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Wise Pilgrim APPBalmaseda is the terminus for the Bilbao-Balmaseda train line — useful if you want to slice up these first flat kilometers differently. The town has a medieval bridge with a tower that's one of the most photographed spots on the early Olvidado. There's a Hotel Convento San Roque and an albergue that takes pilgrims.
Balmaseda is a pleasant town with all services. It's the last town in the Pais Vasco before crossing into the province of Burgos.
After Balmaseda, the landscape changes as you enter Burgos province and the Valle de Mena. It becomes much less urban — forests, dirt paths, streams. Still not much elevation. The walking is pleasant if not spectacular.
