PAIS VASCO INGLES 2772.qxp:PAIS VASCO

Transcription

UNITED KINGDOM. London
Spanish Tourist Office
2nd floor, 79 New Cavendish
Street
London W1A 6XB
% 44207/ 317 20 10
) 44207/ 317 20 48
www.spain.info/uk
e-mail: [email protected]
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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Chicago
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East
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Spain
Página 1
The Basque Country
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14/8/09
The Basque Country
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Serrano, 109
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Guipúzcoa
Vizcaya
Álava
I
Introduction
C O N T E N T S
1
London
Paris
France
Bay of Biscay
The Basque Country
Portugal
Madrid
Lisbon
B
Mediterranean
Sea
SANTANDER 121 km
Ceuta
Melilla
Cover:
Abanto y Ciervana. Vizcaya
Cover inset:
Playa de La Concha.
Donostia-San Sebastián
Published by:
© Turespaña
Secretaría de Estado
de Turismo
Text:
Heda Comunicación
Translation:
Hilary Dyke
Photographs:
Archivo Turespaña; Acuarium de
San Sebastián; Agromayor; Alvira, F.;
Blanco, M.; Garrido, A.; González Grande, J.L.;
Ministerio de Industria,
López, J.; Muñoz, M.; Ontañón, F.;
Turismo y Comercio
Pascual Lobo, J.J.; Raurich, M.; Zabalza, R.
Graphic Design:
P&L MARÍN
Printed by:
AGSM S.A.
D.L. AB-387-2009
NIPO: 704-09-514-5
Printed in Spain
2nd edition
go
eO
Legutiano
Gopegi Embalse
de Urrunaga Embal
Zaitegi
Vilaño
de Ullib
Ziriano
Abezia
Abornikano Jugo N-622
Ayorrabe
Berberana
Domaikia
Anda
Beech
forest
Araca
Medina
Bóveda
Artaza-Escota La LlanadaDurana d
Luna AP-68
de Pomar
PARQUE NATURAL
Osma
N-I
Lalastra
Martioda
DE VALDEREJO
Arriano
Gobeo
Tobillas
Villanueva
ZuhatzuJocano
Villamardones
de
Valdegovía
S
Mendoza
Nofuentes
Ormijana Kuartango
Ribera
de
Armentia
Subijana Villodas
Añana-Gesaltza/
VITORIA
Villanañe
Salinas de Añana Lasierra Nanclares de la Oca/
Toll motorway
GASTEI
Espejo
Langraiz Oka
Free motorway/Expressway
Pobes
Bergüenda/
Arreo
Bergonda
N-I
Leciñana
National road
Puentelarra/
de la Oca
O
Zubilarra
Treviño
EBR
Primary network road
Añastro
Salcedo/
Sase
Saratsu
Secondary network road
B U R G O S
Mijancas
del Ribero
S PA I N
Atlantic Ocean
od
59
o
General information
ak
54
itx
Leisure and shows
United
Kingdom
atx
29
29
34
40
45
49
Dublin
oM
Tours of the provinces
Nature in Álava
Coastal Guipúzcoa
Inland Guipúzcoa
Coastal Vizcaya
Inland Vizcaya
Ireland
Ca
b
8
8
15
23
SANTANDER 41 km
Tours of the capitals
Bilbao
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Ca
b
Introduction
strip, where rainfall is heavy
and the weather varies little
from one season to another.
Covering an area of 7,234.8 km2, Inland, the climate is
continental, with cold winters,
the most striking feature
hot summers and lower
of the Basque Country, or
Euskadi, is its diversity. Bathed rainfall. In the region known
as Rioja Alavesa, nestling in
by the Cantabrian Sea to the
the Ebro basin, a microclimate
north and by the waters of
of abundant sunshine and
the River Ebro to the south,
Basigo
scant rainfall
is ideal
for grape
it lies astraddle the Meseta,
Armintza (Bakio) Bermeo
Santoña
San Juan de
Mundaka Elantxobe
and
wine-growing.
or central
tableland,
and
Elexalde
(Gorliz)
Gaztelugatxe
Laredo
Elexalde
Elexalde (Barrika)
Urizar Ergoien Sukarrieta
E
the sea,
with
the
Cordillera
Plentzia
A-8
N-634
Castro-Urdiales Sopelana
Axpe
Ispaster-Elejald
Butrón Garai
Berango
Elexalde
A mass of green, the Mesterika
Basque
Cantábrica on one sideAbanto
and
S
Zierbena
Algorta Elizalde Mungia Kanpantxua
Ampuero
Gernika- Enderikas
Country’s
is dabbed
the Pyrenees
onSanthe
Santurtzi
Juanother.
(Muskiz)The
Leioalandscape
Ergoien Aldai
Lumo Mendieta E
Portugalete
Chilly
A woodland
N T A Bof R
A
with oak trees in the coastal
theI Aralar
LoiolaGallarta Sestao Altzaga Arteaga
Rasines
Ugarte
Agüera
Elejalde
hills and valleys
and with
mountain
range
(1,428
m),
the
Ramales
Larrabetzu
Aretxalde
La Iglesia San Vicente de Barakaldo/
de la Victoria Herboso
beechBILBAO
trees at altitudes
Aitzkorri
peak (1,546San
m)Bizenti-Barakaldo
and San Pedro
Kurtzea of Amorebieta Ziortz
Biáñez
Guera
Embalse Arizgoiti
Elexalde
La Matanza San Miguel de Linares
more
than
700
m.
Vast areas
theTreto
Gorbeia
tor
(1,475
m)
act
Avellaneda
de
Nocedal
Concha
Ma
Balmaseda Mimetiz Güeñes Arrigorriaga Zaratamo Lemoa A-8 Garai Ola
Iurreta
Pando
reforested
with
as aSangrices
dividing
line between
the have been
UgaoElexalde
Arene
Sandamendi
Bernales
Aldeacueva
Miraballes
Durango
Lanzas
Zelaia
A
fast-growing
species
like
mountainous
coastal areas of Zudiviarte
Elejalde
Mañaria
Agudas
Zubialde
Santecilla
N-629
Llodio
Ugarana
Herriko
Plaza
eucalyptus
and
pine.
Guipúzcoa and
EmbalseVizcaya and Artziniega
PARQUE NA
Bengoechea
i ala
Gordeliz
de Ordunte
Areatza
a l l e de A
DE URKI
Zuazathe plains and in the Plaza
the inland plains of Álava.Quejana V On
Urkiola
Zubiaur
Arespalditza/
Villasana
Arbaiza the scenery
Ipiñaburu is
Respaldiza
of Álava,
Winds
blowingdeinMena
from the Erbi valleys
Bercedo
Ibarr
N-240
PARQUE NATURAL
Castrobarto
DEof
GORBEIA
Amurrio
Añés
sketched
by
fields
potatoes,
Cantabrian
Sea
bring
mild
Angulo
de Mena
Otxandi
San Juan
Villabasil
Belandia
temperatures
to the coastal Urduña-Orduña
cereal and Inoso
other crops. Etxaguen
Barcenillas
U R
Quincoces
de Yuso
G
O
Local road
Railway
Parador/state hotel
Shrine-Monastery
Nature park
Golf course
Nautical sports centre
Spa
Camp site
Airport
Caves
Lighthouse
BURGOS 23 km
Goiuri
Artomaña
Delika Izarra
Villacián
S
Miranda de Ebro
Pancorbo
AP-1
Foncea
N-232
Sajazarra
Altube
Murgia
Santurde
Zambrana
Berganzo
Baj
Ocio
Loza
Peñacerrada/
N-124 Urizaharra
L
Labastida/Bastida Montoria
E
Samaniego
Haro
Leza R
Briones
Treviana
Cuzcurrita de
Río Tirón
Ochánduri
Cerezo
Tormantos
de Río Tirón
BURGOS 51 km
L A
N-232
Rodezno
R I O J A
Santo Domingo
de la Calzada
Hormilleja
N-120
Navaridas
Elciego
La Pueb
Lapue
Uruñuela
Na
The Elvillar dolmen
The territory’s rich natural
heritage is guarded in a
number of spaces and nature
parks (Urkiola, Gorbeia,
Valderejo, Izki, Pagoeta,
Aralar, Aiako Harria and
Aitzkorri) and in the Reserve
of the Biosphere at Urdaibai.
All these places provide a
privileged habitat for eagles,
griffon vultures, kites and
sparrowhawks, otters,
squirrels, martens, foxes,
dormice, deer and roe deer,
wild boar and a small
colony of wolves. The animal
population is completed with
sizeable herds of livestock,
mainly sheep, cows and
horses, including some
autochthonous breeds
like the small horse known
as the pottoka and the cow
known as the betizu.
Archaeological digs have
revealed that the earliest
settlers made the Basque
Country their home
40,000 years ago. The first
known references to
the Basques were made
by the Greek-Egyptian
astronomer, geographer and
mathematician, Claudius
Ptolemaeus, or Ptolemy, who
says that Pre-Roman Hispanic
tribes of Autrigones and
Várdulos and also groups
of Caristios inhabited the
lands lying between the River
Nervión and the Pyrenees.
When Romans, Goths, Arabs
and other peoples occupied
the Iberian Peninsula, they
barely touched on the lands
of the Basque Country,
save for the more accessible
areas of Álava, where their
influence was stronger. From
the Middle Ages onwards, the
history of Álava, Guipúzcoa
and Vizcaya was linked to
The Saturrarán Beach
The Gorbeia Nature Park
Castile, although the three
territories maintained their
autonomy through special
charters. In the nineteenth
century, the Basque Country
witnessed a major industrial
revolution and, on the
political front, a period
of great unrest, with three
Carlist Wars in which
centralists and defenders
of the Basque charters,
a new statute for home
rule, the Gernika Statute,
approved in 1979.
Monument to the Charters
traditions and identity came
to blows over a dynastic issue.
In October 1936, during the
early stages of the Spanish
Civil War, the statute for home
rule was established and
José Antonio Aguirre was
elected regional president,
or lehendakari. This would
be followed by years of
deprived liberties until the
arrival of democracy brought
Today, the Basque Country,
formed by the historical
territories of Vizcaya,
Guipúzcoa and Álava, is
one of the 17 autonomous
communities which go to
make up the Spanish State.
Each with its own provincial
council, al three are united
under the Basque flag or
ikurriña, which combines
red to symbolise dominion,
a white cross to represent
faith and a green, X-shaped
cross, an allusion to the oak
tree at Guernica, where
the Basque charters were
first put into force. Most of
the autonomous community’s
large population (2,100,000,
or 300 inhabitants per km2)
The Flag Dance
is divided among the three
capitals, Bilbao, Donostia-San
Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz,
and other industrial towns in
Guipúzcoa and Vizcaya.
All three capitals began the
twenty-first century with a
new look. In Bilbao, the banks
of the ria were completely
redesigned. The great
industrial conurbation turned
into a cosmopolitan city
where shipyards gave way
to modern buildings like the
Guggenheim and the
Euskalduna Palace.
In Donostia, the natural
charm of the bay, Bahía de
la Concha, set against a
Bahía de La Concha
San Ignacio Underground Station. Bilbao
The new bridge over the River Artibai
background of smart
buildings, is complemented
by new architectural designs
such as that of the Kursaal.
Vitoria, the administrative
centre and seat of the Basque
Parliament and Government,
is growing steadily while
retaining its quiet lifestyle
and plentiful green areas.
After a predominantly
industrial period revolving
round mining, iron and steel,
shipbuilding, textiles and
paper, the Basque economy
now draws on an important
services sector. Agriculture,
cattle-breeding and fishing
provide employment for a
small percentage of the
working population,
supplying first-class, fresh
produce for the renowned
Basque cuisine.
Farmstead. Pando
One of the main features of
the Basque heritage is the
millenary language, Euskera,
whose origin is the subject
of a number of hypotheses.
While some claim that it is
related to the Caucasian
6
languages, others say that
it evolved in the territory
where it is now spoken and
still others have established
a connection with non-Arab
languages once spoken in
North Africa. Although
Euskera was commonly
spoken in former times,
it gradually lost ground
to Spanish and French.
At present, it is one of the
Vineyards. Navaridas
Basque Country’s two official
languages, the other being
Spanish. Its use in the
education system, together
with the Euskera learning
programme for adults, has
increased the number of
speakers while producing
leading literary figures of
the likes of Bernardo Atxaga,
Ramón Saizarbitoria and
Unai Elorriaga.
H
d e e li
la o d o
To ro
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Puente
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CALLE DE HURTADO
Zabálburu
Plaza Ernesto
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CARTOGRAFÍA: GCAR, S.L. Cardenal Silíceo, 35
Tel. 914 167 341 - 28002 MADRID - AÑO 2005
[email protected]
Am
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300 400 m
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SAN SEBASTIÁN 102 km
A-8
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Calle
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Calle
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de
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Plaza
Tres
Pilares
Parque
Miribilla
0
Villa
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Ayala
de
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Call
Plaza de
la Cantera
jas Plaza Corazón
talo
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Can
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Puente de
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Luis
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Sa
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Tourist information
Parking
Post Office
Railway station
Police
la
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sm
HA
lle
Ca
9 Casas de Ramón de la Sota
10 Fine Arts Museum
11 Palacio Euskalduna de
Congresos y de la Música
12 Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao
Ibá
de
a
Le
ed
o
mp
1 Church of San Nicolás
2 Basilica of Nuestra Señora de
Begoña
3 Plaza Nueva
4 Basque Archaeology,
Ethnography and History
Museum
5 Church of San Antón
6 Cathedral of Santiago
7 Teatro Arriaga
8 Palacio Foral
de
Calle
de Uribitar te
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Fe
Mamé
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Alame
SANTANDER 108 km
de
da
si
o
lm
se
An
A
VÍ
Trams, underground trains,
bicycles and cars: vehicles of
all sorts cross modern Bilbao
from north to south and east
to west. However, the town’s
axis is the Nervión Ria, around
which 700 years of history
have fashioned a city blending
traces of the past with
features of the modern age.
de
sé
Jo
o
se
AN
Pa
GR
THE OLD QUARTER
era
ari
ak
nd la
he ao
Le Leiz
BILBAO
co
N-637
Rib
de
Tours of the
capitals
ALGORTA 11 km
A good place to start our tour
of the old quarter is Puente
del Arenal, making our way
towards the mediaeval
district, a web of parallel and
transversal streets known as
cantons. To our left, we see
the Church of San Nicolás (1),
opened in 1756 in honour of
the patron saint of navigators.
During the nineteenth
century, it was used as a
barracks by the French and
the Carlists. Behind a showy
façade, it guards a superb
collection of altarpieces and
sculptures by Juan Pascual de
Mena. Opposite the portico
stands the French-style
building which was once
the head office of Banco de
Bilbao and is now used as a
cultural exhibition hall and
historical archive.
Turning left along Calle
Askao, we come to the lift
which will take us to the
Basilica of Nuestra Señora
de Begoña (2), situated on a
small hill overlooking the
old quarter. Erected on an old
hermitage in the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries in
honour of the patron saint
of Vizcaya, the basilica had
to be rebuilt after it was
damaged during the Carlist
Wars. Behind the main
frontispiece, which is crowned
by a mannerist triumphal
arch, we discover three
Gothic naves with no transept,
covered by tracery vaults.
Back on Calle Askao, we
direct our steps towards Plaza
Nueva (3), a colonnaded area
with 64 arches supported by
Doric columns, very much in
the Roman neo-classical style.
Taking Calle La Cruz, we
eventually find ourselves
at the very heart of the old
quarter, the part known as Las
Siete Calles (The Seven Streets):
Somera, Artekale, Tendería,
Belostikale, Carnicería Vieja,
Barrenkale and Barrenkale
Barrena. At the bars on
Somera, we have the chance
to acquaint ourselves with the
txikiteo tradition, consisting in
groups of lads going from bar
to bar while singing songs of
the past and quenching their
thirst with tiny glasses of wine
known as txikitos. This street
brings us out at the Church
of San Antón (5), built on an
old fortress. One of Bilbao’s
emblems, the building appears
on the city’s coat of arms
alongside the mediaeval
bridge of the same name,
which disappeared in a flood
and was rebuilt a few metres
further up.
Plaza Nueva
On one side of the square
stands the Basque Language
Academy, Euskaltzaindia.
Half-hidden by the colonnades
is an assortment of restaurants
and shops, along with taverns
Basilica of
Nuestra Señora
de Begoña
and bars where pavement
cafés are set up during the
spring and summer.
Leaving the square by a
passage built in 1937, we turn
onto Calle Sombrería and
make for Plaza de Miguel
de Unamuno, where the
house of the Bilbao-born
thinker and man of letters
once stood.
On our left, we pass the
market, Mercado de la Ribera,
where fine, fresh fruits of
Close by is another square,
Portal de Zamudio, the
location of the city’s first
Jesuit buildings: the church,
Iglesia de los Santos Juanes,
and the Basque Archaeology,
Ethnography and History
Museum (4) (formerly a
school, Colegio de San
Andrés). The classicist museum
building runs round a patio
reminiscent of Herrera.
Church of San Antón
11
construction festooned with
large, majestic balconies. The
building was restored in 1986.
GRAN VÍA AND THE CITY OF
THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Mercado de la Ribera
earth and sea are sold. Then
we carry on along La Ribera as
far as Barrenkale, another of
the streets associated with
txikiteo, to reach the core of
Las Siete Calles: the Cathedral
of Santiago (6). This, the old
quarter’s earliest building, was
commenced in the Gothic style
and completed in subsequent
periods. Dedicated to the
patron saint of Bilbao, it was
not awarded the status of
cathedral until 1949.
From here, we head for
a favourite haunt among
younger night owls, an area
formed by the streets of Perro,
La Torre, Barrenkale Barrena,
Pelota and Santa María.
On the corner of Santa María
with Perro, we notice Palacio
John, the stock exchange
building, which, as it happens,
has never been used as such
although it became a busy
trading hall in days gone by.
Walking along Santa María,
we return to La Ribera, where
we see the theatre, Teatro
Arriaga (7), a neo-baroque
Teatro Arriaga
Running by the ria, Gran Vía is
Bilbao’s second artery and the
main axis of the Ensanche, the
expansion project designed
at the end of the nineteenth
century. The avenue begins
at Plaza Circular, where we
pause to admire the statue
of Don Diego López de Haro,
who founded Bilbao in
1300. Banks, department
stores, small businesses,
financial and administrative
centres line the oldest section
of Gran Vía, which goes from
Plaza Moyúa to Plaza Circular.
One of the most noteworthy
constructions is Palacio Foral
(8), built in 1900 as a symbol
of Bilbao’s golden age. The
rooms are attractive for their
Venetian decoration and an
interesting art collection.
Looking out across Plaza
Moyúa are the Hotel Carlton
building, the seat of the
Basque Government during
Plaza Elíptica
the Spanish Civil War, and
Palacio de Chávarri, a splendid
instance of late nineteenthcentury architecture where
each set of windows is
different.
Carrying straight on along
Gran Vía towards Sagrado
Corazón, we are pleasantly
surprised by a number of
curious buildings. To our left,
on the second block, we see
Casas de Ramón de la Sota (9),
where Bilbao’s flourishing
bourgeoisie lived at the dawn
of the twentieth century.
To our right, our gaze is met
by the park, Parque de Doña
Casilda de Iturrizar, rather
like an English garden with
its great expanses of lawns
and trees, together with
an enclosure inhabited by
ducks and swans. As we cross
the grounds, we approach the
Fine Arts Museum (10), known
13
DONOSTIA –
SAN SEBASTIÁN
Fine Arts Museun
all over Spain for its excellent
collections of ancient,
contemporary and Basque
art and also applied arts.
Gran Vía comes to an end at
the huge monolith of Sagrado
Corazón, situated in the
square of the same name.
Again, we are just one step
away from the ria, in an area
which has been completely
redesigned. The land where
the shipyards once stood is
now occupied by Palacio
Euskalduna de Congresos y de
la Música (11), whose design
portrays the last sailing vessel
built at the age-old shipyards.
Palacio Euskalduna
Strolling along the bank
of the ria, we are again
reminded of a ship as the
world-famous Guggenheim
Museum of Modern and
Contemporary Art (12)
comes into view: a grand
construction in titanium, stone
and glass, designed by US
architect Frank O. Gehry.
Guggenheim Museum
Wedged in hilly woodland
overlooking Bahía de la
Concha, the capital of
Guipúzcoa is more than
deserving of its reputation as a
beautiful, stylish city. Because
of its exceptional appeal, it
became a favourite holiday
resort among royalty and is
now popular with tourists
from all over the world on
account of its first-rate
beaches, its lordly architectural
heritage, its cultural life
(film and jazz festivals) and
its renowned gastronomy.
We shall immediately
appreciate the city’s charm if
we take a walk along the
coastal strip. Our starting
point is Peine del Viento (1),
a terrace created by architect
Luis Peña Gantxegi and
finished off with a number of
iron sculptures, the work
of Donostia-born Eduardo
Chillida.
Isla de Santa Clara
Peine del Viento
When the sea swells, the water
crashes against the rocks and
then surges through the holes
drilled in the terrace, making
for quite a spectacle.
Not far from Peine del Viento,
we come to Plaza del
Funicular, the departure point
of the tram to the mount,
Monte Igeldo (2). The top is
occupied by an amusement
park dating back to 1912.
Monte Igeldo
IRÚN 16 km
FRANCIA 18 km
N-I
A-8
1
2
3
4
5
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Tel. 914 167 341 - 28002 MADRID - AÑO 2005
[email protected]
4
600 m
PA
S
EO
Pa
se
o
Pico del Loro
de
Isla de Santa Clara
1
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BILBAO 102 km
C
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On
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Pase
Paseo
In addition to preserving the
magic of the early twentieth
century and one or two of
the old attractions, the park
features a small zoo, a wax
museum, restaurants and
picnic areas, although its
greatest asset is the panoramic
view it affords of the city.
