Uribe Mungia

Routes

Leisure

HISTORY

The excellent geographical setting of Mungia, located in a sheltered valley near the coast, where large open spaces alternate with gently rolling hills and rivers, has to a large extent determined its natural environment and way of life. The main source of wealth in the municipality was, for many centuries, traditional forms of agriculture, which have modelled a landscape intimately linked to farming and country life.
Mungia was founded in 1376, at the centre of the hamlet of the same name. During the Middle Ages, Mungia bore witness to numerous disputes between the main lineages of the region. There is an extensive historical legacy from that period, leading examples of which include the chapel of San Miguel de Zumetzaga, one of the best examples of Romanesque part in the Basque Country and the Church of San Pedro, Romanesque in origin, with a splendid Gothic facade. Next to this you will find the Tower of Billela, which, despite numerous modifications, still preserves the characteristic silhouette of its medieval towers.
The jewel in the crown of the architectural heritage of Mungia and an absolute must for visitors is the Landetxo Goikoa farmhouse, built at the beginning of the 16th century and considered to be one of the oldest farmhouses in the Basque Country. It has been declared a Cultural Asset, in the monuments category. Landetxo Goikoa is the headquarters of the first mythology park of the Basque Country: Olentzeroren Baserria – Izenaduba Basoa. The rural hamlets of the municipality also possess a wide-ranging architectural, ethnographic and rural heritage with a large number of interesting farmhouses, churches, chapels and watermills, which you can discover by doing any of the several hiking routes available.

Today, Mungia is a bustling commercial and social centre with a growing population, engaged mainly in the industrial and services sector. The agricultural traditions of this region live on in its high-quality products and in the large number of agricultural and livestock markets held in Mungia throughout the year.

This town is making great efforts to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. A good example of this is the participation of Mungia, as a pioneering municipality in Bizkaia, in the Slow Food Movement, which aims to preserve agricultural biodiversity and protects those traditional foodstuffs in danger of being lost forever by encouraging direct contact between consumers and quality producers.
Cultural, games, sports and leisure activities are also well represented throughout the year in the town, which has a long tradition in the creation of associations and popular initiatives in these fields. The most important events and shows take place during the local festivals of Mungia: San Antontxu and San Pedro.