Why You Should Book Tickets to Vitoria-Gasteiz This Year

Vitoria is part of Spain’s Basque autonomous region, and it is the seat of their government and capital city, as well. The city has dual names dependent on which language you speak, in Spanish, it’s known as Vitoria, and in Basque, it’s known as Gasteiz, so you may know it as Vitoria-Gasteiz.

While it’s one of the region’s lesser known cities, Vitoria consistently ranks high on Spain’s most livable cities, and it has no shortage of its own cultural attractions.

It was also the first Spanish city to be awarded the title of European Green Capital, which it earned in 2012. Vitoria is a full-fledged multicultural city with a lot of arts, commerce, conservation, a bustling vehicle and aeronautics industry, and most important of all: food and wine.

Classic to Modern in One City

One of the best places to start to see Vitoria is the Paseo de los Arquillos, a neoclassical arcade built in the late 1700s. It is almost a literal bridge between the city’s Old Town and its more modern amenities.

Its old town is remarkably well preserved, and still has the curvy, cobble-stoned, medieval streets fully intact and wonderful to wander through. At the center of the old town is the imposing Cathedral of Santa Maria, and filling in the skyline are the churches of San Miguel, San Vicente, and San Pedro.

The Museums of Vitoria-Gasteiz

The region surrounding the Paseo de los Arquillos is Vitoria at its most beautiful, and easily walkable. Additionally, the city has no shortage of museums.

You can see the Museo de Bellas Artes, dedicated to Spanish art in the 18th and 19th Centuries, the Museo de Armeria, or the armory museum, with its amazing display of medieval weapons and armor.

It has more than just European weaponry, too, and also has sections for African, Asian, and Arab weaponry. It’s a well-rounded presentation of medieval war weaponry. The Museo Bibat is a twin set of museums, with one half displaying archaeological finds, and the other half housing displays of playing cards dating back as far as the 15th Century.

Vitoria’s Food Scene

Vitoria doesn’t have as many famous restaurants as some of its neighboring regions, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking. The basque region is known for its haute cuisine, and to see a great example of this, dine at Zaldiaran, the city’s own Michelin-starred restaurant. They serve magnificently presented seafood, such as lobster flambee, stuffed snails, and seafood salad. The tapas in this region are as good as anything offered elsewhere in Spain, too.

Driving Basque Country’s Wine Region from Vitoria

The Basques boast their own incredible selection of wine, which has an elegant, cleansing feel to it. Surrounding Vitoria are miles of wine country, all easily accessible within a quick drive. About an hour south of Vitoria is the Rioja Alavesa, which offers a unique flavor palate of wines and tend to be fuller bodied and more acidic due to the high clay content in the soil.