10 Plaza de la Constitución
11 Boulevard
12 Hotel María Cristina
Tourist information
Parking
Post Office
Railway station
Police
Palacio de Miramar
Calle
LA
5
Concha
la
Bahía
de
Aquárium
3
A-8
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DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN
Peine del Viento
Monte Igeldo
Playa de Ondarreta
Palacio de Miramar
Playa de la Concha
Hotel de Londres
Jardines de Alderdi Eder
Harbour
Basilica of Santa María
Resuming our tour at the foot
of the mount, we take a stroll
by the beach, Playa de
Ondarreta (3), just by the
district known as El Antiguo.
As we make our way along,
two sculptures catch our eye:
Zeharki (Around), a modern
work by Navarra-born José
Ramón Anda; and, in the
middle of the gardens,
a statue of Queen María
Cristina by José Díaz Bueno.
Playa de Ondarreta
A rocky bill, Pico del Loro, runs
between La Concha and Playa
de Ondarreta, which is shorter
and wider than its neighbour.
Atop the bill stands the
palace, Palacio de Miramar (4),
for decades a royal summer
residence. Built on the
instructions of Queen Regent
María Cristina, it was designed
by English architect Woknum
and has been the property of
the local corporation since 1972.
Playa de la Concha
The harbour. San Sebastián
In the middle of La Concha,
we observe the recently
revamped Thalassotherapy
Centre, complete with
restaurant and open-air café
overlooking the beach. On the
corner of Calle Easo, Hotel de
Londres (6) has become one
of the city’s symbolic stately
buildings. Constructed in the
nineteenth century to house
the original Hotel Kursaal, it
combines French and English
features and is finished off
with a small cupola.
Today, the palace’s premises
are used for meetings,
congresses and courses
organised by the Basque
Country Summer University,
while the grounds are open
to the public.
On the other side of Pico del
Loro lie the sands of Playa
de la Concha (5). From
the promenade, edged in
tastefully-designed white
railings, we enjoy an excellent
view of the bay, fringed
by a sequence of august
façades looking out to sea.
We continue our walk amid
sands and greenery. To our
right is the park, Jardines de
Cervantes, where we might
stop to admire a monument
erected in honour of Don
Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Next come the captivating
gardens, Jardines de Alderdi
Eder (7). This name, chosen by
the people of Donostia, was
officially recognised in 1879.
The park’s prominent feature
is the eclectic-style City Hall,
built in the late nineteenth
Hotel Londres
18
century for the original
purpose of housing a casino.
Its rooms were visited by a
number of the period’s
celebrities: Dato, Maura,
Mata Hari, Trotsky, King
Leopold of Belgium and
the Shah of Persia. The main
façade, garnished with
spacious balconies, is split off
from the wings by two slim
towers. Beside City Hall, just
by the sea, are the premises
of the San Sebastián Sailing
Club, whose aesthetic design
is, understandably enough,
reminiscent of a boat.
At the foot of the old military
stronghold of Monte
Urgull sits the harbour (8),
where fishing and leisure
vessels moor and boats taking
tourists to the Island of Santa
Clara set sail. Opposite the
harbour, fresh fish may be
enjoyed at restaurants tucked
away behind the colonnades
beneath the fishermen’s
dwellings. Further along,
we see the outline of the
aquarium, Aquárium-Palacio
del Mar, where we shall be
fascinated by the ocean’s
creatures as we cross
the tunnel known as the
Tiburonario, or sharks’ tank.
Jardines de
Alderdi Eder
and City Hall
The temple is watched over by
the city’s patron saint, Virgen
del Coro. On the same street,
we should make a point of
visiting the Church of San
Vicente, a Gothic building
reminiscent of a fortress.
Santa María del Coro
Afterwards, we might feel like
taking a rest at the open-air
café while enjoying an
exceptional view.
To reach the old quarter, we
take Calle 31 de agosto, the
only street to remain standing
after the 1813 fire. Our first
stop is the Basilica of Santa
María (9), whose astonishing
baroque frontispiece looks
out across Calle Mayor.
Plaza de la Constitución
At the heart of the old
quarter, we come to Plaza
de la Constitución (10).
Renovated in the early
eighteenth-century, it is of
interest for the façade on the
old City Hall, which is now
the location of the municipal
library. We are struck by the
square’s numbered balconies,
a reminder that it was once
used as a bullring. Now
occupied by shops, bars
and pavement cafés, the
square is also the venue of
San Sebastián’s Tamborrada
and other celebrations. The
market, Mercado de Santo
Tomás, is also held there.
Museum of San Telmo
From the square, we gain
access to the rest of the old
quarter, made up of a mixture
of small shops, restaurants
and legendary gastronomy
societies, not forgetting
the countless bars and
their tempting displays of
toothsome tapas. Other places
worth a visit are the Museum
of San Telmo, installed in a
former convent dating back
to the sixteenth century;
Plaza Sarriegui, named after
the composer of The San
Sebastián March; and the
market building, Mercado
de la Brecha, now a modern
shopping centre whose
basement is reserved for
stalls packed with fresh
produce, the delight of
ordinary shoppers and
restaurateurs alike.
Recently, traffic has been
reorganised so as to provide
pedestrian areas. Plaza de
Guipúzcoa, known originally
as Plaza del Ensanche, was
the nerve centre of the city’s
first expansion project. Three
sides of the square are lined
with colonnaded housing
facilities, which share
the location with Palacio de
la Diputación, a monumental
building in the neo-classical
style.
Catedral del Buen Pastor
The Boulevard (11) is the great
avenue separating the old
quarter from the Ensanche,
the city’s administrative
and commercial centre.
21
VITORIA-GASTEIZ
Teatro Victoria Eugenia
Stretching above the Ensanche
buildings are the towers
of the cathedral, Catedral
del Buen Pastor, built in an
imitation Gothic style just
over a century ago.
On the banks of the River
Urumea, buildings like Hotel
María Cristina (12) and the
Victoria Eugenia Theatre,
coupled with the Okendo
Gardens and the set of
bridges, are evocative of the
most opulent period in the
history of Guipúzcoa’s capital.
The hotel was opened in 1912
The convention hall, Palacio Kursaal
to provide accommodation
for the personages who
frequented the casino. Today,
it is a favourite among stars
attending the Film Festival.
Across the river we see the
district known as Barrio del
Gros, proud of its beach,
Playa de Zurriola, and the
convention hall, Palacio
Kursaal de Congresos y
Exposiciones, consisting of
two huge cubes of translucent
glass designed by architect
Rafael Moneo to resemble
rocks jutting out of the sand.
It was on the old hamlet of
Gasteiz, perched on a hill,
that Sancho VI of Navarra
founded Vitoria in the twelfth
century. As the population
grew, parallel streets to
accommodate the leading
guilds started to appear
and were connected to one
another by transversal streets
or cantons. In the sixteenth
century, the city spread
beyond the walls and
was redesigned with a
special focus on the urban
environment, the restoration
of historic areas and the
construction of a huge
number of parades, gardens
and facilities for communal
use. In more recent times,
the city has witnessed
spectacular growth, with
districts like Lakua, Salburua
and Zabalgana almost
forming a town of their
own, equipped with
modern shopping areas.
Plaza de la Virgen Blanca
Our tour of the centre of
Vitoria leads us to the
old quarter, a compact,
almond-shaped nucleus of
buildings, including houses
of wood and brick. We start
off from the city’s greatest
source of pride, Plaza de la
Virgen Blanca (1), built on
an area outside the city walls
where, in days gone by, a
market used to be held.
In the centre of the square
looms the Monument to
the Battle of Vitoria, built by
sculptor Gabriel Borrás in 1917
to commemorate the victory
attained over French troops
on June 21 1813. The square
is hemmed by old houses
protected by the watchful
gaze of the Church of San
Miguel, located in the upper
part. Gothic and Renaissance
in style, the church guards the
image of Virgen Blanca,
the city’s patron saint.
Leaving the square behind, we
enter the old quarter by Calle
de la Herrería. To our right,
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Tel. 914 167 341 - 28002 MADRID - AÑO 2005
[email protected]
9
10
11
12
13
Plaza de la Virgen Blanca
Church of San Pedro
Torre de Doña Ochanda
Museo Provincial de
Arqueología
El Portalón
Catedral Vieja de Santa María
Casa del Cordón
Museo Fournier
Plaza Nueva
Plaza de los Fueros
Basque Parliament
Catedral Nueva
Palacio de Ajuria Enea
Tourist information
Parking
Post Office
Railway station
24
A-1
Plaza
de Lovaina
Iglesia de
San Vicente 7
Iglesia de
San
Francisc
San Miguel
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Ayuntamiento
SAN SEBASTIÁN 118 km
Plaza
de la
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Artium
NCIA
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Plaza
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Santo Domingo
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VITORIA-GASTEIZ
BILBAO 66 km
S
Plaza Martín CATÓLIC
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de Salinas
we find Palacio de los
Álava-Esquivel, a Renaissance
mansion whose façade looks
out onto Calle Zapatería.
Moving on to the next block,
on the left, we come to the
fourteenth-century Gothic
Church of San Pedro (2).
The tympanum on the
superb portico is decorated
with carvings of great
craftsmanship while inside,
we are immediately drawn
towards an array of images,
altarpieces and tombs.
Particularly noteworthy is
the bronze tomb of Martínez
de Álava.
Tympanum. Catedral Vieja
When we reach the fountain,
Fuente de los Patos, we make
our way back along Calle
Correría where, on our left,
we pass a characteristic
building of wood and brick:
Palacio de los Gobeo-GuevaraSan Juan, now the location
of the museum, Museo
Provincial de Arqueología (4).
Here, we have the chance to
see archaeological remains
discovered in Álava, ranging
from prehistoric times to
the Middle Ages.
On Calle de la Herrería, we
come upon an interesting
row of houses (from number
29 to number 37), built on
the original wall in the alforja
style during the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries.
The block comes to an end
at the tower, Torre de Doña
Ochanda (3), erected in
the fifteenth century on
one of the round turrets
and rebuilt in recent times.
Outstanding features include
the masonry on the first
two floors and, on the upper
floors, a brick and wood
structure finished off with
a crown of projecting
battlements. The interior
houses the Natural Science
Museum.
Continuing along the same
street, we arrive at El Portalón
(5), an instance of mediaeval
civil architecture, consisting
of an enormous gate; and
then, the tower, Torre de
Anda, a late Gothic, urban
fortress, greatly improved
after restoration works.
25
From here, we can see
the back of the cathedral,
Catedral Vieja de Santa
María (6), noted for its west
portico (fourteenth century),
which leads into a luminous
interior of three naves,
a Latin cross footing and an
ambulatory with three apses.
There are guided tours of the
restoration works, which have
brought to light a number
of features dating back to
the times before the city
was founded. We may also
contemplate archaeological
and architectural works
pertaining to a thirteenthcentury Gothic temple.
