Bilbao

If you are seeking for tradition, cultural and urban tourism, the Basque Country has it all. Basque Country suggests a triangular-shaped route for you that starts in Bilbao, at the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry. The building is spectacular and, if that were not enough, the collections on display inside it are another great international claim to fame. The itinerary continues with a visit to the Artium Basque Museum of Contemporary Art in Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Eduardo Chillida Museum – Txillida Leku, in Donostia-San Sebastián. On this circuit, the visitor will find internationally-acclaimed works in cities steeped in history yet which are also very different from each other. At the other corner of the triangle is San Sebastián, the city by the sea, with a promenade around the Concha Bay designed with every attention to detail. The Old Quarter of Vitoria-Gasteiz is also a picture postcard place, together with its St. Mary’s Cathedral – “open for building work.” The writer, Ken Follet, decided to base the second part of his novel “The Pillars of the Earth” on this Gothic building after visiting the restoration work that is being carried out at the cathedral.

Wine and gastronomy

Anyone who is familiar with the Basque Country will know that you can eat and drink extremely well in Euskadi. That is why our third tourist suggestion is the Wine Route – the perfect excuse to head inland away from the coast. Txakoli is made on the coast – a young white wine of fine quality – and inland, in Rioja Alavesa, you can taste young wines – crianzas, reservas and gran reservas – that continue to enhance the reputation of this region. The “City of Wine” opened to the public in September in the Alava town of El Ciego. This is a wine cellar designed by the architect, Frank Gehry, the designer of the Guggenheim Museum. And it’s not the only one – a true spectacle along the route is the wine cellar also designed by Santiago Calatrava, in Laguardia, together with others that feature innovative architecture. A fine txakoli, a fine wine…and, of course, fine dining. Not in vain does Euskadi now boast 21 Michelin stars. The cuisine on offer ranges from cod a la vizcaína (cod cooked with tomatoes and red peppers) to the famous pintxos (bar snacks), not to mention scrambled eggs with perretxikos (forest mushrooms), the typical cider house menu or something as splendid as a meal in a gastronomic society or in a txoko (Basque club).

Some of our wine tours combining Bilbao and La Rioja

Full day wine tour Rioja
Wine tour Rioja – 5 days