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Bilbao · Mysteries & legends

The Amatxu, the idol and the dog fountain

Bilbao is a practical city of merchants and engineers, but it keeps its legends too. This route walks down from the Basilica of Begoña to the Arenal by the Mallona steps and the streets of the Old Town, separating at each stop what the documents say from what people have always told. It is ideal for late afternoon: it ends a short walk from the pintxo bars of Plaza Nueva.

  • 5 stops
  • 1.7 km
  • 1 h 35 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
View of Bilbao from Mallona Park, with the Old Town rooftops and mountains in the distance

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Basilica of BegoñaThe Amatxu who, legend says, chose her hill and refused to come down.
  2. 2 Old Mallona CemeteryA lonely gateway halfway up the hill is all that remains of Bilbao’s first municipal cemetery.
  3. 3 Miguel de Unamuno SquareA stone idol more than two thousand years old, with inscriptions no one has managed to read, next to Unamuno’s birthplace.
  4. 4 Dog FountainThree bronze lions and a name nobody can fully explain.
  5. 5 Church of San Nicolás and the ArenalThe church of the fishermen’s saint, facing the riverside where Marijaia appears and bids farewell every August.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

The Amatxu, the idol and the dog fountain

Devotions of the river

The Amatxu of Begoña, protector of sailors, and the church of the fishermen’s saint.

Stones with a mystery

A stone boar with a disc whose letters no one can read, and a fountain whose name is still debated.

Memory and festival

The old cemetery of the sieges and Marijaia, the lady of the festival, who bids farewell in flames every August.

Keep exploring

More routes in Bilbao

Back to Bilbao
HistoryFrom town charter to iron port MixedTitanium, flowers and iron: Bilbao highlights

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Bilbao?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Bilbao in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Bilbao in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Bilbao in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary