Erandioko udaletxea - Ayuntamiento de Erandio

Erandio Town Hall (Ayuntamiento de Erandio) is the seat of local government for Erandio, a town in Biscay, in the Basque Country, sitting on the banks of the Nervión estuary a short distance from Bilbao.

What does the town hall building look like?

The building follows a symmetrical layout split into two clearly separate sections: an administrative wing and a wing that historically housed the local schools — a combination common in Basque town halls of the period, when municipal government and public education often shared a single structure. The exterior is sober and solid, built largely of stone. The different floors are clearly marked by moulded cornices running along the façade, and the ground floor opens onto a wide, continuous portico stretching the full length of the building — a feature typical of Baroque-era town halls in the region.

How old is the building, and what came before it?

Erandio had no casa consistorial of its own until the end of the 18th century, and the building standing today was not completed until the closing decades of the 19th century. The town's original settlement core, known as Erandiogoikoa, was essentially rural and grew up around the church of Santa María (Andra Mari in Basque). It was only well into the 19th century, driven by growing industrial activity along the estuary, that Erandio began expanding toward the water — a shift that reshaped the town for the century that followed.

What else is worth seeing near the town hall?

The best-preserved historic building in the municipality is the church of Andra Mari, considered one of the more notable Gothic structures in Biscay. Standing right beside it is the Martiartu tower, the other key landmark of pre-industrial Erandio. Beyond these two sites, the older parts of town still show their rural roots: stone defensive towers, centuries-old farmhouses (caseríos), and scattered religious buildings sit alongside views over the estuary that recall the area's later industrial past.

Where exactly is Erandio located?

Erandio lies right at the heart of the Nervión estuary, flanked by the hills of San Pablo and San Bernabé, within the wider Uribe Kosta–Txorierri area of Biscay. Its position on the water shaped its history at every stage — first as a rural parish, later as a hub tied to riverside and port-related industry — and its closeness to Bilbao makes it an easy addition to a visit centred on the Biscay capital.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Erandio Town Hall? It is the seat of Erandio's municipal government in Biscay, a building that also serves as one of the reference points of the town centre.

When was the current town hall built? The building in its present form dates from the end of the 19th century; before that, Erandio had no dedicated casa consistorial at all.

What else can visitors see in Erandio besides the town hall? The Gothic church of Andra Mari is the town's best-preserved historic landmark, and the neighbouring Martiartu tower represents the pre-industrial period of Erandio's history.

How far is Erandio from Bilbao? Erandio sits on the Nervión estuary between the San Pablo and San Bernabé hills, close enough to Bilbao that the two are easily combined in a single visit.