We finish our tour of the old
quarter in Calle Cuchillería,
the location of Casa del
Cordón (7) (lit.: House of
the Cord) and the playing
card museum, Museo Fournier
de Naipes. The first, a typical
trade hall belonging to the
early Middle Ages, owes
its curious name to the fact
that a Franciscan cord was
sculptured on the building’s
exterior. Museo Fournier (8),
where there is a display of
16,000 packs of cards from
various countries, takes us on
a journey through the playing
card’s history. The museum is
housed in Palacio Bendaña.
Coming down Monte
Gasteiz by Calle Fray Zacarías
Martínez, we approach
the palace, Palacio de
los Escoriaza-Esquivel,
a Renaissance building
commissioned by the doctor
of Henry VII of England,
Fernán López de Escoriaza.
Adjacent to the old quarter,
we enter one of the city’s
buzzing business areas,
where we might step inside
the new Museum of
Contemporary Basque
Art, Artium. Designed by
architect José Luis Catón,
the building occupies a
Museo Fournier
Calle Eduardo Dato
trapezoidal space which, in
turn, forms sizeable areas for
public use.
THE COMMERCIAL AND
ADMINISTRATIVE CITY
The eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries bestowed the
capital of Álava with a period
of development and the
commencement of the
expansion project known as the
Ensanche. We set off on our
tour at the neoclassical Plaza
Nueva (9), the location of City
Hall and a variety of bars and
pavement cafés peering out
from behind the colonnades.
City Hall
Along Calle Postas, we direct
our steps towards the modern,
functional Plaza del los Fueros
(10), the work of architect
José Luis Peña Ganchegui and
sculptor Eduardo Chillida.
The square is equipped with a
fronton court and tracks where
the rural games trials are held.
Taking General Álava, we
come out at Calle Dato, the
actual axis of the Ensanche,
replete with shops and
cafeterias; and next, Plaza
del General Loma, graced
with two sculptures by Basque
artist Agustín Ibarrola and
rimmed by the Church
and Convent of San Antonio.
Tours of the
provinces
Nature in Álava
Catedral Nueva
Crossing Calle Becerro de
Bengo, we arrive at the
Basque Parliament (11) and
the surrounding green area
known as Parque de la Florida.
There is something romantic
about this peaceful, Frenchstyle garden, where a pleasant
stroll will lead us past a
number of statues of Visigothic
kings and a somewhat
whimsical bandstand.
To one side of the park looms
the massive Gothic Revival
Cathedral of Santa María,
Catedral Nueva (12), covering
a surface area of 5,000 m2.
Palacio de Ajuria Enea
Worthy of special mention are
the stained-glass windows,
the capitals and the bas-relief.
Other points of interest in the
vicinity include the fine arts
museum, Museo Provincial
de Bellas Artes, with its
costumbrista collection;
Palacio de Ajuria Enea (13),
a bourgeois building from
the early twentieth century
and the residence of the
lehendakari, or Basque
regional president; the
modern Palacio de Justicia;
and the armoury museum,
Museo de la Armería.
In the province of Álava,
the lie of the land is possessed
of great natural diversity.
The climate varies from one
region to another, as does the
mountainous relief, ranging
from Sierra de Entzia and the
Gorbeia tor to the plains of
the Llanada and the Álava
section of La Rioja.
Our route starts in the
western part of the province,
where the nature park,
Parque Natural de Valderejo,
spreads across a valley skirted
by expanses of limy soil.
Furrowing the valley from
north to south, the River
Purón forms backwaters and
waterfalls of tremendous
beauty. Rocks and forests of
holm oak, oak and beech
are inhabited by eagles,
wild boars, wild cats and
other species. Prehistoric sites
and megalithic monuments
Parque natural de Valderejo
tell us of man’s presence in
Valderejo thousands of years
ago. We also find the remains
of a Roman road.
Driving east along the A-2622,
we soon find ourselves in
Salinas de Añana, named
after the nearby salterns,
thought to date back to
Roman times. Water from
the River Muera is dammed
up and the salt evaporates on
white terraces supported by
wooden structures. A curious
sight to the eye, the salterns
have been listed as a historical
monument.
Salinas de Añana
Calle de Artziniega
Tomb of Chancellor Ayala. Quejana
outstanding. At Quejana
(Kexaa), the most interesting
sight is the ancestral home
of the Ayala Family: a fortified
palace, a turreted chapel
dedicated to Virgen del
Cabello and the Church of
San Juan Bautista, all of which
have belonged to the Convent
of Dominican Nuns since 1378.
The palace was the birthplace
and residence of Chancellor
Pedro López de Ayala,
remembered for his poems,
Rimas de palacio.
Next, we take the A-68 to
the north-western end of the
province. At the foot of Sierra
Salvada lies the Aiala Valley,
specked with farmhouses amid
green meadows. Once crossed
by travellers on their way
from Castile to the Cantabrian
coast, this historical enclave
belonged to the House of
Ayala, a distinguished family
of noble warriors.
The town of Artziniega has
been listed as a monumental
site for its mediaeval structure:
parallel streets and cantons
framed by an oval wall.
Among its buildings, the
sixteenth-century Tower and
Palace of Ortiz de Molinillo
Velasco are particularly
Amurrio, situated on the
banks of the River Nervión, is
the valley’s most industrialised
area, although progress has
not deprived it of architectural
reminders of former times,
such as the ancestral homes of
Urrutia, Berwick and Cejudo
and the Mariaka Tower.
Parque natural de Gorbeia
and other species used in
reforestation. Populated by
deer, wild boars and eagles,
to name but a few, the tor is
scarred with 500 cavities
forming 100 km of galleries.
The main pinnacle, the
Gorbeia (1,481 m), a favourite
among Basque mountaineers,
is crowned by a grand cross
18 m high.
As we head in the direction
of Vitoria-Gasteiz along the
N-240, we reach an area
where a number of reservoirs
have been formed from the
waters of the River Zadorra
and its tributaries. In addition
to supplying Álava’s capital
and Greater Bilbao, the
reservoirs make for an
extraordinary landscape of
lakes shimmering against a
background of mountains.
By the Ullibarri Reservoir, just
outside the town of UllibarriGamboa, we might spend
some time at the recreational
facilities and the sailing club,
where yachtsmen and surfers
will be in their element.
Zabalgana Woodland Park
Travelling eastwards across
the north of Álava, we
come to the nature park,
Parque Natural de Gorbeia,
stretching over 20,016
hectares. The tor’s slopes are
clad in beech, oak and yew,
growing alongside conifers
30
Ullibarri-Gamboa
There are more humid areas in
the green belt which encircles
the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz.
In La Llanada, a sweeping
farming valley situated in
central Álava, the main wetland
is Salburúa, complete with
observatories where we can
watch herons, bitterns and even
a herd of deer roaming freely
within the area’s confines. The
green belt is also the location of
the Zabalgana Woodland Park,
the stretch of territory known
as Olarizu and the Armentia
Forest. In the town of Armentia,
we should visit the Romanesque
Basilica of San Prudencio and its
fine sculptural showpiece in
polychrome wood.
Close by the capital, on a hill
overlooking the town of
Argandoña, stands another
Romanesque temple, the
Shrine of Estíbaliz. With an
astonishing frontispiece of
graceful capitals and columns,
the basilica consists of a single
nave with three chapels at
the top end, where an
image of the patron saint
of Álava, Virgen de Estíbaliz,
is worshipped. Within easy
reach of the shrine, at Arkaia,
are the remains of the Roman
thermal baths, which date
back to the second
century B.C.
From La Llanada, we drive
southwards along the A-2128,
crossing the Opakua mountain
pass to come out at Santa
Cruz de Campezo, the largest
town in Álava’s mountainous
region. After admiring the
resplendent, emblazoned
houses and palaces on Calle
Mayor, we move on to the
nearby hermitage, Ermita de
la Virgen de Ibernalo, situated
on a hillock affording a
breathtaking, panoramic view
of the entire Campezo Valley.
Crossing La Llanada along
the N-1, we come to the town
of Salvatierra-Agurain, noted
for its well-preserved old
quarter and the remains of
its ancient walls. The streets
of this historical district are
lined with mansion houses,
convents and palaces while
two churches, one at each
end, watch over it rather
like fortresses: the Church of
Santa María, with a handsome
plateresque choir, and the
Church of San Juan, presiding
over the square of the same
name.
Making our way through
Álava’s mountains to the
northern side of Sierra
Cantabria-Toloño, we stop
off at the Parque Natural de
Izki, where dense forests of
oak, birch, beech, holm oak
and Izki chestnut provide a
habitat for wild cats, boar,
mink and other species. One
of the park’s salient features
is the Corres-Bujanda Gorge.
Shrine of Estíbaliz
Beneath Sierra CantabriaToloño lies the Álava part of
La Rioja, Rioja Alavesa, perfect
Woodland at Izki
winemaking country on
account of its microclimate.
Here, we might go on a tour
of the many wine cellars,
some of which are located in
modern buildings designed by
architects of renown.
who lived in these parts from
the thirteenth to the second
centuries B.C.
Before leaving the area,
we should call at the bird
sanctuary, Los Molinos, and
the Laguardia lagoons, whose
ecological value has earned
them the title of Protected
Biotope. Consisting of four
small wetlands (Carravalseca,
Carralongo, Prao de la Paul
and Musco), they are inhabited
by herons, storks and teals.
The architectural heritage
of Rioja Alavesa goes on to
include sightseeing towns such
as Laguardia, resting on a
hilltop and surrounded by
a five-gated wall. In the old
quarter, which is arranged
round three parallel streets
crossed by cantons, our
interest is aroused by
constructions like the Church
of Santa María de los Reyes
and the palatial residence
of Félix María de Samaniego,
now Casa del Vino.
Only a short distance away
from Laguardia is the
prehistoric settlement of
La Hoya, with its own
museum. The archaeological
site pertains to a settlement
of Central European tribes
Church of Santa María de los Reyes.
Laguardia
33
Coastal Guipúzcoa
A delight to the eye,
Guipúzcoa’s coastline is made
up of a chain of tiny beaches
interlaced with cliffs and
verdant hills stretching all the
way along to the Cantabrian
Sea. Bespattered with small
fishing towns, tourist facilities
and busy ports, the shoreline
borders a land of hidalgos
and conquerors; a land gazing
back on its history while
looking ahead to its future.
Our tour starts at Irun, a
border town which has
undergone considerable
industrial and commercial
development. Its history
has been written amid
disputes between states
and civil wars waged in the
nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. The eighteenthcentury baroque Town Hall
boasts grand porticos and
a royal coat of arms on its
façade. Inside the sixteenthcentury Church of Santa María
The Town Hall. Irun
del Juncal, we find an
exquisite, early Romanesque
image of the Virgin.
About four km away from
the town stands the
Hermitage of San Marcial,
from where we can enjoy
amazing panoramic views
of the area. The hermitage
was built to commemorate
San Marcial’s victory over
the French in 1522, an event
which is celebrated every
year on June 30 at the
famous fiesta, the Alarde.
Next, a bare three km from
Irún, comes Hondarribia,
a combination of holiday
resort and sightseeing town.
