Things to Do in Guernica, Spain: Walking Guide

The best things to do in Guernica are to explore its places of historical memory, discover the symbols of Basque political tradition and admire its distinctive civic and religious architecture. The town’s story is closely connected with the bombing of 1937, the Tree of Gernika and the historic laws of Biscay. Neywo has a free audio guide for Guernica with 7 narrated places, helping you discover these sites as you walk.

Guernica, also known as Gernika-Lumo, is an important cultural stop in the Basque Country. Its main sights can be visited on foot, in a route that brings together museums, memorials, churches, squares and historic political buildings.

What to See in Guernica

Museo de la Paz de Guernica

On Foru Square, opposite the town hall, the Museo de la Paz de Guernica—also known as the Gernika Peace Museum—connects the town’s history with the wider idea of peace.

The museum was created by the city government in 1998, with a focus on local history and especially the bombing suffered by Guernica during the Spanish Civil War on April 26, 1937. It reopened in 2003 as a foundation involving the Provincial Council, the Basque Government and the city government. Its renewed project placed greater emphasis on peace culture and on understanding the consequences of the town’s traumatic past.

Santa María Church

Santa María Church stands on a steep site near the boundary between Guernica and the parish of Lumo. Construction began in the middle of the sixteenth century, and the building was completed in 1660 with the finishing of the choir.

The church combines Gothic and Renaissance elements. Its entrance portal is Gothic, while the interior is predominantly Renaissance, with three naves, an apse and cross vaults made from dressed stone and rubble masonry. Eight classical Ionic pillars add an elegant detail. Inside, the Renaissance choir and the sweeping vaults created by the Cantabrian stonemason Antonio Ortiz de la Colina are particularly notable. The building also contains a Walckler organ, and its bell tower was made by Manuel Kapelastegi.

The Tree of Gernika

Gernikako Arbola, or the Tree of Gernika, stands in the gardens of the House of Assemblies. This oak represents the traditional freedoms of Biscay and the historic laws known as the fueros.

For generations, important oaths were made beneath the tree. The Lords of Biscay—including the kings of Castile and Carlist claimants to the throne—swore to respect Biscayan liberties here. Today, the Lehendakari, the president of the Basque Country, swears the oath of office at this place.

There has not been just one Tree of Gernika. Each successive tree has grown from the seed of its predecessor. The previous tree was planted in 1860 and declared dead in 2004 after producing descendants that are now spread around the world. The current oak was planted on February 25, 2005. Nearby, the Old Oak stands beneath a round, temple-like shelter. It is not the first Tree of Gernika, but it is the oldest one to have survived into the present day.

Gure Aitaren Etxea

Gure Aitaren Etxea is a memorial sculpture created by Eduardo Chillida. Its name and setting invite reflection on the bombing of Guernica in 1937, one of the most painful events in the town’s history.

Together with the Peace Museum, the sculpture adds a contemporary artistic perspective to Guernica’s landscape of remembrance.

Casa de Juntas de Gernika

Casa de Juntas de Gernika, also known as Gernikako Batzarretxea, is one of the town’s most politically significant places. This monumental ensemble is centred on the Tree of Gernika, beneath which the Assemblies of the Lordship of Biscay were traditionally held.

Beside the tree stands a building that was once the church of Santa María La Antigua. The tree, the former church and the Assembly House express the connection between civic life, Basque political tradition and the historic liberties of Biscay.

Euskal Herria Museoa

Euskal Herria Museoa, also known as Euskal Herriko Museoa, is housed in Montefuerte Palace, which is also called Alegria Palace. The historic palace provides the setting for a museum visit in the centre of Guernica.

It is a useful stop for connecting the town’s cultural heritage with its historic architecture.

La Unión Plaza

La Unión Plaza, known in Basque as Pasileku, is a central public square whose name recalls the union of Lumo and Guernica. The two towns joined together as a single municipality the year before the square was inaugurated in 1883, and the name La Unión was chosen to celebrate that event.

The plaza formed part of major urban development in Guernica. A public-school building stood here in the nineteenth century, and a second was added on the opposite side in 1923. On the western side, steps lead up to the Assembly House of Guernica.

The square also has a more recent history. The sculpture Homage to the Fighters was installed here in 2018, within part of a large landscaped roundabout. Following protests about the size of the roundabout, the sculpture was removed in 2019 and remained in a smaller space within La Unión Plaza.

Guernica Self-Guided Walking Tour

A Guernica self-guided walking tour is a simple way to connect the town’s main sites without joining a group. Neywo’s walk, Gernika: Oak, Law and Peace, covers 0.79 km, takes 49 minutes and includes 7 narrated stops:

• Museo de la Paz de Guernica
• Santa María Church
• Gernikako Arbola
• Gure Aitaren Etxea
• Casa de Juntas de Gernika
• Euskal Herria Museoa
• La Unión Plaza

The route brings together Guernica’s museums, memorials, religious heritage and political symbols in one compact walk. If you are exploring more of the region, you can continue to Bilbao, San Sebastián or Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Download Neywo and Explore Guernica

Download Neywo for a free Guernica audio guide covering 7 narrated places. The app includes 1 walking tour: Gernika: Oak, Law and Peace, a 0.79 km route lasting 49 minutes with 7 stops.

Each story plays as you reach the place it describes, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, so you can explore Guernica while listening to the history of each site. For more ideas across the country, browse the Spain destination guide or continue through the Basque Country.