look very large, but it is probably adequate for 6 people.

ginniek - it depends what you mean by a kitchen. This one comprises a sink, some cupboards, a microwave and a fixed table with two chairs. So indeed, it can be differentiated as such from a bathroom, a hall space or a dormitory. But it's not going to be the place where pilgrims sit around a bid old table and share out a steaming pot of pasta and sauce. Maybe I'm showing my age..

Oh do tell! I thought the only option in Zegama was the pension on top of the somewhat foodie restaurant.

The main issue about the old place was that the top bunks were so high nobody could work out how to get onto them, as there were no ladders. In the end we took the mattresses down and laid them on the floor. The kitchen was well, a kitchen.
Just looking at the pic again reminded me of the amazing location of this little town

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

I was interested to see what appears to be a front loading washer in the kitchen next to the sink. Also that there appear to be some kind of inaccessible storage cupboards in the upper part of the wall at the one story end of the building. Water heater closets?

If like most places in Iberia, the hot water heaters are "on-demand" gas heaters, and yes, they are typically stowed in upper-wall cupboards because they have to have outside venting for the exhaust from the gas flame. When we had a new one installed, in small-town Portugal, the gas company was very very picky about how the exhaust was vented from it; measured the components of the exhaust fumes and made the installer fine-tune the installation. Otherwise, I guess it can be a safety hazard from carbon monoxide, or similar.

As for the front-loading washer under the counter next to the sink: also a standard installation. Not many dishwashers in Iberia! The washers are small and very high-efficiency, and spin the clothes really well, so their drainage can tap into the under-the-sink drains. And they're designed to be just the right size to fit under counters.

I wish I could get a washer like this in North America! We have one in Portugal, and it's terrific. (An LG. The same kind exists here, but it's about 60% larger in every dimension. We seem to like to supersize everything.)

 

[C clearly]

I thought the only option in Zegama was the pension on top of the somewhat foodie restauran

The main issue about the old place was that the top bunks were so high

I think Peregrina2000 is referring to the Ostatu Zegama, which has private rooms and no bunks. The only option in October 2019 was the polideportivo. Gronze refers to an albergue that was closed as of 2018, so I guess that is the "old place."

Looking forward to learning when the new place is open and functioning!

 

[ebrandt]

Is there any news on the opening of this Albergue? It isn't listed on Gronz. We are planning to walk the Vasco starting mid-May. I wonder if it will be open by then. LizB

 

[WestKirsty]

Is there any news on the opening of this Albergue? It isn't listed on Gronz. We are planning to walk the Vasco starting mid-May. I wonder if it will be open by then. LizB

I am planning to walk the Vasco this April so contacted the town hall in Zegama about the new Albergue. The reply was that right now the Basque Government has an order that all Albergues are closed in the region due to Covid. So they cannot open until that order is lifted.

No date as of yet but they suggested contacting them closer to the time. I'll post here if I get any more updates on when Albergues on this route might re-open.

 

[VNwalking]

OMG, it's gorgeous.
Quite a leap up in quality from the floor of the polideportivo - @SabineP and I passed up the opportunity of that in favor of a comfortable room at the Ostatu Zegama. This photo from the article makes me want to walk this way again. Sigh.

I hope it is open when you walk through there, @ebrandt, but if not the Ostatu Zegama is central and quite nice.

Edit. Looking at the photos, it appears that it's been built upslope of the center of town, quickly accessible by a lift and walkway - or a much longer walk on a road. We went up there for the view, which was very nice.

Here are the view of town from the glassed in elevator, the walkway, and the area that the new albergue seems now to be (the building on the left is in one of the photos in that link):

 

[ebrandt]

@WestKirsty Thanks! Sounds like we will be a bit behind you. And @VNwalking it does look like the lap pf luxury!

 

[peregrina2000]

Even if the albergue is not open, the pensión there is perfectly fine and not too expensive. AND do not miss the restaurant of which the pensión is a part!

Restaurante Ostatu Zegama - Goierri Turismo

Restaurante situado en la plaza de Zegama donde se ofrece una cocina tradicional vasca.

goierriturismo.com

Pensión Zegama ★★ - Goierri Turismo

Alojamiento con 9 habitaciones y restaurante situado en la plaza de Zegama, a los pies de la sierra de Aizkorri y en la entrada del Parque Natural de Aizkorri – Aratz.

goierriturismo.com

I am not a foodie, but I can say with a fair amount of confidence that this restaurant would be enjoyed by some of our more serious foodie forum members like @SabineP and @alansykes.