Like Irún, Hondarribia’s past is
one of confrontations with
foreign troops and, on one
occasion, it was taken by
siege. The old district sits on a
hill and is surrounded by walls
built in the fifteenth century.
At the very top stands the
castle, Castillo de Carlos V,
now a parador, or state
hotel. Opposite, a group of
traditional dwellings form
the parade ground, Plaza de
las Armas, while at the back,
we see the Gothic and
Renaissance church, Iglesia
de la Asunción. Running
down from the church, Calle
Nagusia features a remarkable
array of palaces and mansions
forming a mass of stone,
wood, balconies and
spreading eaves. Worthy
of special mention are the
house, Casa del Marqués
de Casadevante; the Town
Hall; the palace, Palacio de
Zuloaga; and Casa de Ladrón
de Guevara. At the end
of the street, a gate bearing
the town’s coat of arms leads
into modern Hondarribia.
View of Irun
Plaza de Hondarribia
The harbour. Pasaia
One of the most bustling
districts is Barrio de la Marina,
made up of sailors’ dwellings
climbing up above cafeterias,
bars and restaurants where
appetising snacks and seafood
dishes are served. A short
stroll takes us to the port
at the mouth of the River
Bidasoa, looking across
towards Hendaye. On the
other side, we find the sailing
complex and an extensive,
quiet beach protected by
the pier.
Beyond Monte Jaizkibel, we
drive on towards the major
commercial port of Pasaia
(Pasajes), built round a natural
harbour furrowed by three
sounds: Donibane (San Juan),
San Pedro and Antxo.
Pasaia Donibane is the most
attractive as far as tourism is
concerned. Plaza de Santiago
and Calle de San Juan make
for a picturesque scene of
sailors’ dwellings built from
stone and wood. Other
points of interest include
the eighteenth-century Town
Hall; the Church of San Juan
Bautista, with a remarkable
baroque altarpiece; and the
house of Admiral Arizabalo.
Leaving Donostia behind, we
head westwards along what
is known as the Adventurers’
Route. Our first stop is the
town of Usurbil, proud of
its Casona de Atxega; the
baroque Palacio de Seroa;
and the baroque Church of
San Salvador.
On we go to the seafaring
town of Orio. According to
a song by famed local singer
Benito Lertxundi, the last
whale to be caught off the
Basque coast was brought in
by some of the town’s more
intrepid fishermen. If hunger
sets in, we might savour
La Antilla Beach.
Orio
the delectable griddled sea
bream and other fresh
produce at any of the several
restaurants. One of the most
traditional sports is rowing,
fostered by the staunch
support of the local residents
as they root for their oarsmen,
often winners of Cantabrian
races and even regattas where
they have come up against
the Oxford and Cambridge
teams. The beaches of OribarZar and La Antilla flank the ria
while, in the town, steep
alleyways thread their way
amid emblazoned houses.
Continuing our trip, we see
how the road rises and then
drops to the Oria hillock.
From here, we can see
Zarautz, a leading holiday
resort well equipped with
hotels, apartments, campsites,
golf courses and restaurants.
One of the favourite choices
of Isabel II and Baudouin
and Fabiola of Belgium, the
town possesses a 2,200 m
open beach washed by waves
ideal for surfing. In the old
quarter, sightseers will be
delighted by Torre Luzea, an
imposing, Gothic tower with
The beach. Zarautz
the steep streets, we notice
the flamboyant Gothic style
of the Parish Church of
San Salvador, along with
traditional fishermen’s
dwellings descending towards
the harbour, where we might
partake of some char-grilled
fish, washed down with
txakoli, the local white wine.
Lastly, we might take a walk
along any of the beaches,
one of which lies next to
the harbour.
something of the military
about it; the Town Hall,
housed in Palacio de Portu;
Casa Dotorekua; Palacio del
Marqués de Narros; and the
Church of Santa María la Real.
Following the coast road, we
arrive in Getaria, a seafaring
town just by Monte de San
Antón, also known as El Ratón
or The Mouse. Getaria became
famous on account of Juan
Sebastián Elcano, the first
navigator to sail round
the world, an achievement
commemorated by a
monument situated in
the upper part of the
town. Another of Getaria’s
distinguished sons is top
fashion designer Cristóbal
Balenciaga who, as we see
during our tour, has earned
himself the honour of having
a museum named after him.
As we wander up and down
After a fairly sharp bend in
the road, the popular holiday
resort of Zumaia comes into
view. The main parade runs
The beach. Getaria
37
View of Zumaia
Mutriku
parallel to the mouth of the
River Urola, alongside private
residences in the traditional
style. Close by Playa de
Santiago, one of the town’s
exquisite beaches, is the
museum dedicated to Ignacio
Zuloaga, housed in the Basque
artist’s former studio and
residence. In addition to his
paintings, we have the chance
to admire works by Goya,
El Greco, Zurbarán and Ribera.
As for buildings, our itinerary
should include the Gothic
Parish Church of San Pedro,
with its fortified tower; the
Olazábal and Ubillos houses;
and the Hermitage of San
Telmo; not forgetting the
Arritokieta Hermitage, which
guards the image of Zumaia’s
patron saint, Andra Mari.
Once, like Zarautz, a favourite
summer resort among royalty,
the town looks out onto a
beach measuring six km, while
a parade adorned with over
600 kinds of tree runs parallel
to the river mouth. Deba’s
mediaeval district is crossed
by five streets, in the midst of
which we come upon two
squares, Plaza la Vieja and
Plaza de los Fueros. In the
latter, we should take a look
at the Town Hall façade, which
bears the town’s coat of arms,
with devices in the form
of castles and lions and
the legend, Noble and loyal
town. This is not the only
emblazoned building,
however, for we find family
crests on the houses of Aguirre,
Basañez and Aldeazábal
Murguía, to mention just a
few. At the Church of Nuestra
Señora de la Asunción, listed
as a National Monument, we
pause to take in the superb,
polychrome frontispiece and
the cloister, watched over by
16 Gothic windows.
In days gone by, the local
people’s livelihood depended
strongly on fishing, mainly
whaling, as shown by the
devices on the town’s coat
of arms: a cetacean and a
whaleboat. The square in
the upper part of Mutriku
has three buildings which
might interest us: the church,
Iglesia de la Asunción, with
its neoclassical frontispiece
and generous flight of steps
and, in the sacristry, the Cristo
de la Agonía, attributed to
Francisco de Zurbarán; the
eighteenth-century Town
Hall; and the emblazoned
house of Galdona. To round
off our tour of Mutrika, we
should see the palaces, Palacio
del Alimirante Churruca and
Palacio de Montabilet; and
then the tower, Berriatua,
also known as Sulengua
(lit., before the fire), because
it survived a fire in the
sixteenth century.
Our route comes to an end
at Mutriku, the birthplace of
Cosme Damián Churruca, the
Battle of Trafalgar hero. In this
fishing town, the houses seem
to cling together, forming
a semicircle as they slope down
towards the tiny harbour.
The ría at Deba
Deba, yet another
holidaymaker’s paradise,
stands on the mouth of
the river of the same name.
38
39
Inland Guipúzcoa
A jaunt through inland
Guipúzcoa takes us to places
of great distinction where
saints, noblemen and sailors
were born; to towns with a
strong industrial tradition;
and, last but not least, to tiny
hamlets and farmsteads.
We set off from a town with
a rich history and a vast
heritage, Bergara, whose
name is associated with the
embrace shared by Generals
Espartero and Maroto,
marking the end of the
First Carlist War. During the
Enlightenment, Bergara was
home to an institution of
The university. Oñati
great relevance: Seminario de
Nobles, now the location
of a centre attached to the
open university, Universidad
Nacional de Educación a
Distancia. After contemplating
a number of Gothic and
Renaissance features at
the Church of San Pedro
de Ariznoa, we move on to
other stately buildings, such
as Palacio de Eguino Mallea,
notable for its Renaissance
façade; Casa Irizar, where
the historical Agreement of
Bergara was signed; Casa
Arrese; and, outside the town
itself, Casa-Torre de Gabriria.
Further south, we reach the
town of Oñati, also known
as the Toledo of the Basque
Country on account of its
hoard of monuments. For
centuries an independent
county, it was the location
of the Basque Country’s only
university from 1548 to 1902.
The legacy of this illustrious
institution is a work of
architecture which is quite
remarkable, not least for
its plateresque façade and
cloister and Mudéjar coffered
ceilings. In Plaza de los Fueros,
one of the town’s most
delightful spots, we are duly
impressed by the baroque
Town Hall; the towered
palace, Palacio-Torre de
los Lazarraga; and Convento
de Santa Ana. Lastly, we
direct our course to
Monasterio de Bidaurreta,
whose construction was
commissioned by Juan
López Lazarraga in the
sixteenth century.
Santuario de Arantzazu
Chillida (the entrance doors);
Néstor Basterretxea (the
crypt); Javier de Eulate
(the stained-glass windows);
and Jorge Oteiza (the singular
carving of the Apostles).
Crossing the Udana Pass, we
take a right-hand turn to
reach Ferrería-Museo de
Mirandaola, where we can
learn something of the
history of ironware, once
of paramount importance
in the area. Two km from
the crossroads, we enter
the industrial town of
Legazpi, where we view the
church, Iglesia de la Asunción,
and Palacio de Bikuña.
On the road again, we take
the turnoff to the shrine
where the patron saint
of Guipúzcoa is worshipped,
Santuario de Nuestra Señora
de Arantzazu. Set in wildly
beautiful scenery, the present
building was constructed
when the original one
was destroyed by fire.
An unparalleled instance
of contemporary Basque art,
it was designed by architects
Sáenz de Oiza and Luis Loarga
and decorated by Eduardo
Following the course of
the River Urola, we come to
industrial Zumárraga and
Urretxu. Zumárraga’s most
distinguished citizen was the
navigator responsible for
the colonisation of the
41
Philippines, Miguel López
de Legazpi, who lived in the
towered house, Casa-Torre
de Jauregi. A statue
surveying the Town Hall in
the colonnaded square bears
witness to his achievements.
The Hermitage of Santa María
de Zumárraga, also known
as La Antigua, is a superb
example of popular religious
architecture and also an
excellent vantage point
affording a panoramic view
of the Upper Urola Valley.
At Urretxu, the original layout
of the mediaeval town is still
in place. Plaza de Iparraguirre
is the place to go for the most
interesting sights: the Town
Hall, housed in Palacio de
Ipenarrieta-Corral; the Church
of San Martín de Tours,
where there is a fascinating
collection of religious
imagery; and Casa AramburuEnea, the former residence
of warrior Gaspar de Jáuregui.
Cutting through woodland,
the Gi-631 takes us to
Azkoitia, where the Count
of Peñaflorida and another
15 personages founded
Real Sociedad Vascongada
de Amigos del País, an
association of enlightened
citizens who played a decisive
role in the Basque Country’s
economic, scientific and
artistic development.
Today, the association’s
offices remain at their
original location, Casa
Insausti, a prepossessing
baroque palace. Our next stop
could be the sixteenth-century
church, Iglesia de la Asunción,
with a Gothic interior, a
Renaissance frontispiece and
a baroque tower. Adjacent
stands Casa de Idiakez,
View of Azpeitia
also known as Exte Beltza,
or Black House, because its
façade was charred in a fire.
