The mill

During the 12th and 13th centuries the monks of the Urdazubi/Urdax monastery worked to build canals and bridges (hence the name ‘ur eta zubi’, which means ‘water and bridge’ in Basque), as well as a mill that enabled them to work iron and grind grain.

Despite having suffered numerous episodes of looting and fires, the mill has been preserved in a perfect state since it was rebuilt in the 18th century. It did not begin serving the local villages until the 18th century, when the miller began receiving the saskito or bushel as payment for his work.

Visitors now have the opportunity to watch how the mill functions. The water that flows through the town imparts force to the large millstones that move precisely round and round, producing wheat and maize flour. Despite fires and damage from various wars, the mill is perfectly preserved.

The visit includes an old electricity plant that produced power for the towns of Urdazubi/Urdax and Ainhoa (on the other side of the border) from 1901 until the 1960s.