The beautiful Basque Country is blessed with stunning landscapes. The region's nature reserves, hills and mountains attract hikers, rock climbers, cyclists and adventure sport enthusiasts. Culture and history buffs delight in the Renaissance palaces, Gothic cathedrals and myriad of museums which abound in Bilbao and the capital city of Vitoria-Gestaiz. The coastline is untainted by mass tourism and the region has a rich cultural heritage which sets the place apart from the rest of Spain and Europe.
The Basque Country (called Pais Vasco in Spanish) consists of the three Basque provinces of Guipuzcoa, Biscay and Alava which together form one of Spain 17 autonomous regions. The region has its own highly distinctive language, Euskera, which bears no relation to Castilian Spanish or indeed any other language in the world. And it's not just the mysterious language which sets the Basque Country apart from the rest of the Iberian Peninsula.
The opening of Frank Gehry's spectacular Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1997 put the Basque Country in the world spotlight, fuelling its development as a cultural tourism destination.
San Sebastian boasts one of the world's most beautiful bays and in the early part of the 20 th century gained a reputation as the favourite summer retreat of the Spanish court and European aristocracy. Today it's still one of Spain's most elegant cities, drawing an upmarket clientele to its many fine restaurants which are renowned for serving the very best of Basque cuisine.
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