Behind the church, we might
visit Torre de Balda. Legend
has it that this tower was
built after the Flood by one of
Noah’s grandsons, Tubal-cain.
Midway between Azkoitia and
Azpeitia, we catch our first
glimpse of the dome atop the
shrine, Santuario de Loiola,
built in honour of St. Ignatius
Loyola, the founder of the
Society of Jesus. Designed by
Carlo Fontana, a pupil of
Bernini, the baroque basilica
Santuario de Loiola
Valle de Errezil
stands out for the sweeping
flight of steps at the entrance,
the magnificent dome
(75 m), born of the hand of
Churriguera, the vault and
the baroque altarpiece.
To one side of the portico,
we gain access to the house
where the saint was born,
a mediaeval, military
construction where we can see
the original rooms and some
of his personal belongings.
This shrine forms part of the
noble town of Azpeitia,
the proud owner of a rich
architectural heritage and
a hive of cultural activity,
in addition to being the
birthplace of personages of
the likes of St. Ignatius Loyola
in the field of religion and,
in the world of art, musician
and composer at the court of
the Catholic Sovereigns,
Juan de Anchieta. The present
cultural centre, Casa de
Cultura, is housed in what
was once Anchieta’s home,
a Mudéjar building graced
by an attractive façade.
Just opposite stands the Parish
Church of San Sebastián de
Soreasu, where the saint was
christened. The neoclassical
frontispiece was designed
by Ventura Rodríguez. If we
happen to be in the town at
the end of July, we might take
the opportunity to visit the
food and agriculture fair.
From Azpeitia, we could drive
towards Tolosa via Urrestilla
or cross Valle de Errezil (Regil),
a deep, green basin lying
beneath Monte Ernio.
In the vicinity of the old
Regil Hostel, we take a rest at
Balcón de Guipúzcoa to scan
pretty fields and meadows
besprinkled with farmsteads,
while Monte Oñatz looms
in the background.
Our trip round the province
ends at Tolosa, the capital
of Guipúzcoa from 1844 to
1854. Used as a stopover by
travellers, merchants and
pilgrims from Europe, the
town grew in fame and
wealth. Its memorable past
has left a number of stone
constructions, such as
the Renaissance Palacio de
Idiakez, now occupied by
a casino; the colonnaded
Plaza de Euskalherria;
and the Church of Santa
María, a potpourri of artistic
styles, ranging from Gothic
to baroque. Gastronomes
will enjoy themselves
at the unique confectionery
museum, Museo de la
Confitería; at the restaurants,
where they are recommended
to try the famous beans; and
at the nearby cider houses.
Tolosa
Coastal Vizcaya
The Vizcayan coastline
stretches from Cantabria to
the border with Guipúzcoa
in a medley of beaches and
rias safeguarded by endless
crags and cliffs.
Our point of departure is Ría
del Nervión (Ría de Bilbao),
whose sharply contrasting
banks are joined at this point
by the Portugalete Suspension
Bridge. On the left bank lie
the working class districts of
Barakaldo, Sestao, Portugalete
and Santurtzi, while the right
bank is taken up by the rich,
residential area, made up of
districts like Algorta, Neguri
and Las Arenas.
As we proceed along the left
bank, from Santurce to Bilbao,
as the popular sardine-seller’s
song goes, we see how
districts blackened by fumes
from the old blast furnaces
have been replaced by
Getxo
Portugalete Suspension Bridge
modern buildings such as
the recently-opened Bilbao
Exhibition Centre in
Barakaldo, a spacious
construction where trade
fairs are held.
On the right bank, the districts
of Las Arenas, Neguri, Algorta
and Santa María de Getxo
make up the elongated town
of Getxo, the home of the
Basque aristocracy and middle
class, complete with nautical
sports centre, golf course,
riding club, beaches and
promenades.
Spectacular cliffs and
fine-sanded beaches like
Barinatxe, Arrieta, Meñakoz
and Atxabiril are one of the
main reasons for visiting
Sopelana. The Renaissance
Church of San Pedro is crested
by the renowned Sopelana
Tower, quite imposing with
its coat of arms formed by
two keys in the form of a cross
and four hearts.
holiday resort where we find
apartment blocks alongside
mansions built in the late
nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
Castillo de los Butrón
The coast road runs through
the tiny village of Barrika
towards Plentzia, one of the
major seafaring and holiday
towns, connected to Bilbao by
the underground. Founded in
1299, Plentzia is noted for its
mediaeval quarter, consisting
of narrow streets presided
over by the Church of Santa
María Magdalena. The secret
to the town’s charm, however,
is the captivating ria, as we
shall realise if we take a walk
along the promenade.
as Astondo, where we are
bemused by the vast number
of bars, restaurants and picnic
areas. A tour of Gorliz takes us
to the Church of Santa María
de la Concepción, founded at
the end of the tenth century;
the Hermitage of Santa
María de las Nieves; and a
longstanding nursing home.
From the top of a majestic
cliff, the Gorliz Lighthouse
affords us heavenly views of
the Cantabrian Sea. Making a
quick detour, we come to the
castle, Castillo de los Butrón,
named after one of Vizcaya’s
leading aristocratic families.
Shaped like a large shell,
the beaches of Plentzia
and Gorliz stretch as far
Back on the coast, the small,
seafaring town of Armintza
tempts us to a variety of
shellfish and a glass of the
local txakoli, one of
the Basque Country’s best.
The winding road brings
us out at Bakio, a popular
Plentzia
46
A few kilometres from Bakio,
we discover one of Vizcaya’s
most extraordinary spots: the
Hermitage of San Juan de
Gaztelugatxe, poised on a
small, rocky peninsula which
is joined to the coast by a
narrow strip of land with
a flight of no less than
231 steps. Once in the hands
of the Knights Templar, the
tiny, Romanesque building
has played a part in many a
legend about the seafaring
world. It is said that Sir Francis
Drake seized the rock, stole
the jewels hidden in the
temple and cast the hermits
into the sea.
at the Gothic Ercilla Tower,
the location of the fisherman’s
museum, Museo del Pescador.
Mundaka, at the entrance to
the ria of the same name,
has recently become a
favourite spot among surfers,
drawn by the gigantic waves.
The mud flats at the Urdaibai
Reserve of the Biosphere, a
natural space of exceptional
characteristics, are inhabited
by sizeable colonies of ducks,
herons and seagulls, along
with a variety of flora and
fauna.
The road continues to twist
and turn on its way to the
fishing town of Bermeo,
where we are dazzled by
the red, green and blue
coastal fishing boats moored
in the harbour. Here,
a statue of a mariner with a
weather-beaten face pays
tribute to the hard life of
the fisherman. This harbour
was the busiest in Vizcaya
until it was surpassed by
Bilbao. In the picturesque
town centre, we might call
Along the BI-3234, a turnoff
to the left leads to Elantxobe,
a quaint fishing village set
in mountainous scenery.
We notice how the houses
cling together on the cliff
The harbour. Bermeo
47
overhanging the minute
harbour, while the scene is
surveyed from a distance by
the impressive Cape Ogoño.
Inland Vizcaya
Passing through Ea e Ispaster,
we eventually arrive in
Lekeitio, another pretty,
seafaring village. With a wide
choice of accommodation and
two beaches, one of which
belongs to Mendexa, Lekeitio
is always ready to receive
holidaymakers. The old
quarter is a maze of mansions
and palaces standing
alongside sailors’ dwellings. In
the square above the harbour,
we admire the Gothic Church
of Santa María, listed as a
National Monument. One of
Isabel II’s favourite places for
summer holidays and the
chosen residence of former
Empress Zita of Hapsburg
during her exile, this spot
may be appreciated in its full
beauty from the Santa
Catalina Lighthouse and
Monte Lumentza.
Ondarroa
Ondarroa is situated at the
mouth of the River Artibai
and is the last town on
the Vizcaya side of the border
with Guipúzcoa. Founded in
1327 by María Díaz de Haro,
it now boasts the province’s
busiest fishing port. One of
the main sights is the Church
of Santa María, whose mostly
Gothic exterior is relieved by
the main frontispiece, which
was rebuilt in the neoclassical
style. The church stands in
the middle of the mediaeval
district, a conglomeration
of fishermen’s dwellings
and the odd mansion. Above
we see the tower, Torre
de Likona, an instance
of mediaeval military
architecture and the
birthplace of St. Ignatius
Loyola’s mother. Finally,
the town has been given
a modern touch in the form
of an impressive white
bridge crossing the ria, the
work of renowned architect,
Santiago Calatrava.
Elantxobe
48
Our route commences at
the historic town of GernikaLumo, known the world
over thanks to Picasso’s great
work, a symbolic indictment
of the death and destruction
caused by war. The town is
also closely associated with
the Basque charters and
the idea of home rule for the
Basque people. Naturally,
our tour cannot fail to include
Árbol de Gernika, the age-old
oak tree where Vizcaya’s
councillors used to assemble.
Inside the nearby Casa de
Juntas de Vizcaya, a portrait
gallery takes us back to the
times when the Lords of
Vizcaya swore loyalty to
the charters.
Casa de Juntas de Gernika
The Gothic Church of Santa
María similarly escaped
the disaster, thus saving the
beautiful Capilla de la Virgen
and also Capilla de los Albiz,
where the remarkable
Albiz family tomb lies.
Driving in the direction of
Lekeitio along the C-6212,
we reach Kortezubi. Here,
we take the turnoff for the
Santimamiñe Caves, where
we shall be enthralled by the
Basque Country’s finest display
of cave drawings. Admission
is by appointment only.
This wonderland of chalky
formations, stalactites and
stalagmites is shared by
as many as 50 drawings of
bison and other animals.
Of the handful of buildings
which managed to survive
the 1937 air raid, most are
located in the vicinity of Casa
de Juntas. Such is the case
of Palacio de Montefuerte,
now occupied by Museo de
Euskal Herria, where we
can gain an insight into the
history of the Basque people.
In the grounds, we linger
a while before two huge
sculptures representing peace,
the work of world-famous
artists Eduardo Chillida and
Henry Moore.
A paved road leads to the
forest, Bosque Animado
de Oma, a combination of
49
Bosque de Oma
Collegiate church. Ziortza
natural and artistic beauty
very much in the land-art vein.
Here, Vizcaya-born artist
Agustín Ibarrola painted
figurative and abstract images
on the pine trees, making
for a bewitching walk across
the wooded hills.
the wrist for catching and
throwing the ball. As far
as sightseeing is concerned,
we are recommended to visit
the Church of Santa María,
one of the largest in Vizcaya;
and the Cemetery and Temple
of San Miguel de Arretxinaga,
where three enormous rocks
surround a small image of
the saint.
The winding inland roads
running from the GernikaLumo area to Markina pass
by several landmarks of
architectural and scenic
interest, such as the Collegiate
Church of Ziortza (Cenarruza),
situated on one of the routes
forming the Road to Santiago;
and Balcón de Vizcaya, a
vantage point near Urrutxa.
