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| Zumaia, near San Telmo Chapel, Gipuzkoa |
The Basque Country (Pais Vasco), or Euskadi in Basque is an autonomous region in the north of Spain bordering with France to the coast of the Bay of Biscay.
The Basque Country has due to its different language and culture obtained a higher degree of autonomy than most other autonomous regions in Spain. For example, the Basque Country has its own tax system, whereby tax collection is only used for the benefit of the Basque Country, not passed on to other autonomous community.
There are many points of interest to visit in the Basque Country, such as the cities of Bilbao and San Sebastian de Donostia. The Basque Country also holds some stunningly beautiful villages well worth a visit.
There are three provinces in the Basque Country, Gipuzkoa, Biscay, and Álava. The Basque Country has an unusual political organization, in the sense that there is no official capital, but the provincial capital of Álava, Vítoria-Gasteiz serves as the de facto capital for the whole autonomous region. The Basque Country spans over an area of 7,234km2 and has a population of close to 2.2 million, of whom close to half live within the metropolitan area of Bilbao.
The most interesting curiosity about the Basque Country is its language. The Basque language Euskera bears no resemblance to any of the Romance languages of the Mediterranean. It is a language group in its own right, believed to be much older than Latin. Euskera is spoken throughout the Basque Country, which also spans into France, as well as in the Province of Navarre. Within Spain, the highest density of Euskera-speakers are found within Gipuzkoa. Spanish remains, however, the most widely spoken language throughout the Basque community.
The Basque are proud of their heritage and culture which stands out. Also because the Basque Country is the most affluent region in Spain, and has a GDP well above the average of the European Union.
Biscay
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| Gaztelugatxe, Biscay |
The Province of Biscay has a population of close to 1.2 million people and a total area of 2,217km2. Located on the Coast of Biscay between Cantabria and Giputzkoa, the Province of Biscay is known for its rugged coastline. One of the special sights, is Gaztelugatxe. Game of Thrones followers will recognise this islet as the location for Dragonstone Island. In real life, Gaztelugatxe was a hermitage in honour of John the Baptist. It is located near the scenic coastal village of Bermeo, well worth a visit in its own right. Other noteworthy sights include Gernika, the small village that was bombed during the Civil War, and whose sufferings were immortalised in Picasso´s famous wall-to-wall painting of the ame name. Near Gernika, is also the Urdaibai estuary, an important bio-reserve, Within the reserve is the Santimamiñe cave, a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its mural paintings and archaeological findings.
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| Plaza Moyua, Bilbao |
The main city is in the Province of Biscay is Bilbao. The city is known for the Guggenheim Museum, and its football club Athletic Club de Bilbao, a symbol of Basque nationalism, much more so than rivalling club Real Sociedad from San Sebastián de Donostia,, due to its unique insistence on only recruiting Basque players. The Ensanche area with its many Pintxo bars is another interesting place to visit. For a sightseeing tour of the city, take a boat ride down the Nervión river, and take the old Funicular up the Artxanda mountain for a panoramic view of this modern city. The city holds an important festival every week in mid August, The Great Week of Bilbao. During the Great Week, there is a host of special events in the city, such as circuses, fairgrounds, bullfights, boxing matches, and traditional dance performances. It takes place on the first Saturday following 15 August every year.
Gipuzkoa
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| La Concha, San Sebastián de Donostia |
With its 1,980km2, the Province of Gipuzkoa is the smallest in Spain. It has a population of about 720,000. The province has a very scenic coastline with an array of quaint villages such as Hondarribia, Zarautz, or Getaria, the birthtown of the world's first circumnavigator Juan Sebastián Elcano. There is also Zumaia, known for the unusual flysch formations. The principal city is San Sebastián, or also known by its Basque name, Donostia. San Sebastián de Donostia is often mentioned as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With its hallmarks, the La Concha beach, and Christ figure on top of Mount Urgull, San Sebastián de Donostia resembles a miniature version of Rio de Janeiro. Donostia is famous for its gastronony. Whether you are looking for fine dining, or local treats in forms of pintxos, Donostia's
Parte Vieja, Old Town, will surely be able to accommodate you.
Álava
The Province of Álava is a landlocked province to the south of Gipuzkoa. It covers an area of 3,037km2 and has a population of about 330,000 people. The vast majority life in the provincial and Bsque capital, Vitória-Gasteiz. In the open and sparsely populated landscape lie the highest point in the Basque country, the Gorbeia. In between two mountain ranges, are the open plains. In the south is Alavese Rioja, wine country. In this region, is the interesting town of La Guardi,a close to the border with La Rioja. Other interesting features in Alava are the dolmens, La Chabola de la Hechicera, The Witchcraft's Hut, near the village of Elvillar.
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| Vitoria-Gasteiz |
The capital Vitoria is known for being the green capital due to its many parks. It is also known for its old quarter,
la Almendra Medieval, with the Gothic cathedral Santa María in its midst. The cathedral served as the inspiration for the novelist Ken Follett's cathedral. Other worthwhile sights are the Artium Museum, an exhibition of contemporary arts, and Florida, the ctiy's main park. Moving around between these sights is easy by the city tram.
