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S U M M A R Y O F C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION 1
SIGHTSEEING IN VITORIA-GASTEIZThe old city 2The Romantic new town 5The parks 7
PROVINCIAL EXCURSIONSThe Road to Santiago 9La Rioja Alavesa 12Gorbea: Foothills and reservoirs 14Valderejo Nature Park 16Western Valleys 17
LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT 19MAP 22USEFUL INFORMATION 24
ÁÁLLAAVVAA➡➡
SPAIN
MOROCCO
FRANCE
UNITED KINGDOM
IRELAND
PORT
UGAL
Madrid
Dublin
Londron
Paris
Lisbon
© T U R E S P A Ñ A
Secretaría de Estado de Comercio y TurismoMin i s ter io de Economía
Written by: Luis AzpilicuetaTranslated: Alistair L. RossPhotographs: TURESPAÑA ArchivesLayout: AZA, S.A.Printed by: DITEGSAD. L.: M. 29704-2001NIPO: 380-01-038-3Printed in SpainSecond Edition
Cantabrian Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Atla
ntic
Oce
an
RabatCeuta
Melilla
MotorwayDual CarriagewayNational Trunk Road1st class Regional Road2nd class Regional RoadLocal RoadRailwayAirportParadorSanctuary/MonasteryCastleMonumentHistoric ruinsMegalithic monumentPrehistoric cavesNature ParkCamping siteGolf course
T he earliestinhabitants of Alavasettled in the land
towards the end of the secondmillennium BC.Archaeological research hasshown that the territory wassolidly Romanised. BecauseAlava (Araba) was notisolated like other parts of theBasque country, it was herethat Christianisation and Latinisation began. For the same reason, in the8th and 9th centuries the people of Alava had a dual relationship – on theone hand with the Moslems and on the other with the Asturians – both ofwhich consisted of a constant succession of struggles and pacts to preservetheir independence. Throughout most of the 11th century Alava, whose name first appears assuch in the Crónica Albeldense of 833, was under the influence of thekingdom of Navarre; only after the death of king Sancho IV in 1076 did itcome within the political and military sphere of Castile. The 12th and 13thcenturies saw the first signs of urban development in Alava, with the creationand growth of its principal towns. The 13th century also saw the first writtendocuments of the Cofradía de Arriaga, which was a basic institution ofgovernment in that period. From then on, the traditional freedoms, or fueros,of Alava survived various vicissitudes until 1876, when their abolition wasdecreed following the end of the Second Carlist War. With the restoration of freedoms at the end of the Franco dictatorship, Alavarecovered its General Assemblies and its Diputación Foral. With theapproval of the Statute of Autonomy of Gernika in 1979, Vitoria became thepolitical and administrative capital of the Autonomous Community of theBasque Country.
Álava is the largest of the territories in the Basque Country, covering 3,037square kilometres. It is also the least populous with 281,821 inhabitants,214,234 of whom live in the capital Vitoria - Gasteiz. There are two officiallanguages – Spanish, which is spoken by the entire population, and Euskera,which only a minority speak.
1
Escutcheon. Salvatierra/Agurain
CLIMATE AND NATURE.
One of the chiefcharacteristics of Alava isthe great variety of
landscapes and climates determinedby its peculiar relief. The province istraversed by a succession of threemountain chains which separate itfrom Vizcaya (Bizkaia), Guipúzcoa(Gipuzkoa) and La Rioja. As aconsequence the climate varieswidely, ranging from cool and wetin the mountain areas to warm anddry in the southern parts. Travellersshould be aware that wintertemperatures are generally low andsnow is not uncommon. The springis rainy and the summer andautumn are mild. The meantemperature is 20 º C in summerand 8º C in winter.
The vegetation again variesaccording to zones. Thenorth of the province is
green and woody, with large areasof oak and beech (home toabundant deer, boars, etc.), whilethe south, especially near La Rioja,is characterised by typicallyMediterranean stands of holm-oakand boxwood, grain fields andvineyards. About 35 per cent of theprovince’s surface area is covered byforest. Alava currently has four“protected natural zones”: Valderejo,Gorbea-Gorbeia, Urkiola and Izki.
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THE OLD TOWNThe original town of Vitoria-Gasteiz,founded on a small hillock, wasdestroyed by fire in 1202. It was rebuiltaccording to the dictates of mediaevalburghs, and its streets still preserve thenames of the various guilds whichoriginally had their places there –Harness-makers, Smiths, Shoemakers,Cutlers, etc....