The BI-633 drops towards
Durango, the capital of a
county which has retained
its rural essence despite
industrialisation. The façades
in the old quarter are
enhanced by alluring arcades,
notable coats of arms and
paintings, as we see at the
Town Hall, decorated in
the Neapolitan style. Back
in the thirteenth century, the
County of Durango witnessed
the birth of the heretical
doctrine of the fraticelli, who
were condemned to burn
at the stake by the Inquisition.
Markina is an old town known
as the Pelota University as
it has produced some of
the great players in the cesta
punta category; i.e., a form
of pelota in which players are
equipped with a long, curved
wicker basket strapped to
50
A reminder of this event is
to be found in the town’s
best-known monument,
Cruz Terminal de Kurutziaga,
arrayed in multi-coloured
religious motifs.
by the Town Hall and the
Church of San Torcuato; and,
just outside the town, Torre
de Muntsaratz, an august
military tower dating back
to the Middle Ages.
In the County of Durango or
Durangaldea, we discover
the towns of Abadiño, Elorrio
and Berriz. Abadiño is a major
farming and cattle-breeding
centre which has branched
into industry in recent
decades. Of special interest
is a secluded square edged
The old hidalgo town of
Elorrio is an architecturalmonumental site, whose
prominent feature is on Calle
Berriotxoa: Casa Jara, with
its magnificent coat of arms
and carved eaves. In the main
square, two buildings catch
our eye; the church, Iglesia
de la Purísima Concepción,
almost completely surrounded
by a portico; and the Palace of
The church at
Markina
Arabio-Ortiz de Ibarra, with
a white marble coat of arms
on its façade.
On the outskirts of Elorrio
lies the Argiñeta Burial Site,
complete with a collection
of ninth-century steles and
tombs whose origin remains
unknown.
If we wish to stop for a meal,
then Berriz is the ideal place,
renowned for its huge,
prime-quality chops. The town
has a deep-rooted religious
tradition deriving from the
fact that St. Vincente Ferrer
and the Jesuit Cardaberaz
preached there.
Next, in the southern part
of Durangaldea, comes the
Urkiola Nature Park, which we
reach by taking the mountain
pass of the same name.
A surface area of 5,768
hectares spreading over part
of Vizcaya and Álava lies
Hermitage. Elorrio
Elorrio
under the sway of the crags
known as Peñas de Amboto.
At the very top, we find a
number of religious buildings,
hostels and restaurants.
From Durangaldea, we
drive along the A-8 in the
direction of Bilbao to visit
the Encartaciones, which
occupy the western part of
the province. This quiet, rural
area, huddled amid valleys,
woods and rivers, is the
location of Balmaseda,
the main town and the first
to be founded in Vizcaya
over 800 years ago.
The River Cadagua is crossed
by the twelfth-century bridge,
Puente Viejo, with the tower,
Torre de la Aduana, and the
original roadway still in tact.
In the main square, the
charming Gothic Church
of San Severino stands next
to the Town Hall, which is
finished off with a portico
reminiscent of Mudéjar art.
In Holy Week, the town
becomes the scene of a
Via Crucis re-enacted by
the local people.
In nearby Avellaneda, Casa de
Juntas has been refurbished to
house the museum, Museo de
las Encartaciones, where we
may study the area’s history
and its leading institutions.
Until the nineteenth century,
the building was used
as a meeting place by
representatives of the towns
belonging to the Encartaciones.
As we approach the border
with Cantabria along the
BI-630, we enjoy our first view
of Valle de Carranza, flecked
Balmaseda
The Pozalagua Cave. Ranero
here and there with
farmsteads and tiny villages,
each with its own church.
The valley is particularly
noteworthy for Parque
Ecológico de El Carpín
(Biáñez), a park devoted to
the study and conservation
of Cantabrian fauna; and the
Pozalagua Cave, where we
find a number of curious
eccentric stalactites.
On our way back to Bilbao,
we cross Valle de Sopuerta
and Muskiz, in the coastal
Encartaciones. Just three
km away from the centre
of Muskiz, the El Pobal Forge
has been reopened. Here, we
can find out about the local
ironware trade, which played
a fundamental role in the
life of pre-industrial Vizcaya.
Leisure and shows
In recent years, the Basque
Country has embarked on
several large-scale, cultural
projects which, along with
the region’s first-class
gastronomy, natural beauty
and its own peculiar folklore,
attract visitors from all over
the world.
First and foremost comes
Bilbao’s Guggenheim
Museum of Modern and
Contemporary Art, designed
by American architect
Frank O. Gehry. The building
is, in itself, a work of art
combining iron, stone and
glass, while a titanium plate
covering has been curved into
seemingly impossible shapes.
At the entrance, visitors are
received by a huge, floral
dog designed by Jeff Koons.
Inside, there are a number
of temporary exhibitions,
in addition to a permanent
collection of the full spectrum
of twentieth-century
Guggenheim Museum. Bilbao
avant-garde movements,
with works belonging to the
Guggenheim Museums of
New York, Venice and Bilbao.
Palacio Euskalduna de
Congresos y de la Música
has likewise been erected
on the banks of the ria,
on a site formerly occupied
by the shipyards of the same
name; hence its ship-like
structure. Designed by
Federico Soriano and Dolores
Palacios, the building consists
of a superb auditorium,
a congress centre and the
premises of the Bilbao
Symphony Orchestra.
In Donostia-San Sebastián,
the best example of modern
architecture is to be found
in the Kursaal, designed by
Rafael Moneo. The Cubes,
as this convention hall is
familiarly known, take the
form of two huge, crystal
rocks.
A short drive away from
Donostia is a place known
as Chillida Leku, dedicated to
the great Basque sculptor,
Eduardo Chillida. The artist’s
smaller works are kept inside
the Zabalaga Farmhouse,
while the larger ones have
been installed here and
there in the vast, green
spaces round about, making
for an attractive open-air
museum.
Chillida Leku Museum. Hernani
As great lovers of music and
folklore, the Basques still
uphold the tradition of the
bertsolaris, who bring
their imagination into play
to put new lyrics to
established melodies or
bertsos. As for instruments,
we find the txistu (the Basque
three-holed flute); the
tamboril; and the trikitxa
(a small accordion).
Vitoria-Gasteiz also has a
cultural space, the Artium,
where there is a major
collection of Basque and
Spanish contemporary art.
These and more traditional
venues, such as San Sebastián’s
Victoria Eugenia Theatre and
Bilbao’s Arriaga Theatre
and Museo de Bellas Artes,
provide the setting for a
packed cultural programme:
the San Sebastián Film
Festival (the second fortnight
in September), rivalling
in both glamour and
significance with the Venice
and Cannes Festivals; the
International Jazz Festivals at
Donostia, Gasteiz and Getxo
(July), with performances by
top-drawer jazz musicians;
the Tolosa Choral Contest
(late October-early
November); Bilbao’s opera
season (from September to
April); and many more.
One of the most noted
traditional Basque dances
is the aurresku, or welcoming
dance.
Music and parades to
commemorate the battles
of old play a major role in
Basque fiestas, which are
held in all three capitals in
August. Vitoria is first with
the Fiestas de la Virgen
The aurresku dance
55
Blanca (from August 4 to 9),
where the Descent of
Celedón is the central event.
Next, in the second week
of August, Donostia holds
its Aste Nagusia, or Grand
Week, with spectacular,
international pyrotechnic
competitions in the bay.
Straight afterwards, it is the
turn of Bilbao’s Aste Nagusia,
when a number of concerts
take place and the fiesta’s
symbol, a large rag doll
called Marijaia, is devoured
by fire.
Tapas bar
Logging (aizkolariak)
the Balmaseda Via Crucis
(Easter); pilgrimages and
processions by boat in honour
of Virgen del Carmen (July
16); Fiesta de Santo Tomás,
complete with market, in
San Sebastián and other
towns (December 21); and
the Olentzero, named after
the bearer of Christmas gifts
and taking place in towns all
over the Basque Country on
Christmas Eve.
There is, however, much
more to the festive calendar
than this, with events like
the Tamborrada, on
St. Sebastian’s Day
(January 20); Caldereros, in
Tolosa, San Sebastián, Vitoria
and Bilbao (the
weekend before
carnival); the
Tolosa Carnivals
(late January/early
February);
The influence of tradition
is also found in rural sports:
Basque pelota; rowing
regattas; rock-lifting
(harrijasotzaileak); logging,
with an axe (aizkolariak) or a
saw (trontza); and sokatira
(a manner of tug-of-war).
Other popular outdoor
pursuits include
mountaineering and
adventure sports, not
forgetting football
and surfing.
56
The Descent
of Celedón
Gastronomy
The Basque Country is the
ideal place for gastronomes.
In fact, with internationallyacclaimed chefs like Juan
Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana,
Martín Berasategui, and
Karlos Arguiñano, amond
others, Basque cuisine is
considered to be one of the
most innovative and
imaginative in the world.
Cod “al pil-pil”
peas and asparagus); merluza
a la koxkera (hake cheeks);
char-grilled bream and
T-bone steak; scrambled
eggs with fungi; junket; and
Idiazabal cheeses. All these
culinary delights are enjoyed
en famille, at restaurants,
gastronomic societies and
cider houses, while a whole
range of tempting tapas is
on display at the bars.
Only the very best produce
is used in Basque cooking:
anchovy, hake, bream, tuna,
baby squid and other seafood
from the Cantabrian Sea;
peppers, tomatoes and an
endless variety of greens;
and meat and milk provided
by the sizeable Basque
herds of cows and sheep.
As for drinks, txakoli, cider
and Rioja Alavesa wine all
go down well with dishes old
and new. Among the more
traditional ones, we find
bacalao al pil-pil (cod with
Shopping
The three Basque capitals
cater for all kinds of shopper.
In the old quarters of
Donostia- San Sebastián,
Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz,
there are lots of small
57
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INFORMACIÓN TURÍSTICA TURESPAÑA
www.spain.info
BASQUE COUNTRY
Shopping in San Sebastián
www.paisvascoturismo.net
Nature
businesses and handicraft
shops, while the large
department stores and
traditional shops, mainly
boutiques and confectioner’s,
are located in the Ensanches.
Bilbao’s Gran Vía, Donostia’s
Avenida de la Libertad and
Vitoria’s Calle Dato are
the most fashionable
shopping areas.
The natural environment
offers the tourist alternative
ways of spending his leisure
time. From the sea to the
mountains, from the cereal
fields to the meadows, woods
and vineyards, the Basque
Country’s scenic beauty is
ineffable and fortunately,
within easy reach. Moreover,
it is the location of nine
protected natural spaces of
tremendous interest for their
flora and fauna: Urdaibai
(Vizcaya); Urkiola and
Gorbeia (Álava and Vizcaya);
Aralar, Aizkorri, Aiako Harria
(Guipúzcoa); and Valderejo,
Entzia and Izki (Álava).
Basque handicrafts revolve
round the tools and
equipment used in the
region’s trades and sports.
