MAIZPIDE takes its name from the country houses or “Maizpi” nearby. Maiz+bide (way): the way to the MAIZ country houses located in the Lazkaomendi quarter in Lazkao.
     MAIZPIDE Euskaltegia was founded by HABE, an institute run by the Basque Government. The school is managed by a group of teachers who once worked in an earlier Basque School: Goierriko Euskal Eskola.
     MAIZPIDE was established in 1988, but to understand better what the school is today, it is worthwhile to understand where it comes from. To begin, in 1960, the first steps in a literacy campaign in the Basque were taken in the Benedictine monastery in Lazkao, beginnings which certainly bore a great deal of fruit. Then, in July 1975, a first Basque language and literacy course was set up and two years later, in July 1977, the Goierriko Basque School was created with the aim of co-ordinating the literacy project in the region of Goierri (Gipuzkoa). In September 1982, this new project started a year-round school with room and board for students. The project grew and matured gradually…and a few years later, MAIZPIDE was born, a centre well-equipped with technical and human resources.

     MAIZPIDE is a school devoted to teaching the Basque language to adults; the school also offers room and board for those who require it during their stay. Maizpide provides adults with the opportunity to learn all the skills associated with the language. This means that students learn oral and written skills, and are also introduced to the Basque culture.

    MAIZPIDE Euskaltegia is located in the very heart of Basqueland, in Gipuzkoa, in the village of Lazkao, 42 km. far from Donostia-San Sebastián, 97 km. far from Baiona, 65 km. far from Iruñea-Pamplona, 77 km. far from Vitoria-gasteiz, and 86 km. from Bilbo.

    MAIZPIDE reminds many people in Lazkao (population 5,000) of the Basque language. It has a good reputation that is well earned, both in the Basque region and around the world, for its work to revive and standardize the Basque language. This is substantiated by the many people from outside the Basque region who travel to our centre to learn and discover our language and culture, a target reached thanks to many years of work and experience, the benevolence and open-mindedness of the Lazkao people and, above all, the efforts of the people who choose to live in the Basque country. The fruit of all this labour and effort is MAIZPIDE.