Álava · Hegoalde

Laudio/Llodio

Laudio

About 18,000 inhabitants in the Ayala district (comarca), in north-west Álava. Laudio (Llodio in Spanish), the province’s second most populous municipality after Vitoria-Gasteiz, was powered by big glass and steel industries from the 1940s until the industrial crisis of the 1980s.

Laudio/Llodio in 30 seconds

About 18,000 inhabitants (17,982 in 2024, INE) over 37.7 km²: this is Álava’s second town, some thirty kilometres from Bilbao airport and about 45 km from Vitoria-Gasteiz airport. It lies in the valley of the Nervión, the main river in the municipality. From the 1940s to the 1980s, the town grew up around major glass and steel industries.

What to see

The heritage of Laudio/Llodio

  • San Pedro de Lamuza church (built in the 16th century, rebuilt up to the 18th)
  • Lamuza Park — more than 8.5 hectares of varied trees, in the heart of the town
  • Santa María del Yermo sanctuary — Gothic, 15th century
  • Anuntzibai bridge — a Baroque bridge from 1741
  • Ugarte tower house (15th century)

Gorbea, close by

The summit of Gorbea (1,482 m), between Álava (municipality of Zuia) and Biscay (Zeanuri), in the heart of Gorbeia Natural Park. A 17.23 m metal summit cross, the third to stand on the peak, has been in place since 1907; hundreds of mountaineers traditionally gather here for New Year.

The Salto del Nervión

A waterfall with a 222 m drop, on the boundary between Amurrio (Álava) and Berberana (Burgos). See the Amurrio page.

The Quejana (Kexaa) monumental complex

In the municipality of Ayala (Aiara), in the same district: a fortified palace, a Dominican convent (occupied by nuns from 1378 to 2008), the church of San Juan Bautista and the tower-chapel of the Virgen del Cabello (1399), where Chancellor Pedro López de Ayala and his wife lie in alabaster tombs. The complex was founded by Fernán Pérez de Ayala on 2 December 1378; a national monument since 1984, it has belonged to the provincial council of Álava (Diputación Foral de Álava) since 2023.

Fiestas

Carnival, San Blas and the Whitsun romería (pilgrimage festival) punctuate the year, along with:

  • the Viernes de Dolores fair, just before Easter;
  • the San Roque fiestas, in honour of the town’s patron saint, from 15 August;
  • black pudding day, one of the best-attended festivals.

Getting there

  • By car: AP-68 from Bilbao or Vitoria-Gasteiz
  • By train: Bilbao Renfe Cercanías (commuter rail), line C-3 (Llodio and Areta stations)

1-day itinerary

  • Morning: the heritage of Laudio/Llodio (San Pedro de Lamuza, Anuntzibai bridge)
  • Lunchtime: the Quejana monumental complex
  • Afternoon: Lamuza Park, or a hike in Gorbeia Natural Park

Famous people linked to Laudio/Llodio

  • Juan José Ibarretxe (born 1957 in Laudio/Llodio) — PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) politician, lehendakari (president of the Basque Government) from 1999 to 2009. His proposed new statute (the ‘Ibarretxe Plan’), adopted by the Basque Parliament on 30 December 2004, was rejected by the Spanish Congress of Deputies on 1 February 2005 (313 votes against, 29 in favour, 2 abstentions).

My favourite photo

The summit of Gorbea with its cross and a sea of clouds below. Or the Ayala valley in October, its forests turned copper.

Sources

Ongi etorri Laudiora — Welcome to Laudio/Llodio.

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