The visit to this part of the citybegins at Plaza de la VirgenBlanca (1), the real centre of thetown, whose most striking featureis the monument to the battle ofVitoria, by Gabriel Borras. Slightlyoverlooking the square one cansee the church of San Miguel witha niche bearing the Virgen Blancaor White Virgin, patroness of thecity. Adjacent to this square isanother, a classical four-squareporticoed place, site of the Town
Hall. From there the itineraryapproaches the Old Town uphillby way of the Cuesta de SanFrancisco where Los Arquillos (2)stands, a structure built by JustoAntonio de Olagibel that connectsthe mediaeval town with the 19th-century new town through a lineof buildings in step formation.Nearby is the church of SanVicente and the little Plaza delMachete (3), where the localcouncillors once took the oath ofoffice. The outstanding featurehere is the 16th-century Palace ofVilla Suso, which is now used formeetings and congresses.
Carrying on along CalleCuchillería is the fine Casa deCordón (4), built in the reign ofthe Catholic Monarchs, and thePalace of Bendaña. The next stopis the Cathedral of Santa María (5)or Old Catedral: this wascommenced in the 13th centuryand has recently been restored.
In Calle Correría there are variousnoble houses, like the mansions of
2
Museode Arqueología
Torre delos Anda
Museo Fournierde Naipes
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CasaConsistorial
Iglesia deS. Miguel
Iglesia deS. VicentePalacio
Villa-Suso
ORONACIÓN V E LOYOLA
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Plaza de laProvincia 4
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Sightseeing in Vitoria-Gasteiz
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the Corcuera, the Maturana-Verástegui and the Torre de losAnda families. At the end of thisstreet is El Portalón (6), a formermerchant house which nowcontains a restaurant. Opposite isthe escutcheoned house of theGobeo-Landazuri family, a 16th-century edifice which nowcontains the ArchaeologicalMuseum.
Nearby in Calle Siervas de Jesúsrises the impressive Torre de DoñaOtxanda (7), a 15th-century towerwhich now houses the NaturalScience Museum. Along the samestreet is Plaza de la Provincia,where one can view the 19th-century palace of the DiputaciónForal de Álava (8), and further onone comes once again to Plaza dela Virgen Blanca where theitinerary started.
Plaza del Machete
THE ROMANTIC NEW TOWN
Again, the starting-point is Plaza dela Virgen Blanca, which gives on tosome old-town streets and othermain streets of the new town. Oneof these is the Calle Dato, a busypedestrian shopping street whichtoday is still frequented by thecitizens of Vitoria as a place to meetand have a stroll.
Walking eastwards from VirgenBlanca, one comes to Plaza de LosFueros (9). Designed in the early1980s by sculptor Eduardo Chillidaand architect Peña Ganchegui, itblends modern originality of designwith traditional uses such as thepractice of rural sports.
Westwards from Virgen Blanca isthe New Cathedral (10) orCathedral of María Inmaculada, aNeo-Gothic building with a finecrypt and sacristy. The first stonewas laid in 1907, but it was not
finally consecrated until 1969.Nearby, at the entrance to La Floridapark, is the seat of the BasqueParliament (11), an edifice built inthe mid-19th century. Presiding overthe session hall is a sculpture byNestor Basterretxea.
Crossing through La Florida park arethe attractive Paseo de La Senda andPaseo de Fray Francisco de Vitoria,two walks lined by elegant houses,which lead to the Museum of FineArt (12) and the Museum ofHeraldry (13). The former is housedin a small Neo-renaissance palace
Juntas Generales
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set in beautiful gardens. Oppositestands the Palace of Ajuria Enea(14), which has been the seat of thepresidency of the BasqueGovernment and the officialresidence of the Lehendakari orBasque President since 1980. It wasbuilt in 1918.
Carrying on along Paseo de FrayFrancisco de Vitoria, one comes toParque del Prado and theMendizorroza sports facilities.Continuing along Paseo Cervantesand Avenida de San Prudencio, lessthan two kilometres away is thecountry house of Armentia, with theRomanesque church of San
Prudencio (15). Built in the 12th-13th centuries, this is where thepeople of Vitoria hold a romería orfestive religious outing every 28April, where traditional tidbits likeperrechicos (spring mushrooms) andsnails are handed round.
Plaza de la Virgen Blanca
7
THE PARKSVitoria- Gasteiz boasts the highest ratioof green areas per inhabitant in Spainand one of the highest in Europe. Inaggregate the parks of Vitoria containnearly 127,000 trees belonging to 150different species.
One of the best known and mostemblematic is La Florida Park (16),located in the heart of the city. Workon it began in 1820, with the NewCathedral or Cathedral of MariaInmaculada at one end and the seatof the Basque Parliament at theother. In no more than 35,000square metres there are 95 speciesof tree and 79 species of bush,
which lends it the appearance of abotanical garden.
