This Idaho Neighborhood Has More Basque Culture Than Anywhere Else in America – And Maybe Outside Europe

The Basque Block in Boise, Idaho

Downtown Boise has a secret: a whole block of Basque culture. The food’s real, the music’s live, and families have been keeping their traditions alive here since their great-grandparents herded sheep in Idaho. It’s the closest you’ll get to Basque Country without a passport.

Original Brick Building Serves as Historic House Museum

The Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga House from 1864, still stands as one of Boise’s oldest brick buildings. The Jacobs family first lived here but in 1910 it became a boarding home for Basque immigrants, Domingo and Ramona Uberuaga until 1969.

The house still contains an original 19th-century wood-burning stove used by boarders for cooking traditional Basque meals.

The bedrooms upstairs show how Basque immigrants lived when they first came to America, complete with traditional striped Basque blankets, and a handmade wooden trunk brought from the Basque Country.

Indoor Court Keeps Traditional Sport Alive

Inside the Anduiza Building sits one of the few indoor handball courts still standing in America.

The Anduiza Fronton’s walls are closer to 30 feet high, slightly smaller than some traditional Basque courts in Spain. This 1912 structure retains a fronton (35 feet by 105 feet) playing host to countless games of pelota, the traditional Basque handball game. Players still use wooden paddles and leather balls on the original wooden floor.

Above the court, you can see the old viewing area where people would gather to watch intense matches, following rules that haven’t changed for hundreds of years.

Ancient Language Appears Everywhere

A large mural in the Basque Museum shows off a language older than any other in Europe. The first written evidence of Euskara dates back to the 1st century BCE, with the discovery of the “Hand of Irulegi” artifact in 2021.

A stone marker in the Basque Block includes an Euskara inscription dedicated to the Basque immigrants in the late 19th century. The historic Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga House has letters, signs, and documents from Basque immigrants who spoke Euskara.

Building Design Shows Cultural Blend

Look closely at the buildings on Grove Street and you’ll see a mix of Western American and Basque styles. On a tour, you’ll come across the eguzkilore (sun thistle), a protective symbol seen on Boise’s Basque Block houses.

The doors have wooden frames carved with Basque patterns, while window frames sport the red and green colors of the Basque flag. Some buildings incorporate ironwork with Basque motifs while granite inserts on the block display surnames of Basque families who settled in Boise.

Wine Making Became a Major Income

Some Basque families in Idaho made wine during Prohibition, storing it in cellars similar to those found in the Basque Block.

Today, the Basque Market offers a wide selection of wines from the Basque Country and Spain. Try Kalimotxo, a drink of wine and cola, super traditional at Basque Block.

This August, the WinterFest will share more than 100 wines, raffle prizes, music, and dancing while raising funds for the Basque Museum.

Sidewalk Markers Record Family History

Granite plaques in the red brick walkways honor the legacy of Basque immigrants in Idaho. Each marker displays a family name, their Basque hometown, and the year they arrived in Idaho.

Public art on the block includes murals depicting aspects of Basque life, including seafaring and traditional dances.

These permanent markers serve as an outdoor tribute to Boise’s Basque community, created with input from the Basque Museum & Cultural Center. While some include symbols related to Basque heritage, other exhibits provide more details on sheep herding.

Oak Tree Represents Ancient Meeting Place

A special oak tree (planted in 1987) grows in the middle of the Basque Block, with soil from Gernika, Spain. This tree honors the famous Tree of Gernika, where Basque leaders meet to make important decisions.

Each year, the Boise Basque community gathers around their oak for special ceremonies like Aberri Eguna (Basque Homeland Day). Just like the original tree in Gernika, this one stands for the Basque people’s long history of democratic traditions.

Street Music Creates a Lively Atmosphere

Swing to Fandangoa” (a lively Basque dance tune) at special events such as Jaialdi and the San Inazio Festival as you watch Bertsolaris perform.

You might hear verse singers play the txistu (a three-hole flute) and tambourine, commonly featured in cultural demonstrations. The Oinkari Basque Dancers bring authentic music from Euskadi to life in their performances.

The Basque Museum & Cultural Center in Boise holds its collection of Basque music, including work songs from Idaho’s Basque sheepherders.

District Supports Local Economy

Jaialdi, the major Basque festival held every five years in Basque Block brings an estimated $8–10 million to Boise’s economy.

Many businesses here have belonged to the same Basque families for generations, including Bar Gernika (est. 1991) and The Basque Market (est. 2000). City planners and cultural groups from around the country study this area as an example of successful preservation.

In 2016, the Basque Block was highlighted in discussions about historic preservation at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.

Restaurant Kitchen Preserves Food Traditions

The restaurants here cook the same way Basque boarding houses did in the 1890s. The recipes come from old handwritten cookbooks that immigrant families brought with them from their homeland.

They bring in special ingredients like sheep’s cheese from Idiazábal and peppers from Espelette.

Chefs still cook lamb over grapevine wood and prepare Bacalao or salt cod on wooden boards. The Basque Market and Leku Ona offer pintxos (small tapas-style dishes) similar to those found in the Basque Country today.

Street Contains Historic Items for Future Discovery

During the 1999 street renovation, workers buried a time capsule under the Basque Block’s brick path. Granite slabs engraved with Basque surnames were added to the block during this renovation.

Inside, they placed a wooden flute called a txistu, letters from Basque community elders, and soil from both Boise and the Basque Country. When people open the capsule in 2099, they’ll explore the story of how Basques kept their culture alive in Idaho.