Photography - Ivan Andrejic
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Basque Country - The secret of blue and green Two colours will accompany you on your journey through the Basque Country: the green of the incomparable setting of its mountains and valleys, and the blue of the sea. You will see that the Basque people have strong links with these natural environments: land and sea. Both have been determining factors in a lifestyle revealed by their idiosyncrasies, deeply rooted customs, a rich culture, traditional sports... To better understand the nature of these people it is important that you immerse yourself in its traditions, exploring the fishing ports and the life of the countryside... On the coast you will see how the Cantabrian Sea has marked the personality of the neighbouring villages. You will also notice the difference between their inhabitants and the inland people.
If you explore the history of the outstanding figures who have marked the personality of these communities you will discover how their maritime, industrial and agricultural character, always diverse and enterprising, has been bred. And if you find the coastal and inland villages interesting, you will be no less fascinated by the three capitals. Bilbao will surprise you with its transformation from an industrial city to an avant garde metropolis bringing together the great contemporary international architects. San Sebastian, exquisite and unique, will seduce you with its beautiful and stately setting. Vitoria-Gasteiz will show you its rich heritage and why it sets a worldwide benchmark in urban planning. Eating and drinking well is an affordable luxury in the Basque Country: local seasonal products in ‘pintxo’ form with a good wine from the Rioja Alavesa, txakoli or cider. You will be in gourmet paradise!
Donostia/San Sebastian Donostia/San Sebastian is a city that is perched above the sea. It is a daily dance between its inhabitants and the ever-changing Cantabrian waters. Donostia/San Sebastian is world-famous cuisine which is continuously updated and comes and goes on the finest dining tables and the popular pintxo (tapa) bars. It is a movie at the Zinemaldia, the “International Film Festival�, It is a song at one of the famous music festivals that come here every year to change our view of the world. And it is any of the cultural events held in the city every year for all audiences. Every wave that reaches here is a part of Donostia/ San Sebastian. With every wave, the city’s ideas and ways change. And they are also changed by every visitor, with every look, with every experience in the city.
The moment you arrive in San Sebastián, La Concha beach invites you for a dip or a pleasant stroll along the shore, even in winter. The elegance of the bay, framed by the massif of Igueldo and the island of Santa Clara, is known the world over. The city has two other fine urban beaches: if you like walking you can start your stroll on Zurriola beach, frequented by surfing enthusiasts, then skirt round Monte Urgull along the Paseo Nuevo and then go right across the bay to finish on Ondarreta beach. There you are awaited by the Peine del Viento, an impressive large-scale sculpture by Eduardo Chillida and Peña Gantxegi which speaks of the ferocity of the Bay of Biscay. If the natural settings of San Sebastián are wonderful, the good taste of its inhabitants meant that its bridges, squares and buildings had to be even more so. You’ll feel as if you’re revisiting the Belle Époque when you pass in front of the Victoria Eugenia theatre, the Hotel Maria Cristina or the spa hotel of La Perla.
Bilbao If any city is a benchmark for tourists it is unquestionably Bilbao. You will be surprised by its conversion from an industrial centre into a model city designed for living. Everything began with the Guggenheim Bilbao. Neither Frank Gehry’s stunning architecture nor the varied art gallery with its incomparable display of contemporary art will leave you indifferent.
Described as the best building of the second half of the twentieth century, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has completely transformed Bilbao, putting the city on the world map and changing its image. Opened in 1997, it was designed by American architect Frank Gehry, who, after visiting the city, was very clear about its location. «That’s the place», he exclaimed after observing a view of Bilbao from Mount Artxanda. That place was the site of the former Compañía de Maderas timber company, on the left bank of the river. As the architect himself explained, the design is based «on the port that it was and the city it is», symbolizing a ship anchored on the banks of the Nervión. The titanium cladding means that you see, at any time of day, the colours that the light projects onto it. This spectacular building adds to an area where the Nervión makes its marks with pleasant riverside walks. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is surrounded by promenades, parks and recently-built squares, where you can see the work of artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Eduardo Chillida, Yves Klein, Jeff Koons and Fujiko Nakaya. The area around the museum has become an attractive meeting point to enjoy art, refreshments, live music, sports or to play in a children’s play area with avant-garde swings that has an interactive fountain which is a magnet for kids.
Vitoria-Gasteiz You’ll feel it as soon as you arrive - Vitoria-Gasteiz is friendly and convenient, designed for living in: everything is close at hand, including the so-called Green Ring, a perimeter around the city formed by six large parks you can explore on foot or by bicycle. In one of them, Salburua, you can see several lakes which, thanks to their privileged location on a migration route, are visited by a wide variety of birds. Vitoria-Gasteiz gets international certification as a destination for sustainable tourism, Biosphere Responsible Tourism. Another of the treasures Vitoria-Gasteiz has to offer is what is known as the Mediaeval Almond, so-called because of its shape, one of the finest old quarters in the Basque Country. The Gothic cathedral of Santa María will be first on your list. It occurred to somebody that long-term restoration work on the building could be taken advantage of to show visitors and history lovers just how it was constructed. A brilliant idea! Over a million visitors have already explored its naves, atrium and walls. Novelists like Ken Follett and Toti Martínez de Lezea have taken inspiration from the cathedral to tell the stories in their books. Old Gasteiz also boasts the status of a Historic Site. Its street names – Cuchillería, Herrería, Pintorería, Correría, etc. – recall the trades of the guilds (cutlers, smiths, painters and harness makers, respectively) to which they were home.