Continuing along Paseo de la Sendaand Paseo de Fray Francisco deVitoria is another of the central greenareas, the Parque del Prado (17).Here there are 21 species ofdeciduous tree, the mostoutstanding being Indian chestnut,ash, linden, maple and someexamples of red oak.
One of the oldest parks isJudizmendi (18). Originally a Jewishcemetery, when the CatholicMonarchs expelled the Jews fromSpain, they granted the land to the
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Plazade Zaldiarán
Plaza dela Ciudadela
Plazuelade Aldave
PlazaSto. Domingo
Plaza Fuentede los Patos
PlazaSta. María
PlazaSan Antón
Plazade Bilbao
Pl. Francisco J. de Ayala
Plaza Condede Peñaflorida
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PlazaSimón Bolívar
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CARTOGRAFÍA: GCAR, S.L. Cardenal Silíceo, 35T l 91 416 73 41 28002 MADRID AÑO 1999
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city on condition that nothing wasbuilt there. The park contains amonolith commemorating this fact.There are several deciduous species,most notably a number of whitepoplars.
The largest park in Vitoria-Gasteiz isSan Juan de Arriaga (19), an area of19 ha in the north of the city. In thepark is the Ermita Juradera or BaileyHermitage, built on the site formerlyreserved for meetings of the ArriagaBrotherhood, the body that oncegoverned and administered Alava,and witness to many historic events.Here there are more than 100different species of tree.
Other important parks areMolinuevo (20) and San Martín (21).The latter is one of the most modernand the second largest after Arriaga,covering 85,000 square metres. Itcontains 11 species of conifer, 66leafy species and over 10,000 rosebushes.
In Vitoria there are many otherplaces which although not strictlyspeaking parks, offer considerablebotanical interest. These include:
Gardens of Calle Magdalena (22),which preserves an impressive giantsequoia over 40 metres high.Paseo de la Senda (23), with 65plane trees rising to more than 40metres.Paseo de Fray Francisco (24) andPaseo de Cervantes (25): lined byIndian chestnuts (436 in all) of boththe white and pink blossomedvarieties.
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La Florida Park
9
THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO
The Road to Santiago enters Alavafrom Guipuzcoa by way of the SanAdrian tunnel, where the road runsthrough a naturally-bored cragbetween the massifs of Aitzgorri andAratz populated by lush beechwoods.The road down from the San AdrianTunnel to the town of Zalduondopasses by one of the oldest edificesin Alava – the hermitage of SanJulian y Santa Basilia de Alistra,which boasts an interesting pre-Romanesque window.In Zalduondo it is worth visiting theRenaissance palace of Lazarraga or“Casa de los Gizones”, which has amonumental escutcheon over thegateway and restored muralpaintings. This is now the home of
the local ethnographic museum (( 945 30 43 74). The parishchurch has an interesting choir-stall,a tower and a main altarpiece byPedro de Ayala. The connectionwith Santiago can be found on thebench, which bears a relief carvingof St. James the Pilgrim.
Sculpture in the Ethnographic Museum, Lazarraga Palace. Zalduondo
Provincial excursions
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The next stopis Ordoñana, near whichstands the Hermitage of San Millan.Considerably restored, thehermitage is of mediaeval origin, itsfacade dominated by a Baroqueescutcheon. Nearby in Eguilaz, justoff the N-I highway, is themagnificent dolmen of Aizkomendi,one of the finest megalithicmonuments in the Basque Country.
The nextstop, and one of the
most important, is the mediaevaltown of Salvatierra-Agurain, the hubof the Plain of Alava. Here arepreserved remains of old town wallsand palaces and lordly mansionsbuilt in the 16th century. It is worthvisiting the churches of San Juan andSanta Maria, and the Renaissancepalace known as “Casa de Begoña”.
Dolmen of Aizkomendi. Eguilaz
Church of San Martin.Gaceo-Gazeo
After Salvatierra we come to Gaceo-Gazeo, whose church preservessome fine paintings in the linearFranco-Gothic style, representing avaried religious iconography.Nearby is Alaiza, in whose churchof La Asuncion 15th-centurymonochrome paintings werediscovered in 1982.
Another outstanding place on thisroute is Alegria-Dulantzi, wherevisitors are recommended to see thechurch of San Juan, the town halland the Casa de los Gaona.Carrying on by way of villageslike Añua, Matauco andArgandoña, the next place tostop is at the Sanctuary ofEstibaliz. This is an impressiveexample of the finest AlaveseRomanesque, with anoutstanding baptismal font,capitals and doorway.
Once through Vitoria, thisJacobean route runs parallel tothe Montes de Vitoria, passingthrough the Conchas de Arganzónon the river Zadorra, by way ofPuebla de Arganzón to Armiñón.Here the road forks: to Burgos or toSanto Domingo de la Calzada (LaRioja).
