Baztandarren Biltzarra: The Quintessential Basque Festival of Baztan

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Two years ago I went to a not-so-secret festival in the Basque Country that to me felt like a hidden gem. And that festival is coming up again this Sunday! I’m talking about Baztandarren Biltzarra in Elizondo, Nafarroa.

I was staying in Donostia-San Sebastian for two weeks in July at a hostel crammed with American and Australian tourists.

I was there to explore this part of the Basque Country, taking day trips out of the city to the beautiful coastal villages I’d only seen online. I took some great hikes on my own, but I lamented the lack of Basque awareness of most everyone I met at the hostel. They were mostly there to eat “tapas” and go to the beach.

I complained to my sister that the trip wasn’t the Hella Basque experience I was hoping it would be.

That’s when she told me there was a festival happening in Elizondo, way up in the foothills of the Navarrese Pyrenees, the following weekend and that it wouldn’t get any more Basque than that.

The problem was my flight out of San Sebastián was scheduled for the day before the besta.

She urged me to change my flight, although I was hesitant. She assured me that if an authentic Basque experience was what I wanted, the festival in Elizondo would be worth the logistical headache.

I took her advice, and Baztandarren Biltzarra was the highlight of my trip.

I knew it was going to be a true Basque experience because none of the staff at the hostel had even heard of it, let alone the town of Elizondo. Most of the guests were stopping in on their way to or from the festival of San Fermin in Pamplona, so the staff never had to learn about any other Basque festivals.

What Is Baztandarren Biltzarra?

Baztandarren Biltzarra takes place in Elizondo but it’s a celebration of all the towns in the valley of Baztan.

Since 1964, the 15 villages of the valley come together to put on an annual parade through the streets of Elizondo, full of traditional costumes, music, and dancing.

The parade may look like a beautiful display of traditional Basque culture to outsiders like me, but it’s actually a competition between the villages.

The youth committees of each town put together a float, choosing a theme and some sort of accompanying dramatization of everyday life for participants to act out. The performances and displays often have historical and political significance, drawing on the villages’ recent past and collective memory.

After the parade are dance performances and a communal barbecue lunch in the park. Local vendors sell their crafts along the river. And the evening of course brings live music and dancing to the fronton for partygoers to enjoy well into the early morning hours.

The best part about the day? Euskara is everywhere. I hardly heard a word of Spanish the entire time I was there. Although it made things difficult for me to follow, I loved the Basque immersion after a very touristy two weeks in Donostia.

Baztandarren Biltzarra is coming up this Sunday, and a very lucky group of California Basque dancers will be joining the parade and festivities after traveling a long way with their families. I thought I would take this as an opportunity to share my photos from the event two years ago.