Rioja Alavesa Wine Route The Rioja Alavesa Wine Route invites you to enjoy, a plethora of activities connected to the exciting world of wine throughout the entire year. The Rioja Alavesa has become a must for travel enthusiasts, connoisseurs, professionals and anyone who wants to take part in an exciting experience involving wine, gastronomy and exceptional scenery. Rioja Alavesa, with its unusual layout and the many activities on the Wine Route, is one of the most attractive wine regions on the international scene and an inexcusable destination for the traveller seeking flavours, landscapes and unique sensations. In Rioja Alavesa tourism, architecture, art and, of course, wine and gastronomy flow together. Earth and wine are the main features of the character and landscapes of the region, where the wine culture is evident.
Laguardia This medieval town is the capital of Rioja Alavesa. It was founded in the 10th century as a defence for the Kingdom of Navarre and its medieval layout has remained almost intact. There await the fortified churches of San Juan Bautista and Santa MarĂa de los Reyes, whose portico was polychromed by Juan Francisco de Rivera in the 17th century. The streets of Laguardia are full of splendid medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical buildings. Among them is the 14th century Casa de la Primicia, the oldest civil building in the town. A walled town and an important vantage point in the past, today Laguardia welcomes visitors with open arms and fine food and drink. The winding mediaeval street plan of Laguardia, the old gates into the town and the surviving remains of its walls will carry you back in time, just like the neolithic and bronze age remains found nearby, the oldest agricultural communities discovered in the Basque Country.
Salinas de AĂąana Salt Valley The AĂąana salt flats, 30 km from VitoriaGasteiz, are one of the oldest salt factories in the world, with more than 6.500 years of history. Its prized salt is completely pure, as it comes from an ancient sea of more than 200 million years. The Salt Valley in the Alavese locality of AĂąana is currently one of the most spectacular and best preserved cultural landscapes in Europe. Its value lies not only in its unique architecture or in its more than 6,500 years of documented of history, not even in its geological characteristics, its biodiversity or in its prized landscapes, but in the union in perfect harmony of all this in a privileged context.
Gernika Gernika is a town with its own charm, a unique history, a heritage worth highlighting, delicious gastronomy and a natural setting that makes it ones of the most charming municipalities of Urdaibai, Biscay and Euskadi. Founded in 1366 by Don Tello, whose statue presides over the Plaza de los Fueros, its history took a sharp turn when in 1937 it sustained a tragic bombardment by German planes, destroying 90% of the locality. Curiously, important buildings such as the Casa de Juntas and the Tree of Guernica, and Santa MarĂa Church were left untouched. Ever since, Gernika has worked on rebuilding from forgiveness and this is evidenced by the Museum of Peace that is housed by the locality to disseminate the culture of peace. Gernika is a symbol of Basque freedoms, since it is the cradle of the Tree of Gernika and also a municipality that proudly preserves its traditions.
Urdaibai bird center Urdaibai Bird Center is a space open to the public. A great bird research centre and a privileged observatory of the tideland, it is ultimately a great live museum of nature where birds set the course. An obligatory stop for ornithology lovers and for all those who enjoy the spectacle of nature. It is located in Gautegiz Arteaga, in the very heart of the Reserve, and has some amazing views. It is a centre managed by the Aranzadi Sciences Society, which is engaged in scientific research and dissemination on birds, their migrations and the habitats where they live.
Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve At its heart is the river Oka, born on Monte Oiz and which flows out into an estuary at Mundaka, creating some spectacular wetlands that teem with life. Fish eagles, spoonbills and eurasian bittern are some of the birds which are scarce elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula but which you can see here. The setting is a paradise for birds. Urdaibai boasts some of the finest, most popular beaches in the Basque Country, including that of Laida, with its constantlychanging size and shape, or the spectacular beach of Laga, at the foot of the imposing cliffs of Peñón de Ogoño, described by many as “the closest thing to paradise”.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe In the middle of the Basque coast, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is catalogued as protected biotope and far from any urban nucleus. This idyllic place is located between the coastal towns of Bakio and Bermeo joined to the coast by a stone bridge and a 241-step staircase. The church we see today unfortunately is not the original one. Over the centuries there have been fires and battles and the church has had to be rebuilt on multiple occasions. It is believed that the first hermitage was erected in the 9th century. In the 12th century, it became a convent. However, two centuries later the friars left the place taking all the valuables with them. Gaztelugatxe has been the scenario of pirates covens and legends and it is no coincidence that it accumulates titles of “most voted wonder” or “most valued” enclave by travellers from around the world. Do not forget to ring the hermitage bell three times in order to attract good luck and chase away evil spirits. At the end of the steps you can step in a footprint said to have been left by Saint John the Baptist and to bring good luck.
Lekeitio Lekeitio is a nice fishing village located on the coast of Bizkaia, in the Lea-Artibai region and based on the slopes of Otoio (399m) and Lumentza Mountains. The river Lea flows into the sea in the municipality between Isuntza and Karraspio beaches, leaving to the left San NicolĂĄs Island. The streets of Lekeitio give the opportunity of enjoying an abundant artistic heritage, represented by the basilica of the AsunciĂłn de Santa MarĂa, with its magnificent gold-plated Gothic altarpiece, considered the third biggest in the Spanish state. Likewise, there are other interesting spots to visit such as the Uriarte, Oxangoiti, Uribarri and Abaroa palaces.
Geopark - Zumaia The Basque Coast Geopark is a small area wedged in between the Bay of Biscay and the Basque mountains and comprising the municipalities of Mutriku, Deba and Zumaia. At first sight, what makes the Geopark stand out is the harmony of the various tones of green of its meadows and forests that follow one after the other from the coastline and extend inland. But the true interest of this place is to be found in its bowels. Geology is the true protagonist of a landscape that preserves the history of some of the most dramatic episodes in the Earth’s recent history. The 13 km of cliffs in the Geopark have a spectacular formation of rock layers known as Flysch deposits, which in the manner of a large encyclopaedia show us over 60 million years of the history of the Earth.