La Puebla de Arganzón is one of themunicipalities of the County ofTreviño, an enclave of Burgos in theprovince of Alava. Founded in1191, this walled town was astopping-place on the mediaevalroute along the left bank of the
Zadorra. It is worth visiting thechurch of Nuestra Señora de laAsuncion, whose main altarpiece isone of the finest examples ofHispanic Plateresque..
The best feature of Armiñón is itsbridge. There is a road fromArmiñón to Salinillas de Burandón,a walled town boasting amagnificent rectangular tower witha semicircular arch.
From here the route leaves Alavaand enters the Region of La Rioja onthe way to Santo Domingo de laCalzada.
10 11
Sanctuary of Estibaliz
LA RIOJA ALAVESA
Bounded on the north by theCantabria and Toloño rangesand on the south by the riverEbro, the Rioja Alavesadistrict enjoys a climate wellsuited to the winemaking forwhich it is famous. This isalso an area with a wealth ofarchaeological remains fromPalaeolithic, Roman andMediaeval times.
The route begins leavingVitoria by the A-2124heading for Puerto de LaHerrera, a road that windsthrough surroundings of greatnatural beauty. On the waydown is a vantage pointcalled Balcón de La Rioja,which gives a fine view overa splendid landscape. The first towncoming down from La Herrera passis Leza. In the centre of the town isthe Renaissance church of SanMartin, which has a lovely doorwayin Isabelline style. On the outskirts isthe dolmen known as “El Sotillo”.
The road then carries on toLaguardia, the most important townin the district and one of the mostbeautiful. The entire old town isencircled by walls built in the early13th century. At either end of themain street are the churches of SanJuan, originally a Romanesqueconstruction although now amixture of several styles, and SantaMaria de los Reyes. The latter isnotable for its impressive Gothicdoorway, one of the few from theperiod that retain the originalpolychrome. At one end of thewalled precinct – in the avenue “ElCollado” – stands a monument tothe fabulist Samaniego.
Church of San Martin. Leza
It is also recommended to take awalk about Laguardia, as the wholetown centre is full of artistic andhistoric interest. Visitors should alsolook in at some of the manywineries, where they can taste andpurchase examples of themagnificent local products.Very near Laguardia proper are theDolmen of San Martin and Pobladode la Hoya, a settlement whoseremains appear to date back to thefirst millennium BC. Also worth avisit is the “Las Lagunas” naturezone, which is classified as aprotected biotype.
Leaving Laguardia there are othersmall villages of interest likeLaserna, Páganos, Elvillar/Bilar(within whose limits stands theDolmen de la Chabola de La
Hechicera, one of the mostimportant dolmens in the BasqueCountry), or Navaridas.
Also of interest is the nearby town ofElciego. Visitors are recommendedto take a walk about the streets, fullof noble esutcheoned houses, to themain square, site of the Town Halland the hermitage of the Virgen dela Plaza. The parish church, in thelower part of the town, is dedicatedto San Andres. Its most strikingfeatures are an enormoussemicircular arch around thedoorway and oddly unmatchedtowers. Elciego has many wineries,some family-owned and othersinternationally famous.
Church of Santa Maria de los Reyes. Laguardia
GORBEA: FOOTHILLS ANDRESERVOIRS
At 1,482 metres, Mount Gorbea isthe highest peak in the BasqueCountry and has given its name toan entire massif which has beenclassified as a “protected naturezone”. Covering 250 squarekilometres, this park is of greatscenic and ecological interest, withone of the largest forested areas inthe Basque Country. ( Parkinformation centre ( 945 43 00 06).
This excursion begins in Murgia,which is reached from Vitoria by theN-622 dual carriageway bound forAltube. Murgia is the capital of theZuya Valley, an area of smallvillages in traditional local style. The
town centre, dominated by thechurch of San Miguel and the TownHall, is well preserved. There are anumber of places worth visiting inthe surrounding area:-Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Oro.Built on top of a formerRomanesque church, the Sanctuarycan be reached by turning off justafter the town of Bitoriano. -Hermitage of Jugatxi. Again startingfrom Murgia, one travels first to theneighbouring village of Jugo andfrom there to the hermitage ofJugatxi, which stands amidst a finebeech wood.-Paseo del Río Bayas. From Sarria(one kilometre away from Murgia)there is a pretty path along thebanks of the river Bayas. This is thestart of one of the routes up toGorbea
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From Murgia, the route goesthrough Zarate and Manurga toGopegi, capital of the ZigoitiaValley. The church here preservessome Romanesque elements and atower known as Torre Goikoetxea.Nearby are the reservoirs of Gorbea,which can be reached from Muruaby way of forest tracks. Highway N-240 leads on to Elosu, a prettyvillage standing on a peninsula inthe Urunaga reservoir, where an oldceramic kiln is still preserved andthere is a museum of traditionalBasque pottery.
