Torre Loizaga hosts company meetings, management gatherings, incentives, conventions, gala dinners and weddings in more than 1,500 square meters of indoor halls, with gardens, a moat and a pool area outside. The rebuilt medieval fortress stands in Galdames, in the Encartaciones district of Bizkaia, about 30 kilometers from Bilbao, and houses a collection of Rolls-Royce and other classic cars.
Seminars and company events
The venue sells meetings for companies and senior management, incentives, team building, conventions and gala dinners, and it is also used for filming, advertising and fashion shows. Delegates at a congress or a company meeting can visit the car museum as part of their program, and Bilbao is close enough to add a museum visit in the city to a conference day. Past events include a gala dinner for the opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997, the annual High Motors show, a meeting of the Bizkaia bartenders' association and a wine tasting with Bodegas Crusoe Treasure and Basquetour.
Weddings and receptions
The indoor halls can be set for a ceremony, a banquet, a cocktail or dancing, and the gardens of centuries-old olive trees suit an outdoor wedding. The walls keep the grounds private, and cars from the collection can appear in the photographs. In 2015 Torre Loizaga hosted a Hindu wedding of nearly 300 guests over several days. The moat was filled with tents, bars and a dance floor, the civil ceremony took place in the Sala de la Música, the cocktail was served in the Sala Silver Ghost and the dinner in the large dining room. When rain fell on the day of the Hindu ceremony, it moved from the pool area into one of the tower's salons.
Rooms and capacities
The halls total more than 1,500 square meters and are arranged for each event. Named spaces include the Sala de la Música, the Sala Silver Ghost, where the finest cars of the Rolls-Royce collection are displayed, and the large dining room. Outside are the olive tree gardens, the moat and the pool area with its pergola. Capacities per room are not published, so ask the team for figures that match your format.
Catering
The site does not describe an in-house kitchen. For the 2015 wedding, dinner was served by an outside caterer and the family brought its own cooks. Confirm the catering arrangements when you enquire.
History and setting
The fortress was built in the 14th century as the stronghold of the Ochoa García de Loyzaga lineage. Its ruins were rescued by Miguel de la Vía, a businessman and collector born in Galdames, who rebuilt the complex over decades of craftsmanship to house his cars. The walls rise about 25 meters, with loopholes and battlements, and an outer wall with towers, a barbican and a drawbridge surrounds the tower. The collection began with Rolls-Royce and covers prestige marques from the early years of the automobile to the present.
Getting there
The address is Barrio Concejuelo, 48191 Galdames, Bizkaia, about 30 kilometers from Bilbao. The site lists no accommodation, so guests stay in Bilbao hotels, as they did for the 2015 wedding. Bilbao Airport is the nearest airport.
