Important: Wikitravel is exploring a license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0, please give your consent or refusal here.

From Wikitravel

The Basque Country (Basque: Euskadi, Spanish: Pais Vasco) is a region at the north of Spain, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and France. It is defined formally as an autonomous community of three provinces within Spain, and culturally including a fourth province and a small portion of France.

Basque Country is one of the world's top gastronomic destinations, with key gourmet centers in San Sebastian, Hondarribia and Bilbao.

[edit] Provinces

The following Spanish provinces make up the autonomous community of Pais Vasco:

• Alava (Basque: Araba), capital Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque: Gasteiz).
• Guipuzcoa (Basque: Gipuzkoa), capital San Sebastián (Basque: Donostia).
• Vizcaya (Basque: Bizkaia), occasionally rendered Biscay in English, like the bay of the same name, capital Bilbao (Basque: Bilbo).

Culturally, the Basque Country also includes the Spanish province of Navarra (Basque: Nafarroa), and the territories of Labord (Basque: Lapurdi), French Navarra (Basque: Behenafarroa), and Soule (Basque: Zuberoa) in southwestern France.

[edit] Cities

• Bilbao (Vizcaya)
• Vitoria-Gasteiz (Alava)
• San Sebastian (Guipuzcoa)
• Hondarribia (Guipuzcoa)

[edit] Other destinations

• Guernica (Basque: Gernika): a thriving commercial town with great historical and cultural significance for the Basque people.
• Zumaia and Zarauz: glorious sandy beaches, not far from San Sebastian.
• Getaria: top-notch fresh seafood at this fishing harbor.

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

Under the Franco regime all languages other than Castilian Spanish were severely restricted. The Spanish constitution of 1978 established the provinces of Araba, Gipuzkoa, and Bizkaia as the Basque Autonomous Region. The Basque Autonomous Region (Communidad Autonoma Vasca) has a great deal of autonomy from the national government (including the autonomy to recognize Euskara as an official language of the region), but this has not satisfied all factions of the Basque community.

The Basque people have had a stormy relationship with the nation of Spain, and for decades there had been incidents of violence made in the name of self-determination and/or independence. ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna -the Basque terrorist organization) announced a permanent ceasefire at the end of March of 2006, but has since reopened hostilities, killing two people in 2007 with a car bomb at Madrid airport, and in the summer of 2009 detonating bombs in Burgos and Palma de Mallorca.

[edit] Talk

The native language of the region is Basque (Euskara). Spanish is widely spoken, but you'll also see signs in Basque. From the region's location, you might expect this language to be a blend of Spanish and French, but it's actually unrelated to either of them... or any other known language, having developed in relative isolation from neighboring peoples.

See also: Basque phrasebook

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

• Bilbao-Bilbo: Loiu airport [1] is the largest in Basque Country, with a stunning terminal building designed by Santiago Calatrava. It has cheap flights with Easyjet to London and with Vueling to Barcelona and Malaga. There are many connections to other European cities with other companies as Iberia, Lufthansa, Bruxelles Airlines.
• Vitoria-Gasteiz: Foronda airport has cheap flights with Ryanair from Dublin and London(Stansted)
• Biarritz: it has cheap flights with Ryanair from Dublin, London(Stansted), Shannon (Ireland) and Frankfurt, and with Sterling Airlines from Oslo and Copenhagen.

[edit] By train

Daily connections to main cities from Paris, Madrid and Barcelona. Check RENFE (Spain)[2] and SNCF (France)[3] websites.

[edit] By bus

Daily connections with Madrid and Barcelona from Bilbo/Bilbao, Donostia/San Sebastian, Gasteiz/Vitoria and Iruña/Pamplona.

[edit] By car

The motorway between Paris and Madrid goes through Baiona/Bayonne, Donostia/San Sebastian and Vitoria/Gasteiz. The tolls between Baiona and Donostia are pretty expensive. Another motorway links Iruña/Pamplona with Barcelona There are motorways between all the main cities: Bilbo-Gasteiz, Bilbo-Donostia, Donostia-Iruña, Gasteiz-Iruña.

[edit] By thumb

Sooner or later people normally stop. It's better to hitchhike at the exits of the towns where the traffic is calmer than on the motorways. So many long-distance truck routes cross the Basque Country it should be quite easy to find someone to take you directly from Madrid or Paris to the Basque Country, and vice versa.

[edit] Get around

There is an extensive bus and train network, and roads are well signposted. But watch out for occasional monolingual signs in Basque.

[edit][add listing] See

• The Guggenheim Museum, [4], in Bilbao is world-renowned for its contemporary architecture and modern art. It was designed by Frank Gehry, and opened in 1997.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Come in mid-August for Bilbao's annual week-long festival.
• Sun, sea, sand and surf at numerous beaches along the coast from France towards Bilbao.
• Take a small group escorted tour that will reveal the best this region has to offer. Ophorus [5] organises tours in both French and Spanish Basque Country with your own private driver guide. Destinations include the cities of Bilbao (Guggenheim), San Sebastian, Saint Jean de Luz, Biarritz and the small villages of Sare and Aïnhoa that are classified as most beautiful of France.

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Pintxos

[edit][add listing] Drink

Txakoli: white wine from the regions of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, also now produced in a part of Araba/Alava.

Rioja wines: produced in La Rioja, south of Araba/Alava and southwest of Nafarroa/Navarra.

Cider (Sagardoa in basque): is not like British or Nordic cider, it doesn't have gas and is more similar to the wine. Is mostly produced in Gipuzkoa around Donostia/San Sebastian but also in some parts of Nafarroa/Navarra and Bizkaia. In winter between January and March the cider cellars are open as restaurants where you can have dinner and you drink all the cider you want.

Kalimotxo: low quality wine with coke. Typical drink of teenagers and for parties.

Patxaran: sloe liquor. Typical after dinner. Tastes a bit like the cough medicine 'Night Nurse'.

Beer: if you want a tap beer (normally cheaper) you can ask caña or half caña called zurito. Normally the glass is not filled to the top and depending on the place, the barman or your face it could be a big or small measure.

[edit] Stay Safe

With a rate of only 33.4 crimes per 1000 inhabitants, the Basque Country has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe.

Crime rates however can vary significantly between rural and urban areas, even if urban areas are not particularly dangerous. Violent crime is extremely rare, but the usual precautions will keep you out of any problems.

In the bigger cities, only a few areas (for example San Francisco in Bilbao) are best avoided.

If you find any signs of vandalism, don't be alarmed.

It is advisable not to wear any Spanish symbols. Spain national football (soccer) tops, Spanish flags or Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid club paraphernalia are best avoided. Alhough no assaults on people wearing them have been recorded, some people might be upset about them.

Take into account that Basque Country inhabitants are divided amongst those who support independence and others who support union with Spain. If speaking to strangers, avoid political topics as it can cause upset or offend.

[edit] Get out

The charms of southwest France, in particular the beach resorts and town of Biarritz, are a short hop across the border. Or travel due east to explore the rugged Pyrenees. To the west, Spain offers the mountains and coastline of Asturias and Galicia, the terminus of the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. Head south to Burgos and central Spain.