Projects
Creation of spaces and thematic routes for the dissemination of cider culture:
Sagardoetxea, Basque Cider Museum
Sagardoetxea the ideal place to enter into cider culture. The museum currently has three different spaces to learn about the history and reality of the apple and cider: the apple orchard, the museum, and the tasting centre.
Thematic route “Santiagomendiko Sagardo Bidea”
This is a good trip to go hiking and enjoy the natural landscape of Santiagomendi (Astigarraga). The tour has eight themed stations equipped with informational panels, play areas, and rest areas. Through the cider culture, you can discover the history of the country houses of Santiagomendi and Astigarraga, the livelihoods of their inhabitants, as well as one of the most emblematic points on the Camino de Santiago as it passes through Gipuzkoa.
Exhibitions:
Emakume ekintzaileak sagardogintzan
Un nuevo proyecto de investigación y la información catalogada en el Fondo de Documentación de Sagardoetxea, posibilitan la creación de la exposición “Emakume ekintzaileak sagardogintzan” que relata la vida de cuatro mujeres vinculadas a la sidra que vivieron entre los siglos XVI y XVIII. La investigadora Lourdes Odriozola ha analizado sentencias y documentos legales, y gracias a la información obtenida, la exposición describe la sociedad de la época y la situación de la sidra, información que ha sido completada con ilustraciones de Jokin Mitxelena.
Valientes, listas, de las que no se amedrentan ante las injusticias. Así eran María Labayen, María de Echevarría, Ana de Beroiz y Fagola, y María Josefa de Orobio. Además, fueron emprendedoras y la sidra fue la base de su oficio o negocio. Precisamente, ése es el único vínculo entre estas mujeres. Pero son sólo cuatro ejemplos, ya que muchas mujeres trabajaron en la venta o producción de manzana y sidra. También en su transporte, ya que eran las bateleras quienes solían llevar a las personas y las mercancías, entre otras, la sidra, de un lado a otro del Puerto de Pasaia.
“Cider rivers, source of life”
A walkthrough exhibition that shows how rivers have long circulated communication and economic and social relations. The “cider rivers” Urumea and Oria were a source of life and wealth, highways of antiquity, and pioneering centres of technology. This exhibition compiles informational panels, models, and ethnographic elements to show our cultural heritage.
“Cider-making in our country houses”:
Cider was, and continues to be, the drink par excellence of the Basques and was once even a main form of sustenance. However, the trajectory of the cider sector has not been homogenous and it has undergone substantial changes throughout history, due to several causes. This exhibition tries to show this reality as well as the interrelation between the world of cider and the Basque country house.
Tourist experiences:
“SagarBike”:
Enjoy a bike ride alongside the Urumea River to Astigarraga, the heart of cider country. At Sagardoetxea, the Basque Cider Museum, you will discover the secrets of cider culture and enjoy a guided tasting session with txotx-style cider, apple-based products and tapas. You will return to Donostia having known this ancestral rite which is closely tied to our gastronomy. Txotx!
“Cider and the sea”:
This is an experience where you discover the importance that cider had past centuries in naval expeditions, being a good antidote for one of the most feared diseases in the sea: scurvy.
“Cheese and cider”:
This experience lets you learn about the origin and the process of making cheese and cider, and there is a tasting of these Basque products afterwards.
“Museum + Cider house”:
This experience immerses you into cider culture by visiting the Sagardoetxea Museum and enjoying the traditional “txotx” ritual at a traditional cider house.
Events:
“Sagardo Berriaren Eguna”:
This is when we celebrate to beginning the “txotx” season at Basque cider houses. This act of presentation is held the Wednesday before Donostia-San Sebastian Day (January 20th) and in recent years, the people in charge of opening the new season come as celebrities:
- 1994, Bertsolari, Andoni EGAÑA
- 1995, Football player, José Mari BAKERO
- 1996, Football coach Javier CLEMENTE
- 1997, Pelotari Julián RETEGI
- 1998, Cyclist Miguel INDURAIN
- 1999, Restorer Juan Mari ARZAK
- 2000, Physicist Pedro Miguel ETXENIKE
- 2001, Cyclist Joane SOMARRIBA
- 2002, Marathon runner Martín FIZ
- 2003, Cyclist Abraham OLANO
- 2004, Football players Periko, Mikel, and Xabi ALONSO
- 2005, Soprano Ainhoa ARTETA
- 2006, Rower Jose Luis KORTA
- 2007, Pelotari Juan MARTINEZ DE IRUJO
- 2008, Chef Andoni LUIS ADURIZ
- 2009, Pelotari Aimar OLAIZOLA
- 2010, THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF FOOTBALL
- 2011, Chef Karlos ARGUIÑANO
- 2012, Presenter Julian IANTZI
- 2013, Music group LA OREJA DE VAN GOGH
- 2014, The KALAKAN group
- 2015, Stars of the film LOREAK
- 2016, Surfer ARITZ ARANBURU
- 2017, Chef ENEKO ATXA
- 2018, Mountaineer ALBERTO IÑURRATEGI
- 2019, The journalist OLATZ ARRIETA
- 2020, The singer IZARO
- 2021, The TV hosts Ander Gonzalez and Gabriela Uriarte, from A BOCADOS
- 2022, The AMAK taldea group
- 2023, The actors AITZIBER GARMENDIA and JON PLAZAOLA
- 2024, The singer IÑIGO ETXEZARRETA of ETS (En Tol Sarmiento)
Sagardo Eguna (Cider Day) in Astigarraga
On July 26th, the day of Santa Ana, the Sagardo Eguna (Cider Day) is celebrated in Astigarraga, where around 20 local producers give their products to the public to taste and enjoy. This particular Sagardo Eguna is the oldest in the Basque Country.
Sagar Uzta
Sagar Uzta is the apple festival and celebrates the beginning of the press work with various activities focused on cider culture and the apple. The process of making the first wort of the harvest: picking, crushing, and pressing apples.
Research
Every year, we carry out research work in different archives and documentation funds to gather information related to cider culture, which results in the creation of new exhibitions, tourist experiences, etc.
Documentation Centre
Sagardoetxea – Basque Cider Museum has a documentation centre that specializes in Basque cider and currently has a total of 9,000 documents in the “Newspaper Archive” and “Documentation Archive”, 30,000 photos in “Photo archive” and 600 pieces in “Inventory”.
Publications
Cider Country Newsletter:
This publication gathers information about the work performed in the apple orchards, the cider-making process, aspects related to cider culture, cooking with apple derivatives, tourism around cider, etc. Four newsletters are published throughout the year.
Cider dictionary
This is a publication in Basque that contains almost 500 words from the world of cider and various illustrations of the Basque cider culture.
Promotional material
Maps, guides, brochures of Sagardoetxea, tourist brochures, dossiers, postcards, posters, digital catalogues, web applications, etc.
Did you know...
The Museum Network of the Basque Coast has 35 museums, including the Sagardoetxea – Basque Cider Museum. Get the card and activate it at any of these museums to take advantage of its offers and discounts.