Wood is transformed into
yokes, kaikus (special utensils
for the preparation of
junket), coffers and walking
sticks. Other craftsmen
make the strapped baskets
used in pelota and the
leather balls used on fronton
courts. As for foodstuffs,
cheeses, desserts like truffles
and the Basque cake or
goxua are made in the
traditional way. The
Guipúzcoa town of Azpeitia
is famous for its furniture
and Azkoitia, for its
espadrilles.
Álava (Araba)
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The Urkiola massif
58
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Nueva York
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NEW YORK, N.Y. 10103
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EMBASSIES IN MADRID
Canada
Núñez de Balboa, 35 – 3º
%914 233 250 )914 233 251
Russia
Velázquez, 155
%915 622 264 ) 915 629 712
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Serrano, 109
%915 907 600 )915 901 321
United Kingdom
Fernando El Santo, 16
%913 190 200 ) 913 081 033
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Claudio Coello, 73
%915 763 500 )914 351 677
United States of America
Serrano, 75
%915 872 200 )915 872 303
Cubierta Pais Vasco-INGLES.qxp:Cubierta Pais Vasco-INGLES.qxp
14/8/09
09:23
Página 2
C O N T E N T S
1
Paris
France
Bay of Biscay
The Basque Country
Portugal
Madrid
Lisbon
SANTANDER 121 km
Melilla
Published by:
© Turespaña
Secretaría de Estado
de Turismo
Text:
Heda Comunicación
Graphic Design:
P&L MARÍN
Translation:
Hilary Dyke
Printed by:
AGSM S.A.
D.L. AB-387-2009
Photographs:
Archivo Turespaña; Acuarium de
San Sebastián; Agromayor; Alvira, F.;
Blanco, M.; Garrido, A.; González Grande, J.L.;
Ministerio de Industria,
López, J.; Muñoz, M.; Ontañón, F.;
Turismo y Comercio
Pascual Lobo, J.J.; Raurich, M.; Zabalza, R.
NIPO: 704-09-514-5
Printed in Spain
2nd edition
U
R
G
O
ño
go
eO
S
C
O
M
F
O
N
Airport
Caves
Lighthouse
Cerezo
Tormantos
de Río Tirón
L A
R I O J A
Santo Domingo
de la Calzada
Hormilleja
N-120
BURGOS 23 km
BURGOS 51 km
0
La Puebla de Labarca/
Lapuebla Labarka
Uruñuela
Navarrete
U
R
N
A
A V A
20
I
D
L
A
D
R
R
40
D
E
A
60 km
Mendavia CARTOGRAFÍA: GCAR, S.L. Cardenal Silíceo, 35
LOGROÑO
SORIA 98 km
AP-68
ZARAGOZA 157 km
Tel. 914 167 341 - 28002 MADRID - AÑO 2005
[email protected]
PAMPLONA 4 km
Mediterranean
Sea
Ceuta
Cover:
Abanto y Ciervana. Vizcaya
Cover inset:
Playa de La Concha.
C A N T A B R I A
B
S PA I N
Atlantic Ocean
od
59
o
General information
ak
54
London
Basigo
Armintza (Bakio) Bermeo
Cabo Higer
San Juan de
Mundaka Elantxobe
Elexalde (Gorliz)
Gaztelugatxe
Laredo
Elexalde
Elexalde (Barrika)
Hondarribia
Urizar Ergoien Sukarrieta
Ea
Plentzia
A-8
N-634
Castro-Urdiales Sopelana
Axpe
Lekeitio
DONOSTIA/
Irun
Ispaster-Elejalde
Pasai
Butrón Garai
Berango
Mesterika Elexalde
Zelaia
San Pedro Lezo N-I
Abanto
SAN
SEBASTIÁN
Kanpantxua
N-121
Ondarroa
Solarte
Zierbena
Algorta Elizalde Mungia
Errenteria
Ampuero
Igeldo
Gernika- Enderikas
Getaria
Pasai
Zumaia
San Juan (Muskiz) Santurtzi
Leioa
Aldai
Ergoien
Mutriku
Antxo
Zarautz
Lumo Mendieta Eleizalde
de
Portugalete
Usurbil
Oiartzun Embalse
Erribera
Deba
San Antón
Loiola- Aulesti
NATURAL
Gallarta Sestao Altzaga Arteaga
Rasines
Ugarte
Hernani PARQUE
Itziar A-8 PARQUE NATURALOrio LasarteAgüera
Elejalde
DE AIKO HARRIA
Ramales
Aizarnazabal DE PAGOETA
Larrabetzu
Aretxalde
La Iglesia San Vicente de Barakaldo/
MarkinaOria Urnieta Ereñozu deEmbalse
Garagarza
de la Victoria Herboso
Añarbe
Ziortza Xemeín
BILBAO
Zestoa
(CANT.) San Bizenti-Barakaldo
Aia
Kurtzea
Pagoaga
Alzola
San Pedro
Amorebieta
Biáñez
Zizurkil
Madariaga
San Miguel de Linares
N-634
Gueraña
Embalse
Andoain
Elexalde
La
Matanza
Asteasu
Arizgoiti
Treto
Arano
Avellaneda
Azpeitia Etumeta Larraul
de Nocedal
Eibar
Concha
Mallabia
Villabona
Goizueta
Balmaseda Mimetiz Güeñes Arrigorriaga Zaratamo Lemoa A-8 Garai Olakueta
Azkoitia
Errezil Alkiza
Iurreta
Pando
Sangrices
Ermua
Loiola
UgaoBerrobi
Elexalde
Solaruze/Placencia
Anoeta
Arene
Sandamendi
Bernales
Elduain
Aldeacueva
Zaldibar
Oñatz Bidania
Miraballes
Durango
Tolosa
Lanzas
Abadiño-Zelaieta de las Armas
Sistiaga
Zudiviarte
Berastegi
Elejalde ZubialdeZelaia Mañaria
Agudas
Elgeta Bergara Aratz- Beizama
Albiztur Altzo
Santecilla
N-629
Llodio
Erreka
Ugarana
Herriko
Plaza
Gaztelu
Artziniega
Elorrio
Embalse
PARQUE NATURAL
Ikaztegieta
Bengoechea
Zumárraga
A i ala
Lizartza
Gordeliz
de Ordunte
Areatza
DE URKIOLA Arrasate/ Antzuola
Orexa
Va l l e de
Itsasondo N-I Orendain
Ezkurra
Zuaza
Plaza
Urretxu
Urkiola
Zubiaur
Quejana
Mondragón Santa Lutzi-Anduaga Ordizia
Baliarrain
A-15
Arespalditza/
Villasana
Arbaiza
Ipiñaburu
Legazpi
Erbi
Amezketa
Gaintza
Respaldiza
Garibai
de Mena
Bercedo
Ibarra
Beasain
N-240
PARQUE NATURAL
Abaltzisketa
Oñati Gabiria
Jauntsarats
Castrobarto
DE GORBEIA
Lazkao
Amurrio
Añés
Betelu
Angulo
de Mena
Aretxabaleta
Otxandio
San Juan
Zerain Idiazábal San Martín
Villabasil
Lekunberri
Belandia
Nuestra
Señora
PARQUE
NATURAL
Marin Eskoriatza
de Arantzazu
DE ARALAR
San Gregorio
Inoso
Barcenillas
Etxaguen
Urduña-Orduña
Legutiano Leintz-Gatzaga
del Ribero
Goiuri
Zegama
Altube
Arantzazu
Quincoces
Gopegi Embalse
Villacián
de Yuso
Artomaña
Murgia
de Urrunaga Embalse
Goialdea
Irañeta
Lakuntza
Zaitegi
Irurtzun
Delika Izarra
Vilaño
de Ullibarri
Otzaurte
Marieta Hermua Barria
Ziriano
Abezia
Arriola
Abornikano Jugo N-622
Altsasu-Alsasua
Ayorrabe
A-15
Berberana
Domaikia
Gordoa
Nanclares Gebara
Anda
Araca
Lizarraga
Medina
Araia
Bóveda
Ollo
Artaza-Escota La LlanadaDurana de Gamboa
Luna AP-68
Dallo Heredia
Urdiain
de Pomar
PARQUE NATURAL
Zalduondo
Osma
N-I Argomaniz
Ordoñana
Martioda
DE VALDEREJO Lalastra
Ziordia
Arriano
Gobeo
Tobillas
Villanueva
ZuhatzuJocano
Aizpún
Vicuña Andoin
Villamardones
Salvatierra/
de
Valdegovía
Santuario
Kuartango
Alegría/
Mendoza
Nofuentes
Ormijana
Opakua
Ribera
Agurain
de Estíbaliz
Dulantzi
Villodas
Armentia
Añana-Gesaltza/ Subijana
VITORIAVillanañe
Lezáun
Larraona
Eguileta Guereño Iturrieta
Salinas de Añana Lasierra Nanclares de la Oca/
Toll motorway
Echarri
Zudaire
GASTEIZ
Espejo
Langraiz Oka
Ibisate
Contrasta
Muez
Free motorway/Expressway
Azaceta
Pobes
Bergüenda/
Eulate
Arreo
Bergonda
N-I
Sabando Alda
Virgala Mayor
Leciñana
National road
Puentelarra/
Embalse
de la Oca
O
Zubilarra
Atauri
de Alloz
Treviño
EBR
Arlucea Maeztu
Primary network road
Añastro
Salcedo/
Saseta
Oteo
Zúñiga
Larrión
Saratsu
Secondary network road
PARQUE NATURAL
Artazu
B U R G O S Urarte DE IZKI
Estella/Lizarra
Mijancas
Local road
Ancín
Miranda de Ebro
Santurde
Quintana
Railway
Zambrana
Santa Cruz de Campezo/
Urturi
Berganzo
Bajauri
Parador/state hotel
Santikurutze Kanpezu
AP-1
Ocio
Loza
Olejua
Mendigorría
Pancorbo
Peñacerrada/
Cabredo
Shrine-Monastery
Mues
Foncea
Lagran Bernedo
N-124 Urizaharra
N
Arróniz Allo
Nature park
Kripan
N-111
Labastida/Bastida Montoria
Lanciego/
N-232
Golf course
Elvillar/Bilar Lantziego
Sansol
Samaniego
Haro
Sajazarra
Los Arcos
Larraga
Nautical sports centre
Leza Rioj a Ala vesa
Briones
Yécora/ Moreda/
Treviana
Spa
Navaridas Laguardia/ Iekora Moreta
Biasteri
N-232
Cuzcurrita de
Oion
Camp site
Viana
Ochánduri
Elciego
Lazagurría
Rodezno
Río Tirón
Santoña
Ca
b
Leisure and shows
United
Kingdom
itx
29
29
34
40
45
49
Dublin
atx
Tours of the provinces
Nature in Álava
Coastal Guipúzcoa
Inland Guipúzcoa
Coastal Vizcaya
Inland Vizcaya
Ireland
oM
8
8
15
23
Ca
b
Tours of the capitals
Bilbao
Vitoria-Gasteiz
SANTANDER 41 km
Introduction

PAIS VASCO INGLES 2772.qxp:PAIS VASCO

Transcription

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