Orisoain - Navarra Media

Storybook setting in the heart of the Valdorba Valley

Orisoain, in the centre of the Valdorba Valley, is a small Navarrese town that combines magnificent natural surroundings with a remarkable cultural and historical legacy. It stands on a hillock surrounded by oak groves, pine trees and arable land that stretches down towards the River Zemborrain.

The origin of the town can be traced back to the Iron Age, with remains in Murugain, as well as at the Lepuzain dam, where there is a defence outpost. Orísoain has had ties throughout history with neighbouring towns such as Amatriain and Artariain, with which it shares the Shrine Chapel of San Pelayo at the highest point of the municipality. Restored in 2007 thanks to the three towns taking part in a collaborative auzolan (community work), the shrine chapel is the setting for an annual pilgrimage in June and offers exceptional views over the Valdorba Valley.

The highlight of the architectural heritage is the Church of San Martín de Tours, a rural Romanesque church from the 12th century and declared a Site of Cultural Interest. A Romanesque crypt, one of the few conserved in Navarre, was discovered during its restoration. Other religious buildings include the Shrine Chapel of the Virgen de los Remedies on the road to Leoz, and there is the ‘Life in Yesteryear’ Ecomuseum, which portrays rural life prior to agricultural mechanisation.

Orísoain has services including swimming pools, Basque pelota fronton courts, a social centre and several rural holiday lets. It has marked trails, including a fungi route, and public baths next to the church. The patron saint’s festivities to honour St. Martin are held on the second weekend of August.

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