Makhila Ainciart Bergara Basque walking stick made traditionally, by hand and custom-made

The traditional Basque walking stick, the makhila or makila, symbolizes an entire way of life, thought, and honor. Elegant, practical, formidable, an object of decoration as well as defense, a distinctive sign or walking companion, it is an essential element of Basque sensibility.
"Makhila" (or makila) means "the stick" in the Basque language.
A jewel of Basque craftsmanship, the makhila or makila is made by the Ainciart Bergara family in Larressore, a village in the Basque Country.

Discover the Ainciart Bergara workshop, the manufacturing process, the ancestral know-how of the only Basque family that makes makhilas by tradition, and has been doing so for 7 generations.

The Ainciart Bergara makhila factory is located in the center of the village of Larressore, along the main road and on the pediment (Basque pelota playing area).

The house is old. Its name, Killoteia, comes from the Basque word for distaff. It was once a renowned linen weaving workshop, but the Ainciart family also made distaffs and makhilas (traditional Basque walking sticks) there. Only the production of makhilas continued under Jean Ainciart. In 1926, his daughter Marie-Jeanne married Jean Bergara, and the makhila became Ainciart Bergara.

The factory workshop can be visited every day, except Sundays and public holidays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Saturday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.).

You can witness the different stages of making a makhila on the very old workbenches, count the medlar twigs as they dry, scrutinize a gallery of photos of artists, politicians or sportsmen who have received a makhila made here: Léon Zitrone, Gérard Klein, César, Charlie Chaplin, Chirac, General de Gaulle, Ronald Reagan, Prince Philip, Pope John Paul II, Platini, Cantona, Lizarazu, the architect Pei, Nelson Mandela and many others, including all the Presidents of the Republic from Lebrun to Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande.

There you will see the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of France) diploma awarded to Jean Bergara in 1936. You can sit on a zuzulu (a traditional wooden stool), listen to all the necessary explanations, and, of course, touch the medlar wood and try out the different models of makhila (traditional walking sticks). The workshop is a certified EPV (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant - Living Heritage Company) and their expertise has been listed in UNESCO's inventory of rare crafts.

SCHEDULES :

• Monday to Friday, from 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 6pm
• Open Saturday mornings from 9am to 12pm
• Closed on public holidays