 

[VNwalking]

am not a foodie, but I can say with a fair amount of confidence that this restaurant would be enjoyed by some of our more serious foodie forum members like @SabineP and @alansykes.

And even a vegetarian!

 

[Vacajoe]

there's obviously no kitchen - no municipality would build one these days

Actually, the new municipal albergue in Canfranc Pueblo has TWO kitchens - one for pilgrims and another for hospitaleros.

 

[WestKirsty]

I was just checking for updates on Albergues in the Basque Country and noted this on the Gronze website. They've updated the Zegama Albergue to the new one but looks like it won't open until 1st June and just open in the summer months:

Nota 2022: Apertura prevista del 1 de junio al 30 de septiembre (por confirmar)

 

[ebrandt]

Oh this is a little sad but thanks for the info! I think that means we will be heading to the pension in Zegama when we are there in May. L

 

[peregrina2000]

Oh this is a little sad but thanks for the info! I think that means we will be heading to the pension in Zegama when we are there in May. L

May 1 is a holiday. I see it’s a Sunday. Not as bad as if it were on Saturday, but I think I would reserve in the pensión. AND reserve a meal there as well, it was fantastic!

 

[ebrandt]

May 1 is a holiday. I see it’s a Sunday. Not as bad as if it were on Saturday, but I think I would reserve in the pensión. AND reserve a meal there as well, it was fantastic!

I realized that! So it’s already reserved. But I’ll also reserve the meal! We leave here on 23 April. 53 days from now — not that I’m counting!

 

[VNwalking]

not that I’m counting!

Not at all.
❤

 

[peregrina2000]

View attachment 117724

Just looking back through this thread and the pictures — those craggy cliffs behind the albergue must be where you head the next day to reach the tunnel. What a glorious walk that was!!!!!

 

[C clearly]

those craggy cliffs behind the albergue must be where you head the next day to reach the tunnel. What a glorious walk that was!!!!!

One of my all-time favourite days on any Camino.

 

[VNwalking]

One of my all-time favourite days on any Camino.

What a glorious walk that was!!!!!

Wasn't it wonderful?!
One thing to say by way of encouragement. From where the albergue is, the hill looks really daunting. And if you got to Irun on the train from parts South, you will have seen its steepness, and by now be doubting your sanity. But don't worry. Someone built this road for normal people and pack animals. So it is a climb but just a steady one, and less dramatic than it looks. I was spooked about the day ahead of time, but was pleasantly surprised at how manageable it was.

One thing that was an amazement was the dramatic change in landscape from one side to the other. It felt like landing in a different country!

 

[C clearly]

One thing that was an amazement was the dramatic change in landscape from one side to the other. It felt like landing in a different country!

There were three parts for me - the climb to the top, the traverse of the valley and tunnel, and then the other side! In this photo, I had just emerged from the climb and could see my daughters ahead, gazing out at the view. I haven't posted a photo of that view because my photos simply don't do it justice. You will need to walk there to see and appreciate it.

 

[VNwalking]

This is a gorgeous photo, @C clearly.
That view! It stopped me in my tracks, too, even though the clouds were hiding the tops.
Not only do photos not do it justice, but who wants to ruin the experience with a spoiler?
Just you wait, @ebrandt! !

 

[C clearly]

who wants to ruin the experience with a spoiler?

As I approached, I remember thinking "what are they looking at?"

 

[ebrandt]

…..40 days….. ( not counting the rest of today)….

 

[WestKirsty]

I'm so excited I just had to share this somewhere! It looks like I'll be volunteering as Hospitalera in this new albergue for 5-6 days towards the end of July this year! The opportunity came about in a round about way (was emailing the association for another matter) but I'm already so excited! Thank you @peregrina2000 for sharing the contact information on another thread...it had nothing to do with such an opportunity but it led to it

So later this summer I should be in a good position to help with any questions about the albergue and/or this area!

 

[VNwalking]

Woooooooo hoooooooooooo! What a fabulous gig, @WestKirsty!
Congratulations.
And we look forward to hearing more.