From Murgia one can also head inthe direction of Bilbao to the AyalaValley, where there are a number ofimportant towns like Quejana,Artziniega, Amurrio and Llodio,and also Orduña, an enclave ofVizcaya in the province of Alava.
Quejana is of particular historic andartistic interest, with an architecturalensemble in whose chapel there is areally spectacular altarpiece.
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Tomb of Chancellor Ayala. Quejana
Torre Goikoetxea. Gopegi
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VALDEREJO NATURE PARK
Valderejo Nature Park belongs tothe municipality of Valdegovia, atthe western edge of Alava near theboundary with Burgos. In January1992 it was declared a “protectednature zone”; this together with aPlan for the Regulation of Natural
Resources meant that 35 kilometresof territory came under officialprotection. The Valderejo naturezone is particularly attractive for thediversity of the flora and fauna.The park is situated 50 kilometresfrom Vitoria and is reached by wayof Nanclares de la Oca, Salinas deAñana and Villanueva deValdegovia. Access to the naturepark from Alava is by way of a localroad from Arroyo de San Zadornil toLalastra where there is a car park,an interpretive and reception centre(( 947 56 60 91) and a recreationarea. Lalastra is the starting-point forsignposted itineraries through thepark.
One recommended excursion is theRiver Purón defile, which can bereached by way either of theTobalina Valley in Burgos or thetown of Ribera in Alava, whosechurch contains some interestingGothic paintings.
The town of Valdegovia ispractically an enclave in theprovince of Burgos. Villanueva de
Valdegovia is the chief town in thevalley and the municipal district,which includes 29 urban units.Many of them preserve remains ofpast importance, the first of which isthe Torre de los Varona in Villanañe,near Villanueva on the way to theN-625. Built in the late 16thcentury, the tower still retains itsoriginal appearance. Not far fromVillanueva are the cave hermitagesof San Martin de Valparaiso.
1716
On the way from From Villanañe toCaranca, the Sanctuary of NuestraSeñora de Angosto stands on alovely site beside the RiverHumecillo. Inside is a 16th-centuryaltarpiece and a mediaeval image ofthe Virgin. Those interested can alsovisit the place where tradition has itthat the virgin appeared to ashepherd.
WESTERN VALLEYS: SALINAS DE
AÑANA, ESPEJO
This route commences inNanclares de la Oca-LangraitzOka, travelling from Vitoria-Gasteiz via the N-102 and turningoff on to the A-2622. Nanclareshas a fine parish church and asquare with a curious fountain.The Subijana pass between theBadaia and Arkamo ranges leadsinto the Cuartango Valley. Herethere are fourteen townships inaddition to the chief town ofZuazo, whose church preservessome Romanesque remains.Particularly interesting isKatadiano, site of a group of fourdolmens. From there one can visitthe Sanctuary of Nuestra Señorade Eskolumbe, located indelightful natural surroundings.The route carries on from Subijanaby way of Valdegovia. The A-2622 leads through Pobes toSalinas de Añana-Añana Gesaltza,a township classified as part of thecultural heritage, which boastssome impressive salt-pans fromRoman times. In the lower part ofthe town is the parish church ofSanta María de Villacones,mediaeval in origin but laterreformed. Other interestingbuildings in the town centre arethe Town Hall, the palace of LosHerrán and the Baroqueclocktower. However, the mostimpressive sight here are the saltpans, some of which are stilloperational.
Valderejo Nature Park
On the road from Salinas deAñana to Espejo where it passesthrough the Valdegovia valley isone of the most importantmonuments in the area, theRomanesque church of LaAsunción de Tuesta, built in the12th century. Especially striking isthe splendid decoration of thedoorway, while in the interiorthere is a lovely carving of thevirgin dated 1300 and aPlateresque altarpiece.Espejo is an important townshipand summer resort, whose
outstanding monument is theTorre de Luyandos y Hurtado deMendoza, a tower built in the16th century. Also near Espejo areNograro, and Carcamo wherethere is a small church in the pureRomanesque style.
