Basque Country

Basque Country

The Basque Country has been very successful in working on a new image!
San Sebastián, Bilbao and Vitoria proudly flaunt their beaches, culture and the refined tapas called pintxos. Football is religion and Athletic Bilbao, a team with only Basques, play in the Spanish league. Renowned architects such as Calatrava and Gehry have been invited to the Rioja wine region to build their futuristic 21st century wine castles there.

The bilingual autonomous region in northern Spain calls itself Euskadi. It has a coastline with beautiful beaches and interesting towns by the sea. Here you will find a nice mix of lovely beaches, gastronomy, nature & culture.
Bilbao attracts a lot of attention thanks to the spectacular Guggenheim Museum.
San Sebastian is the Grande Dame of all Spanish seaside resorts and this is where the Madrid upper class likes to be seen during the summer months. Surfers come to enjoy the high waves and you can enjoy walking or cycling along the 6km long boulevard with the artwork of Peine del Viento by the famous Basque artist Eduardo Chillida as the starting point.

The hinterland is less well-known but highly recommended for nature lovers who want to combine an active holiday with good food and a good glass of wine. Excellent wines are made in the Rioja and you can visit the different bodegas.

We have discovered a number of special overnight places in the interior where you can sleep and experience something special.
Hotel Viura, is a design hotel located on the edge of a tranquil wine village in the Rioja. It looks as if it has barely survived an earthquake, but the interior is extremely innovative, well-kept and playful. Located in the middle of the wine village, the hotel offers a delicious breakfast and the public swimming pool is open in the summer months.

Hotel Marques de Riscal was designed by Frank Gehry, also known for the Guggenheim in Bilbao. The famous winery Marques de Riscal has a hotel with a star restaurant, and was built on top of the underground bodegas. It is set among vineyards overlooking the charming wine village of El Ciego.

Aire de Bardenas, lies a little further south in the Province of Navarra and has won many design prizes. Here you will find partly transparent cube rooms and igloos where you can watch the stars during the night. It has an excellent restaurant, a swimming pool and a view of an overwhelming lunar landscape.

Quietly situated on a hill is Hotel Iturregi, amidst the Txakolí vineyards, with breath-taking views of the Basque coast. Closeby is the coastal town of Getaria where the spectacular Balenciaga museum tastefully displays the top collections of the renowned fashion designer.

Hotel Rural Etxegana, on the other hand, has a traditional architecture and is located by a nature park with hiking opportunities just 30 km from the coast.

Depending on your wishes, we can organise wonderful tailor-made journey along these lovely hotels.

 

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