Salines of Añana-Añana. Gesaltza
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LEISURE ANDENTERTAINMENT
Alava in general and Vitoria-Gasteizin particular offer visitors a virtuallycontinuous programme of culturaland recreational spectacles.The best-known festivals nationallyand internationally are:
• National Non-professional FilmFestival (April)• The Month of Dance (May) • Artists street festival (June)• International Festival of Folklore(July)• International Choral Week(September)• Old-time Music Week(September)• Video Festival (June or July)• Games Festival (July)• International Magic Conference(September)• International Theatre Festival(Autumn)• Vitoria-Gasteiz Art Festival(November-December)• One particularly special event isthe Jazz Festival (July), which hasbecome a must for jazz lovers andattracts the cream of theinternational jazz scene. For moreinformation about the festival:Asociación Festival de Jazz deVitoria-Gasteiz. ( 945 14 19 19,fax 945 13 02 87
Both the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz andthe rest of the province offer amagnificent range of museums
which encompass almost everybranch of human knowledge, frombiology to history and art.
In Vitoria-Gasteiz:• Archaeological Museum, C/ Correría, 116• Museum of Heraldry C/ Paseo de Fray Francisco, 3.• Fine Art Museum. C/ Paseo de Fray Francisco, 8.• Natural Science Museum C/ Siervas de Jesús, 24• Fournier Musem of Cards. C/ Cuchilerría 54
In the province:• Oppidum Museum of Iruña(Villodas-Trespuentes)• Heraldic Museum (Mendoza)• Archaeological Museum of LaHoya ( Laguardia)• Basque Museum of Gastronomy(Llodio)• Museum of Basque Pottery (Elosu)• Also: Ethnographic museums inOyón, Amurrio, Atziniega, Pipaón,Zalduendo and elsewhere.
For information on visiting hours,entrance charges, arranged visits,etc.:Alava Museum Service( 945 18 19 18
FOOD AND DRINK
Products of its climate and culture,the gastronomy of Alava boasts atremendous variety. The better-known dishes include broad beanswith ham, butter-beans with quail,
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fresh-water crab, scrambled eggswith perrechicos (springmushrooms), macedoine ofvegetables, potatoes Rioja-style,lamb chops grilled on vine-wood,and lamb cooked a la panaderawith potatoes, onions and wine. Theconfectionery is also justly famous,especially in Vitoria, with home-made nougats, chocolate trufflesand pine-kernel and walnut cakes.
One of the most firmly-rootedcustoms in Alava – and in theBasque Country in general – is to dothe rounds of the bars sampling thewines, the beers and the famouspinchos or tapas. The regular areasof Vitoria for this are the Old Town,the New Town and the adjoiningstreets.
Wine – undoubtedly one of themost internationally famousproducts of Alava – requiresseparate mention. The Rioja Alavesaproduces potent wines, the redschiefly from tempranillo varieties,and the whites from viura. The bestway is to try them at the localwineries which abound in towns ofthe Rioja Alaves like Elciego,Laguardia, Baños de Ebro, etc.
FESTIVALS
In Vitoria the best known and mostpopular festival is that of the VirgenBlanca (5 August), enlivened by the“blusas”, the name given to thetroupes of young men because of
the blouses that they wear. Thefestivities commence with thedescent of Celedon, a dummydressed with blouse and umbrellawhich is passed over the heads ofthe crowd from the church of SanMiguel to the Plaza de la VirgenBlanca. The celebrations last a week.
The day of the patron of theprovince, San Prudencio, falls on 28April, with romerías in almost everytown, where typically snails andperrechicos (spring mushrooms) areserved out. One particularly popularexample is in the fields of Armentiain Vitoria, by the hermitage erectedthere in honour of the saint.
Another festival of interest is thecarnival in both town and country,which usually closes with the“burning of Judas”. The town ofZalduendo has some reputation inthis respect. Also worth seeing arethe alms festivals like that of SantaAgueda (4 February) or Jueves deLardero (the Thursday before Lent).
Festivals of patron saints: Laguardia(last week in June), with popularbull-runs; San Pedro de Llodio,recently reinstated (29 June);Artziniega (8 September), with apopular romería to the Sanctuary ofNuestra Señora de la Encina, andSanta Cruz de Campezo (firstSunday in September).
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SPORTS
For sports enthusiasts Alava has fourgolf clubs (in Urturi, Lagran, Altubeand Legutiano), nine riding schoolsand two sailings clubs plus a varietyof schools for paragliding, hang-gliding, canoeing and adventuresports.
ACCESS ANDCOMMUNICATIONS
Vitoria has an airport in theneighbouring town of Foronda, withconnections to major cities of Spainand Europe. Also, Bilbao Airport(Sondika) is less than an hour’s driveaway on the A-68 motorway.Visitors can reach Vitoria by roadfrom Madrid via Burgos on the N-1and A-1, and from Barcelona,Zaragoza and Logroño on the A-68and the N-232. It is connected with
San Sebastián and France by the N-I, with Bilbao by the A-68 andwith Pamplona by the 240-A andthe N-I.The city also has good rail links andregular bus services.
Parador of Argomaniz
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USEFUL INFORMATION
International dialling code: 34
TOURIST INFORMATIONTURESPAÑA ( 901 300 600www.tourspain.es
TOURIST OFFICE OF THE BASQUEGOVERNMENTParque de la Florida. Vitoria-Gasteiz ( 945 13 13 21, fax 945 13 02 93www.euskadi.net/turismoe-mail: [email protected]
PARADORS
Central booking office for Paradors:Calle Requena, 3. 28013 Madrid ( 91 516 66 66, fax 91 516 66 57www.parador.ese-mail: [email protected]
PARADOR DE ARGÓMANIZCarretera N-I, Km. 363Argómaniz (Álava)( 945 29 32 00, fax 945 29 32 87
TOURIST INFORMATIONOFFICESMUNICIPAL TOURIST OFFICE OFVITORIA-GASTEIZ. Calle Dato 11( 945 16 15 98, fax 945 16 11 05www.vitoria-gasteiz.orge-mail: [email protected]
MUNICIPAL CONGRESS AND TOURISTSERVICE OF VITORIA-GASTEIZPalacio de Congresos EuropaAvenida de Gasteiz( 945 16 12 79 / 61
AGRO-TOURISM OFFICE( 902 13 00 31
GENERAL INFORMATION
Emergencies (112Cruz Roja. Vitoria-Gasteiz( 945 22 22 22Traffic & Highways ( 900 12 35 05www.dgt.es
TRANSPORT
Vitoria-Gasteiz Airport: nine kilometresfrom Vitoria, on the N-624 highway,Km. 3 direction Bilbao (Foronda)Information: ( 945 16 35 91
RENFE railway station:( 945 23 02 02
Bus station: ( 945 25 84 00
Radio-Taxis: ( 945 27 35 00, 945 25 30 33, 908 87 01 44 44 (the last has a service for physicallydisabled persons)
SPANISH TOURIST INFORMATIONOFFICES ABROAD
CANADA. Toronto Tourist Office of Spain2 Bloor Street West Suite 3402 TORONTO, Ontario M4W 3E2( 1416/ 961 31 31, fax 1416/ 961 19 92e-mail: [email protected]
GREAT BRITAIN. London Spanish Tourist OfficeManchester Square, 22-23 LONDON W1M 5AP( 44207/ 486 80 77, fax 44207/ 486 80 34e-mail: [email protected]
JAPAN. Tokyo Tourist Office of SpainDaini Toranomon Denki Bldg.4F 3-1-10 Toranomon. Minato-Ku TOKIO-105( 813/ 34 32 61 41, fax 813/ 34 32 61 44e-mail: [email protected]
Escuelade Música
Centro SocioculturalDeportivo Iparralde
Museode Arqueología
Torre delos Anda
Museo Fournierde Naipes
Juntas Generales
CasaConsistorial
Hospitalde Santiago
Plaza deAbastos
Escuela UniversitariaProf. de EGB
Facultad de FilologíaGeografía e Historia
Plazade Toros
ArchivoMunicipal
Plaza deSan Martín
Iglesia deS. Miguel
Iglesia deS. VicentePalacio
Villa-Suso
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CORONACIÓN VIRGEN S. I. DE LOYOLA
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C. R. y CAJAL CALLE FLORIDAC. Ortiz de Zárate
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PA
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C. Angulema
Calle de
CALLE FLORIDA
VILLA
RREAL
CALLE JUAN DE G
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Rioja
BE
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CA
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PORTAL DE CASTILLA
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FRAY FRANCISCO DE VITORIA
Cal
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CalleSan
Viator
CALLECONDE
DONVELA
Calle Ecuador
Calle Joaquín Achòtegui
Cal
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M
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DESANTIAGO
CA
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CA
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PAR
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PASEO
Callede
Venezuela
Cuadrilla
de Vitoria
Gasteiz
Calle Cofradía de Arriaga
Calle
del
Obi
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Bal
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Calle de Badaya
CA
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Calle
Correría
Calle S
anta Marta
Calle
Cuchillería
Cal
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Calle de los H
errán
Calle Manuel de Iradier
Calle de BasoaCalle Simón Anda
Calle Chile
Calle
Beato
Tomás
ZumárragaCalle
Adriano VI
CALLE DE
VALLADOLID
Calle de A
riznavarra
Cal
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Sie
rvas
de
Jesú
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Calle Las E
scuelas
Calle
Zapatería
Calle
Pintorería
Calle
S.
Vicente
deP
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Pº d
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Sen
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C. MagdalenaC. El Prado
Calle M
onseñor
Cadena y Eleta
Cal
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Cal
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Bus
tinzu
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Ave
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Calle Pintor P. Uranga
Calle Pintor Ignacio Díaza de Olano
Calle de Etxezarra
Cal
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Ser
afín
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Aju
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Calle General Alava
CalleSan Prudencio
Calle
Providencia
Calle
de
Olaguíbel
Avenida
deJudizm
endi
Avenida N
tra. Señora de E
stíbaliz
Calle José Lejarreta
Calle de Arana
Callede
Logroño
Cal
lede
Ariz
nava
rra
Calle
Reyes
de
Navarra
CallePostas
Cal
lede
los
Fue
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Cal
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duar
doD
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de
S. Francisco P.del Rey
Plazade Llodio
Plazade Zaramaga
Plaza dela Constitución
Plaza Pascual de Andagoya
Plaza Martínde Salinas
Plaza Tresde Marzo
Plaza delEmperador
Carlos I
Plaza Gregorio Altube
PlazaPérez Galdós
Plazade Zaldiarán
Plaza dela Ciudadela
Plazuelade Aldave
PlazaSto. Domingo
Plaza Fuentede los Patos
PlazaSta. María
PlazaSan Antón
Plazade Bilbao
Pl. Francisco J. de Ayala
Plaza Condede Peñaflorida
Plazade Lovaina
PlazaSimón Bolívar
PlazaGral. Loma
Plazade España
PlazaJ. Mª Leizaola
Plaza deSta. Bárbara
Plaza. Ntra. Sra.de los Desamparados
Plaza dela Estación
PlazaGerardo Armesto
Plaza de laProvincia
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CARTOGRAFÍA: GCAR, S.L. Cardenal Silíceo, 35Tel. 91 416 73 41 - 28002 MADRID - AÑO 1999
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RUSSIA. Moscow. Spanish Tourist OfficeTverskaya – 16/2 Business Center “Galeria Aktor” 6º floor. MOSCÚ 103009w 7095/ 935 83 99, fax 7095/ 935 83 96e-mail: [email protected]
SINGAPORE. SingaporeSpanish Tourist Office541Orchard Road. Liat Tower # 09-04 238881 SINGAPOREw 657/ 37 30 08, fax 657/ 37 31 73e-mail: [email protected]
UNITED STATES OF AMERICALos Angeles. Tourist Office of Spain8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 960 BEVERLY HILLS, CAL 90211w 1323/ 658 71 95, fax 1323/ 658 10 61e-mail: [email protected]
Chicago. Tourist Office of SpainWater Tower Place, suite 915 East. 845, NorthMichigan Avenue. CHICAGO, ILL 60-611w 1312/ 642 19 92, fax 1312/ 642 98 17e-mail: [email protected]
Miami. Tourist Office of Spain1221 Brickell Avenue. MIAMI, Florida 33131w 1305/ 358 19 92, fax 1305/ 358 82 23e-mail: [email protected]
New York. Tourist Office of Spain666 Fifth Avenue 35 th floor NEW YORK, N.Y. 10103w 1212/ 265 88 22, fax 1212/ 265 88 64www.okspain.orge-mail:[email protected]
EMBASSIES IN MADRID
CANADA: Nuñez de Balboa, 35 w 91 431 43 00, fax 91 431 23 67
GREAT BRITAIN: Fernando El Santo, 16 w 91 319 02 00, fax 91 308 10 33
JAPAN: Serrano, 109 w 91 590 76 00, fax 91 590 13 21
RUSSIA: Velazquez, 155w 91 562 22 64, fax 91 562 97 12
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Serrano, 75w 91 587 22 00, fax 91 587 23 03
SIGHTSEEING INVITORIA-GASTEIZ
The old town
1. Plaza de la Virgen Blanca2. Los Arquillos3. Plaza del Machete4. Casa del Cordón5. Cathedral of Santa María6. El Portalón7. Torre de Otxanda. Natural Science
Museum8. Diputación Foral de Álava
The Romantic new town
9. Plaza de los Fueros10. New Catedral11. Basque Parliament12. Museum of Fine Art13. Museum of Heraldry14. Ajuria Enea Palace15. Church of San Prudencio
The Parks
16. La Florida Park17. El Prado Park18. Judizmendi Parki19. San Juan de Arriaga Park20. Molinuevo Park21. San Martín Park22. Calle Magdalena Gardens23. Paseo de la Senda24. Paseo de Fray Francisco25. Paseo de Cervantes
Conventional signs
Tourist information office
Hospital
Car Park
Railway station
Bus station
CITY DTREET GUIDE
Ála
vaSp
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MINISTERIO DE ECONOMÍA
SECRETARÍA DEESTADO DE COMERCIO Y TURISMO
SECRETARÍA GENERAL DE TURISMO
TURESPAÑA
